Sachs drum brake not braking

[Curtis Swain]

Can somebody give me some advice on getting my Sachs front wheel drum brake to actually brake? The cable and all is working fine, but no matter how much force I use, the brakes just don't do anything more than slow the bike down a bit. I've cleaned the drum and brake pads, and that seemed to help a little, but still not much grab. Should I sandpaper or scratch up the inside surface of the drum to give the pads something to grab hold of?

 

[B607]

No, don't scar up the hub. Your brakes will grab too much. If the cleaning helped, you might need better cleaning. Get a can of spray brake parts cleaner from an auto parts store. If those pads have even a trace of oil they won't stop you. If you have some acetone, clean them with that first. Gary

 

[Curtis Swain]

Thanks. I'll give that a shot.

 

[slugmonkey]

my sachs will throw you over bars if you hit it too hard ....