If your 2001 honda recon rear brakes are usually feeling soft or even, worse, completely locked up, you're certainly not alone. It's one of all those issues that just seems to occur to these bulletproof little quads over time. The Honda Recon two hundred and fifty is legendary for the reliability—you can leave it in the shed for three years, and it'll probably fire right up—but that rear drum brake set up is often its one true Achilles' heel.
When you're out on the trail or trying to get some work completed around the home, the last thing you want is really a brake pedal that will sinks to the floorboard without performing a thing. Or, even more irritating, a rear end that feels such as you're dragging an anchor because the particular shoes won't release. Fixing them isn't exactly rocket science, but it could be a bit of a greasy, frustrating mid-day if you don't know what you're walking into.
Why These Brakes Always Seem to Fail
The particular main issue with the 2001 honda recon rear brakes is really a side impact of where all of us ride these issues. Honda designed the rear brake as a "sealed" carol system. In concept, that's great since it's supposed to keep water plus grit out. Within reality, once a little bit of moisture gets within there—and it always does—it can't get back out.
Over the yrs, that moisture blends with the dirt from the brake shoes and becomes into an awful, rough paste. Then, the particular metal parts begin to corrode. The most common culprit is the particular brake cam—the small metal piece that will rotates to push the shoes apart. It gets dry plus rusty, and ultimately, it just seizes in the casing. When that occurs, your pedal may move, but all those shoes aren't going anywhere.
Obtaining Into the Tummy of the Beast
Before a person start, you're heading to want in order to get the back finish of the Recon off the surface. A sturdy jack and some holds are a need to. When you get that right rear wheel off, you're looking at the center. This is exactly where the fun begins.
To get to the 2001 honda recon rear brakes , you have to remove the axle nut. If it's never been away from before, be prepared to muscle this. A long breaker bar or the decent impact wrench tool will be your very best friend here. Once the hub is away of the way, you'll see the brake pedal drum cover. This is usually held on with a few bolts, plus sometimes a bit of "mechanical bonding" (otherwise generally known as rust). Give it a few taps with the rubber mallet if it's being persistent. Don't go crazy with a metal hammer unless you want in order to be buying the new cover.
The Messy Part: Cleaning and Inspection
Once a person pull that cover up off, don't be surprised if a heap of gray dust or some muddy water falls out. It's usually quite gross inside. Grab a can of brake cleaner plus go to city. You want in order to be able in order to actually see the particular components before you start tugging springs.
Take a look in the brake shoes. If they're straight down to the metal or if the particular material is starting to flake off, they're toast. Replacing them is cheap, so if you're currently this far in, you might as well put clean ones in. Yet even if the shoes look alright, the 2001 honda recon rear brakes often fall short because the linkage is definitely frozen.
Try to move the brake arm (the part the wires attach to) simply by hand. If it doesn't budge, or in the event that it moves plus stays stuck, you've found your issue. That pivot cam has to come out, be cleaned, and get a new coating of water-proof grease. This is probably the nearly all important step of the whole job. If you simply slap new shoes in without repairing a seized cam, you'll be right back where you began in a week.
Dealing With the particular Brake Cam
To get the cam out, you'll have to detach the brake wires and remove the arm. Keep track of how it's clocked—maybe take the quick photo along with your phone therefore you don't put it back on backward. Once the supply is off, you can usually tap the cam through the housing toward the inside associated with the drum.
If it's actually stuck, you may want some heat or perhaps a great deal of penetrating essential oil. Once it's away, use some emery cloth or fine sandpaper to clear off all the rust till the metallic is shiny again. Do the same for the hole it slides into. Before you decide to put it back, slather it in some top quality grease. You need it to shift as smooth since butter. This little bit of bit of extra work is what makes the distinction between "okay" brakes and brakes that will actually work when you're headed downhill.
Putting It All Back Collectively
Now that will everything is clean and greased, it's time to get the shoes back upon. Dealing with these return springs can be a slight pain—they're stiff for any reason. Pro tip: Hook the suspension springs onto both shoes and boots first, then "V" the shoes in to place over the particular pivot and the particular cam, and take them down level. It's way easier than seeking to draw a spring with a pair of pliers while the shoes already are installed.
Slide the drum back on and make certain it spins openly. If it's massaging too much, a person might need to back off the particular adjusters on the cables. Once the cover and hub are back on, rpm that axle nut down properly. Don't forget the cotter pin! It's a little part, but you really don't desire your rear center vibrating off while you're pinned in fifth gear.
Adjusting the Cables for Success
One thing that confuses people in regards to the 2001 honda recon rear brakes will be that there are actually 2 different ways in order to activate them: the particular foot pedal plus the left handlebar lever. Both associated with these have their own cables that meet at the back again.
You want to adjust the side nuts on the back of the particular cables to ensure that there's just a small little bit of play just before the brakes employ. If you tighten up them too significantly, moccasins will move, get hot, and wear out in simply no time. If they're too loose, you'll be smashing the pedal into the particular floor with no results. It's the bit of the balancing act. We usually like in order to tighten them till the wheel begins to drag only a tiny bit whenever I spin it by hand, after that back them away a turn or two.
Maintaining Them Working Extensive
Since we all know the "sealed" drum isn't actually a vacuum-sealed vault, maintenance is key. Right after you undergo heavy water or even a particularly muddy trail, it's not a poor idea to apply some clean water around the brake area to wash out the grit.
Moreover, every time a person do an essential oil change or a common tune-up, give all those brake pivots the little squirt associated with lubricant. If a person can keep that will cam from appropriating up, your 2001 honda recon rear brakes may stay functional for a long time.
Also, don't ignore the particular cables. If the particular cables themselves get rusted or frayed inside their enclosures, no amount associated with focus on the drum will fix the problem. If a person pull the handle and it feels "crunchy, " it might be time to spring for several new cables. They aren't expensive, plus they make the particular whole bike experience much newer and more responsive.
Is It Worthy of the Effort?
Some guys simply give on the particular rear brakes on these old quads and rely completely on the top ones. I wouldn't recommend that. The particular Recon is a light machine, yet if you're carrying a trailer or coming down a steep, slick slope, you want that rear-end stopping power in order to keep the bicycle stable.
Fixing the 2001 honda recon rear brakes isn't the most glamorous Saturday afternoon task, but it's incredibly satisfying. There's something great about having a stiff, worthless pedal and turning it into the crisp, working brake system again. It makes the bike safer, easier to ride, and honestly, just more fun. Plus, your transmission will thank you since you won't become depending on downshifting to do all the heavy lifting every time a person need to impede down.
So, grab some rags, a tub of grease, and a fresh group of shoes, and obtain to it. Once you get that carol apart and find out how it works, you'll realize it's quite a simple system that will just needs a bit of love every 20 years or so. Your Recon has a lot of life still left in it; it may as well end up being able to cease when you inform it to!