Brake pedal adjustment

[ncff07]

Need some imput on adjusting the brake pedal, first off I HAVE used the search feature here over the past couple days and found many and read all those relating to adjusting the rear brake pedal but nothing about what i ran into doing it. I'll post the link below to what i used. The rod with the adjusting nut connected to the hub only had about an inch that i could turn it back before it hit the cotter pin. I loosened that as far as i could hoping it would be enough and when i lowered the pedal it seemed to get tight too quick when the pedal was just above the peg and didnt have any play at all and i didnt go down any further with it and set it back up to where it was for now and tightened it down and checked the brake switch to make sure it was still ok too until i get it figured out. I do work on my own vehicles and can do what i need to do to them but have never owned a bike so i know enough to know when to stop. So am I correct in thinking the rear brake is worn out and has been adjusted before and doesnt have much further to go before it needs to be replaced? Which leads me to another question that I couldnt find the answer too, the rear brake wear indicator markings on the hub, when the rear brake is fully applied its ok as long as the "pointer" is between those 2 marks but which of those 2 wear indicator marks is good and which is worn? Its showing its still good but its just inside the front mark. Below is the link to the page where i found what i needed to know about actually adjusting it.
http://www.gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2484&hilit=rear+brake+adjustment

[Water Warrior 2]

Need some imput on adjusting the brake pedal, first off I HAVE used the search feature here over the past couple days and found many and read all those relating to adjusting the rear brake pedal but nothing about what i ran into doing it. I'll post the link below to what i used. The rod with the adjusting nut connected to the hub only had about an inch that i could turn it back before it hit the cotter pin. I loosened that as far as i could hoping it would be enough and when i lowered the pedal it seemed to get tight too quick when the pedal was just above the peg and didnt have any play at all and i didnt go down any further with it and set it back up to where it was for now and tightened it down and checked the brake switch to make sure it was still ok too until i get it figured out. I do work on my own vehicles and can do what i need to do to them but have never owned a bike so i know enough to know when to stop. So am I correct in thinking the rear brake is worn out and has been adjusted before and doesnt have much further to go before it needs to be replaced? Which leads me to another question that I couldnt find the answer too, the rear brake wear indicator markings on the hub, when the rear brake is fully applied its ok as long as the "pointer" is between those 2 marks but which of those 2 wear indicator marks is good and which is worn? Its showing its still good but its just inside the front mark. Below is the link to the page where i found what i needed to know about actually adjusting it.
http://www.gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2484&hilit=rear+brake+adjustment
I will/ can add a little to your knowledge base. When the pointer moves it indicates the amount of brake lining wear. The more it moves the less lining is left on the brake shoes. With no pressure on the pedal the pointer will be near Point A, pressure on the pedal moves the indicator towards Point B. It should not go past Point B. A good hands on visual inspection of the brake shoes is a good idea if you feel up to it. Dare I say it.........removing the rear wheel is good practice and it is easy.
If you want to adjust the brake pedal loosen everything so you can be sure the rear hub and indicator are working properly then go about adjusting the pedal height to fit your body. There is a balancing act between the pedal height, pedal travel and the rod adjustment to the rear. The brake light switch is the last to check and adjust as necessary. When I adjusted Lynda's pedal it had to go down at least 1.5 inches or she was forever resting her foot on the pedal and flashing the brake light. The owners manual has a good procedure but you have to fill in your own numbers for adjusting things. The corporate lawyer probably had short legs, lol. Hope this helps a bit, we no longer have a GZ to look at or measure and the owners manual went with the bike.

[blaine]

It sounds to me like somebody has moved the lever on the hub to try to keep pointer in spec.You should have more than a inch of adjustment at the threaded rod.As W.W said,remove hub to check shoes.I have around 2 inches of adjustment on threaded rod with new shoes.

[Water Warrior 2]

It sounds to me like somebody has moved the lever on the hub to try to keep pointer in spec.You should have more than a inch of adjustment at the threaded rod.As W.W said,remove hub to check shoes
Good catch, never thought of that.
Hope that isn't the case. Disconnect the rod from the hub and manually move the lever on the brake hub. If it does what it is supposed to do then your next job is adjusting the pedal to mimic that movement with your foot in a comfy position. The brake pedal(IIRC) has an adjustment stop for going up. You can stop the pedal from being too high. Study it, play with it, I did, and all will be revealed in time. Somebody correct me if I am wrong on the next statement. There is an adjuster on the pedal that determines when the brake rod will be pulled. You might want to only push the pedal an inch before the rod is starting to work it's magic. Am I making any sense or just blowing smoke here ? Been a long day.

