TS Front Brake

[MZFred]

Looking at improving the front bake on my Supa 5 as detailed in previous posts and as article on the Real Classic web site.
Has any one carried out this upgrade and with what results?
And does any one know if you can buy the brake shoes with the extra material on over the counter and from what source or any one who can carry fitting of extra material on to the shoes as detailed within the article.

[therealche]

Not quite sure as I haven't seen the article but I use a comapny called Saftek who reline brake with a better compound
http://www.saftek.co.uk/

Other ways of improving the brake is using a rear brake plate on the front (which requires machining the boss down a bit if memory serves) or boring through the original front backplate and fitting the brake cam with one from the back, then fitting the lever from the back on the outside. You will have to make up a new stop for the brake cable and make a new cable to suit

[DAVID THOMPSON]

think there was a conversion to a Honda front hub mentioned some where...
but that hub is probably in short supply
you might consider a whole front end from an 4cycle rt125 its front brake stops very well
but finding one and sorting out the fork neck bearings may be a chore

[atreyu]

Hi Fred, I have a Honda TLS front brake to go in mine. I'll be having it fitted with CB1 racing linings.... so it should stop.

I used safetek once and never again though, they didn't skim the drum to be concentric.

I thought the limiting factor with the standard drum was partly due to the fact that the actuating arm is inside the hub so doesnt have enough leverage?

[radiograf]

Check out the links page on the mz riders club website http://www.mzridersclub.co.uk. Look for the link to sweller.co.uk, as on there they discuss fitting an etz front end. Can't get a direct link to it, all you end up with is a rather old Steve Bell cartoon

[Louis Mair]

The realclassic article was originally published in the magazine of a club whose name I do not wish to remember. What it says made sense to me.
As I understand it, as the brake shoes wear the effective cam angle changes and they gradually become less efficient. The author came up with a complicated way of fitting new shoes with the minimium of clearance. He would have discovered or will discover that in a few thousand miles he is no better off. You might have to wait a while before he writes up that part of the story.
A skilled engineer who is willing to take responsibility for the consequences of getting it wrong can try a few similar modifications.
You can reduce the clearance between drum and shoe by shimming the brake cam, thus restoring a more effective cam angle.
You can shim the ends of the brake shoes where they touch the cam. This is easier to do but the outer edge of the shims will eventually contact the drum, wear off and possibly let the shim escape.
You can buy a small sheave or pulley wheel from a ship's chandler (boat store) and double the cable back to an anchor that you will have to construct for yourself. That one did work but it is more trouble than it is worth.
Honda front wheels, (the brake plate is useless on its own) were done to death in postings on this forum less than a year ago.
The TS has a longer headstock than an ETZ. You cannot fit the ETZ fork clamps/triple trees to a TS. You can fit the fork legs and all the bits that go with them. With the Brembo front brake the fork clamps/triple trees are offset to allow for the width of the wheel (If you find this hard to believe you can measure the offset in the front mudguard brackets). If you allow for the offset when tensioning the chain you'll have no problems. If you try to get the two wheels in line with a straight edge you will damage chain, sprockets and bearings.There are also minor problems with mating the TS indicator switch to the ETZ master cylinder.
The Grimeca brake has great potential. It uses the same symmetrical fork clamps/triple trees as the TS and it is lighter than the Brembo.
As braking is mostly about anticipation you could try just living with what you've got.
Engineering is fine but riding them is best.
Louis