Rear brakes

Hello all,

I have a few questions.. I purchased an 85 maxim awhile back. The rear brakes are squeaky, braking at low speeds. The bike stops on a dime, with little effort. However I need to investigate rear brakes. How can I tell visually if they are worn? Or do I have to remove the wheel to open the drum in? This is my first bike with a rear drum, and shaft drive. If I need to remove the wheel can someone tell me how to do so? How to dissamble the shaft drive hub... I'm used to the chain setup/disc brakes.

thanks
ati190

 

There's a wear indicator behind the cam shaft arm on the drum cover. Engage the rear brake fully and see where the arrow points.. It should be somewhere in the middle of the gauge.

I would go ahead and plan to replace the rear shoes regardless of what condition they are in. They might look pristine, but if they're as old as the bike, there's a chance that they might delaminate (friction material separating from the metal backing). That can cause a complete brake failure, or even worse, lock the rear wheel completely while you're moving 8O

Dunno about the '85, but it's probably similar to the older models.

To remove the rear wheel...

- Put bike on center stand.

- Remove the camshaft lever (that arm thingy that the brake rod is attached to), along with the wear indicator.

- Disconnect the tension bar, discard old cotter pins. You can just loosen the front nut so it will swing down and out of the way.

- Pull the cotter pin out of the wheel axle nut and discard it. Remove the big castle nut.

- Loosen the pinch bolt on the other side of the axle.

- Drive out the axle.. You might need to help it along with a rubber mallet and/or a wooden dowel. There is a spacer and a big washer that will likely try to run away from you. Make sure you remember where they go.

- Once the axle is out, the only thing holding the wheel in place is the differential gear.

- Make sure the aforementioned spacer is out. This will give you room to gently pull the wheel away from the differential (you may have to rock it back and forth a bit). Eventually it will just slide off, and you can then roll the wheel from under the bike.

- The brake drum cover just lifts out of the wheel. Brake shoes will remain attached to the cover.

- Carefully detach the springs from the shoes... Having a spring loader tool helps. At that point, the old shoes are ready to be discarded.

- GENTLY drive out the cam shaft out of the drum cover (from the outside in). Spray some liquid wrench on it to help it along, if you have to.

- Clean up the cam shaft and the hole in the cover with a rag soaked in brake cleaner. Check for burrs, remove if necessary.

- Apply some fresh brake GREASE to the cam shaft and reinsert it (don't forget the washer).

- Replace new shoes, springs... Everything else is reverse of disassembly.

NEVER reuse old cotter pins. New ones are cheap.

I'm not sure on the torque specs on the axle nut, so someone else may have to chime in... I just always make mine "good and tight".

Finally, do yourself a favor and get a Clymer manual, and even better, a factory maintenance manual along with it! Also, check out the XJCD project (xjcd.org). It contains the combined knowledge of many XJ gurus from the past and present.

 

As Stereo mentioned, you should get a Manual that's specific to your Bike.
You save the money it costs the first time you use it and service something yourself.

While you have the Brake out of the Rear ... its good maintenance to take-out the Actuating Cam Shaft and clean and re-grease it up. A little bit of Synthetic Waterproof Grease will make the Pedal smooth again.

 

Torque on the axle nut is around 77 ft-lbs (nice and tight!). By the time you the nut spun on enough to get the cotter pin in there easily, you're already tight enough. When in doubt, take it another 1/6 turn and stick in the pin. It won't hurt it to be over-tight by that much.

Remember, that nut has only two jobs: Keep things from rattling and keep things from falling off. If it isn't wiggling and you can get the pin in there, it's good enough.

Don't forget to tighten the pinch bolt on the other side.

 

Am I going to have to drain the differential first? Also, what is the mention of the actuating cam shaft? What does that look like? I'm unfamilliar with motorcycles.. I'm eager to learn.. Sorry if im asking noob questions..

thanks
ati190

 

No. Don't drain the Final Drive Unit unless you are going to change the Fluid.

You don't have to remove the Rear Wheel to service Rear Brake Pads.
You need to undo the Brake Actuating Rod and the Brake Drum Stay.
Keep the Hardware and Small Parts together.

With the Pinch Bolt still tightened ... remove the Cotter Pin and the Axle Securing Castle Nut.
Then, loosen the Pinch Bolt.
(Even with the Pinch Bolt still tight ... you may have to apply such loosening torque to the Castle Nut that the Axle will rotate. If is does move ... insert a Screwdriver or Drift that fits the Hole neat the Pincher to hold the Axle.)