[blaine]

It sounds to me like somebody has moved the lever on the hub to try to keep pointer in spec.You should have more than a inch of adjustment at the threaded rod.As W.W said,remove hub to check shoes
Good catch, never thought of that.
Hope that isn't the case. Disconnect the rod from the hub and manually move the lever on the brake hub. If it does what it is supposed to do then your next job is adjusting the pedal to mimic that movement with your foot in a comfy position. The brake pedal(IIRC) has an adjustment stop for going up. You can stop the pedal from being too high. Study it, play with it, I did, and all will be revealed in time. Somebody correct me if I am wrong on the next statement. There is an adjuster on the pedal that determines when the brake rod will be pulled. You might want to only push the pedal an inch before the rod is starting to work it's magic. Am I making any sense or just blowing smoke here ? Been a long day.
:plus1: :plus1:

[ncff07]

Makes perfect sense. I took a pic of the threaded rod at the lever 10 minutes ago ill post. I'll take that rod loose from the lever on the hub and see what it feels like then adjust the pedal while its off to whats comfortable ( little under the peg is how i like it if i can get it that low) then see how the rod and lever joins back up, then I'll worry about taking the tire off. Since i dont have a bike jack and this is my first bike I'll probably have a shop do that until i get used to the set up and hit my comfort zone working on it myself. Different ball game from working on a car and i tend to err on the side of caution till im familiar with things.

http://s1.postimage.org/mFQNr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxmFQNr)

[blaine]

Makes perfect sense. I took a pic of the threaded rod at the lever 10 minutes ago ill post. I'll take that rod loose from the lever on the hub and see what it feels like then adjust the pedal while its off to whats comfortable ( little under the peg is how i like it if i can get it that low) then see how the rod and lever joins back up, then I'll worry about taking the tire off. Since i dont have a bike jack and this is my first bike I'll probably have a shop do that until i get used to the set up and hit my comfort zone working on it myself. Different ball game from working on a car and i tend to err on the side of caution till im familiar with things.

http://s1.postimage.org/mFQNr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxmFQNr)
Your brake lever at the hub is back to far for proper adjustment,it should be ahead another inch.Once you study it for awhile it will make sense.Have a look at page 2-14 In manual you will see how it should be.There is a slot on the shaft, the lever should be parallel to it.

[alantf]

When I adjusted the brake pedal on my new bike, I knew that the linings HAD to be good, but there was no more adjustment on the rod, so I had to reposition the lever on the spline. This worked fine, so that may be your problem. Only an inspection of the brake shoes will tell you. :2tup:

[blaine]

When I adjusted the brake pedal on my new bike, I knew that the linings HAD to be good, but there was no more adjustment on the rod, so I had to reposition the lever on the spline. This worked fine, so that may be your problem. Only an inspection of the brake shoes will tell you. :2tup:


If your bike is low mileage you should be fine just moving the lever on the splines.The O.E.M. shoes last a long time.That will save you a unwanted trip to the shop as the shoes are unlikely worn out.EDIT:I just went back and checked your milage,no way your shoes are wore out,just do an adjustment.

[ncff07]

Done and done. I appreciate all the help. It may have been that way from the factory since it appears no one ever adjusted the pedal and once the pedal and brake adjustments were done the brake light switch spring was no where near long enough. I played with it all for awhile, took the rod loose then set the pedal and then put the rod back on the lever and pulled it off the splines and messed with it till it started dragging when i applied the brakes. Set the brakes and pedal where it felt right then adjusted the pedal just a tad more to account for the tennis shoes im wearing today cause i ride with boots. then went to adjust the light switch and noticed the spring had pulled out on one end and i didnt have an extra spring the right size so i joined the one on the bike with another small one. Its set right now where the brake starts pulling and the light comes on after the pedal is pressed about an inch. Once it was done the wear indicator was just inside the front indicator mark on the hub a little without the brake applied. Ive not taken it out yet since its storming but hopefully its all good now. :2tup:

http://s1.postimage.org/p66lr.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxp66lr)

http://s4.postimage.org/AC0fA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVAC0fA)

[blaine]

That's the way it's supposed to look.As you said it was probably that way from factory.Glad you got it fixed.One less thing to pay a shop to do.Good luck!

