Brake pedal adjustment

ncff07 · 05-28-2010, 12:31 AM

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/viewt...ake+adjustment

Water Warrior 2 · 05-28-2010, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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/viewt...ake+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 · 05-28-2010, 01:21 AM

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 · 05-28-2010, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

blaine · 05-28-2010, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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 · 05-28-2010, 02:11 AM

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.

blaine · 05-28-2010, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 05-28-2010, 05:12 AM

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 · 05-28-2010, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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:

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 · 05-28-2010, 08:22 PM

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:

05-28-2010, 12:31 AM	#1
ncff07 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 182	Brake pedal adjustment 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/viewt...ake+adjustment Login or Register to Remove Ads
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05-28-2010, 01:21 AM	#3
blaine Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: P.E.I. Canada Posts: 3,784	Re: Brake pedal adjustment 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. __________________ If at first you do succeed, try not to look surprised. Login or Register to Remove Ads
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05-28-2010, 02:11 AM	#6
ncff07 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 182	Re: Brake pedal adjustment 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.
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05-28-2010, 05:12 AM	#8
alantf Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tenerife (Spain) Posts: 3,719	Re: Brake pedal adjustment 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: __________________ By birth an Englishman, by the grace of God a Yorkshireman.
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05-28-2010, 08:22 PM	#10
ncff07 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 182	Re: Brake pedal adjustment 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:
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