Draw a sketch of where the Washers and Spacers are located before removing the Axle.
Place a Block of Wood to the Axle and drive the Axle out by hammering on the wood to prevent damage to the Axle.
Remove the Axle and collect the Washers and Spacers.

Withdraw the Rear Brake Housing.
Be careful not to inhale the Brake Lining Dust.

Vacuum the Drum
Scrape and Vacuum the Drum
Spray the Drum Clean with Disc Brake Kleen.
Vacuum the Brake Shoes
Spray the Brake Shoe Housing Clean.
Look for orientation of Leading and Trailing Shoes if Equipped
Remove the Shoes and Springs
Remove the Cam Lever and Cam
Clean the Cam Rod Hole through the Assembly with ScotchBrite
Shine it
Clean the Cam Rod with ScotchBrite
Shoe-shine the Cam Rod with 600, 800 and 1000
Grease the Cam Rod with Synthetic Waterproof Grease
Leave a measure of Grease in the hour-glass cut-out.
Grease the Rod Hole on the Assemble.

Chamfer the Edges of the New Shoes. Round-off the sharp edge.
If there is a Rust Ridge on the Brake Drum ... Dremel Grind it away.
Re-assemble in reverse order of dismantling.

 

I normally don't like to disagree with Rick, but I strongly recommend AGAINST vacuuming anything that has to do with brakes. A vacuum is going to send all that brake dust straight into the air, which is the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish.

While I'm certain that it's possible to purchase or construct a filter that will capture those particles, I have always grabbed a roll of shop towels and a can full of brake cleaner and elbow grease to get the drums (and rotors, and calipers, and...) good and clean. It's more work, but it beats inhaling brake dust.

As for washers and spacers, I can usually remember where they go within the first few minutes after I remove the axle, so what I do is pull the axle straight out. As the axle comes out, spacers will hit the floor. Catch them and set them where they belong relative to the bike. Once you have the axle all the way off, put all of the spacers on the axle in the order that they go on the bike, along with the castellated nut (so you don't lose them).

Simple, yet effective, especially since some of the spacers will only go so far down the axle anyway, which helps to remind you where they go, such as on steering head bearings. A Haynes/Yamaha/BikeBandit-supplied diagram never hurts, either.

I do recommend draining the gear oil, but not because you have to for a brake job. I recommend doing it because it only takes a few ounces of oil, and it gets left for "later" an awful lot. You're already getting yourself all dirty if you're working on the brakes. Buck up and change that gear oil! Unless you did it last week or something, in which case, good for you! I need to do mine again...

 

Maybe you have a point on the Vacuum.

As for not making a Sketch and laying the Parts down "In Order"
I take exception to that.

Making the Sketch only takes a moment.
Figuring-out the order if the Parts are disturbed won't present a problem.
It's an Old School Good Practice Habit.

 

Then again if you have a shop vac that is bagged, I use bags with my shop vac to prep houses I get ready to spray wood work in, and after the drywallers get done sanding they always leave their dust behind.
Anyways the yellow bags are what I use for fine particulate.
Glad I found this post, will be doing this tommorow.
Carry on!

 

Brakes are changed. Very easy. Thanks for the help all. The shoes had life left in them, however they were deteriorating, and had to be replaced. Cleaned out the drum of all the dirt. Pedal is nice and firm now.


ati190

 

To carry on further if you dont mind, I Just took my drum off and the pads were off of the shoes, so a "renewal" is needed.
Well I know where all of the washers and spacers go except for one, it goes on the right side of the bike there are two of them one big on and another smaller, the big goes outside but the small Im not sure where.
Does it go inside of the drum somehwere? My manual shows me but I cant figure it out cause its in exploded view....

I think it is the washer that goes inside where the cam goes in, my manual says felt spacer, but bike bandit has it listed as a plate washer, is that washer metal, or felt?.... It is # 17 on the diagram, I know it isnt a washer that goes on the axle cause it wont fit over it.

 

I can post some actual pics if it is needed.

 

#17 is the washer that goes on the cam rod before it's inserted into the drum cover.

 

Ya I got that, but my haynes says its a felt spacer. So I guess its metal then, ok thanks Stereo!

 

Ehh, that's weird. I've never seen anything made of felt in the brake drum. IIRC, that washer is made of some mild hardened steel... pretty thin, too.