[Easy Rider]

That's the way it's supposed to look.As you said it was probably that way from factory.Glad you got it fixed.One less thing to pay a shop to do.Good luck!

Maybe but I just can't let this thread die without commenting on the position of the brake PEDAL.

IF you have very long legs and that tends to make your toe point downward when the peg is in your instep......then it's OK, and your boot should be resting gently on, or very near to the pedal.

If there is an inch or more between the sole of your boot and the pedal in your normal riding posture......then the pedal is WAY too low.
Mine didn't look anything like that, and neither does my "new" bike......but my legs are on the short side (OK, WAY over on the short side!!!)

[blaine]

That's the way it's supposed to look.As you said it was probably that way from factory.Glad you got it fixed.One less thing to pay a shop to do.Good luck!

Maybe but I just can't let this thread die without commenting on the position of the brak

IF you have very long legs and that tends to make your toe point downward when the peg is in your instep......then it's OK, and your boot should be resting gently on, or very near to the pedal.

If there is an inch or more between the sole of your boot and the pedal in your normal riding posture......then the pedal is WAY too low.
Mine didn't look anything like that, and neither does my "new" bike......but my legs are on the short side (OK, WAY over on the short side!!!)
I to have short legs and like pedal much higher.I was commenting on posision of lever on hub

[ncff07]

That's the way it's supposed to look.As you said it was probably that way from factory.Glad you got it fixed.One less thing to pay a shop to do.Good luck!

Maybe but I just can't let this thread die without commenting on the position of the brake PEDAL.

IF you have very long legs and that tends to make your toe point downward when the peg is in your instep......then it's OK, and your boot should be resting gently on, or very near to the pedal.

If there is an inch or more between the sole of your boot and the pedal in your normal riding posture......then the pedal is WAY too low.
Mine didn't look anything like that, and neither does my "new" bike......but my legs are on the short side (OK, WAY over on the short side!!!)

I think i do. :lol: Used to have a Ford Ranger and I traded it in on a full size simply because I got tired of hitting my head on the door frame almost every time I got in it. The position of the pedal in the pic is comfortable my foot is just a hair shy of touching it.

[alantf]

then went to adjust the light switch and noticed the spring had pulled out on one end and i didnt have an extra spring the right size so i joined the one on the bike with another small one.

Mmmmmmmmmmm Seems that something isn't quite right here! I've done all the adjustments - setting pedal, moving lever on spline etc - & the spring was fine. Turned the body of the switch until the brake light came on shortly after pressing the pedal. Can't think what your problem is, but you shouldn't have to add an extra spring. :??:

[blaine]

then went to adjust the light switch and noticed the spring had pulled out on one end and i didnt have an extra spring the right size so i joined the one on the bike with another small one.

Mmmmmmmmmmm Seems that something isn't quite right here! I've done all the adjustments - setting pedal, moving lever on spline etc - & the spring was fine. Turned the body of the switch until the brake light came on shortly after pressing the pedal. Can't think what your problem is, but you shouldn't have to add an extra spring. :??:

I think he needed longer spring because of how low front pedal is sitting.As long as brake light is working properly it should be fine.I think when he takes it for a ride he will raise pedal some.

[alantf]

It sounds to me like somebody has moved the lever on the hub to try to keep pointer in spec.

Not correct :) The pointer is on the centre spline part. Moving the lever will have no effect whatsoever on where the pointer points when the brake is fully applied. :2tup:

[blaine]

It sounds to me like somebody has moved the lever on the hub to try to keep pointer in spec.

Not correct :) The pointer is on the centre spline part. Moving the lever will have no effect whatsoever on where the pointer points when the brake is fully applied. :2tup:


I stand corrected.In my next post I explained it better.

[ncff07]

then went to adjust the light switch and noticed the spring had pulled out on one end and i didnt have an extra spring the right size so i joined the one on the bike with another small one.

Mmmmmmmmmmm Seems that something isn't quite right here! I've done all the adjustments - setting pedal, moving lever on spline etc - & the spring was fine. Turned the body of the switch until the brake light came on shortly after pressing the pedal. Can't think what your problem is, but you shouldn't have to add an extra spring. :??:

I think he needed longer spring because of how low front pedal is sitting.As long as brake light is working properly it should be fine.I think when he takes it for a ride he will raise pedal some.

I may adjust more, was expecting that and left my 10mm wrench out just in case.