3 hours into brake change and need help

[XStroX]

After 3 hours, I admit defeat. I completely disassembled and painted the body of my 2005 TXT with minor issues. I installed new leaf spring bearings with minor issues and I recently added new tires and wheels with no issues but I'm at a loss on what to do next with these dang brakes.

I have attached 2 before pictures and 3 after pictures. Long story short, when I go to slide the hub back on, it only goes about half way over the the new brakes and then stops.

I'm wondering if the brakes I bought off ebay are the problem. I bought these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/172879732267

I've moved the brakes up/down/left/right about two dozen times. I even tried sanding the brakes slightly with standard sandpaper and that didn't seem to help at all.

Pretty sure I have all the springs on correctly. They look the same as they did before I took them off at least. And I have tightened the adjustment screw in as far in as it will go. Both sides have the exact same problem.

What do I do next?

[cgtech]

Wow, I dont know how they sell them for $27, that's cheaper than I can buy them as a dealer (even the "el cheapos"), I'd go out of business. I bet you didnt spin the star-wheel back in (or disassemble, clean, and lube it). I dont know, looks like its screwed in. The drums just "fall back on" & require significant adjustment after, if you had. I guess I'd have to say you didnt disconnect the brake cables from the back of the brakes (eliminating the issue of "way over adjusted brake pedal")

But, who knows, you bought the "ebay special", I could be wrong about the star wheel, and they could be totally the wrong shoes.

Sorry to be such a nay-sayer, but you never know with ebay parts & not knowing about the adjustment procedure.

[Sir Nuke]

Looking at the shoes themselves, they appear to be the right shoes....did you compare them side by side before you started the install? like lay one on top of the other and see if they were the same? from the pictures they look right, but its hard to say.

As far as how they are installed, they look correct......the only other thing I could think of is what CG mentioned, about the star wheel adjuster.

[XStroX]

Yes I disconnected the brake cable after breaking loose the 15/16 nut outside the hub. I laid the brakes on top of one another and they appear identical other than the wear pad being thicker of course. The same brakes are actually available on Amazon with all 5/5 reviews. Yes I used brake cleaner to clean everything and yes I applied brake lubricant to the 3 spots behind each brake. I only know of one adjustment nut which the bottom of the one brake fits into and I tightened it all the way in to make the most room possible. It was extended very far out with the old brakes. Anyone know what thickness the new wear pads should Be? I can check that with the calipers. Thanks all.

[Sir Nuke]

It appears you have done it all....hmmmmm without actually being there, its hard to say "what it could be?" and what to try next.

[XStroX]

I will see if I can go pick up legit brakes at the golf cart store. It is either try that or try sanding the brakes down further by hand.

[genoz]

You don't happen to have the parking brake on do you?

[basshawk84]

Like the others have said, if they are the right shoes you need to adjust the star wheel at the bottom to pull the shoes in tighter since they have more pad on them than the old ones to get the hub on.

[Greg_gourley]

I'm wondering if the brakes I bought off ebay are the problem. I bought these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/172879732267


Yes they are the problem. Like you I fought for hours trying to get the hub on. I purchased those brakes from that exact seller in May and had the same exact issue. I contacted him and he claimed he never had anyone else with the problem. The problem is the shoe is slightly too long where the contact points are, not the pad material but where the shoe makes contact with the pivot point and the adjuster. I resolved the issue by using my angle grinder and bumping the top and bottom contact points and removing a tiny amount of metal. Not the pad material. I also got him to credit me back $10 for my troubles. Same exact shoes and seller

[XStroX]

Originally Posted by Greg_gourley

I'm wondering if the brakes I bought off ebay are the problem. I bought these:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/172879732267


Yes they are the problem. Like you I fought for hours trying to get the hub on. I purchased those brakes from that exact seller in May and had the same exact issue. I contacted him and he claimed he never had anyone else with the problem. The problem is the shoe is slightly too long where the contact points are, not the pad material but where the shoe makes contact with the pivot point and the adjuster. I resolved the issue by using my angle grinder and bumping the top and bottom contact points and removing a tiny amount of metal. Not the pad material. I also got him to credit me back $10 for my troubles. Same exact shoes and seller

You read my mind. I attached two pictures of the old and new brake on top of each other. While they look darn near identical the contact points at the top and bottom appear slightly more curved on the new brakes which as you mentioned may be making them slightly longer. I will pull out the angle grinder and do what you did. Crazy how they can be this close to fitting but then not fit. Thank you for the angle grinder idea!