How to properly adjust the brakes on a yamaha g2?

[deerslayer1985]

I got the new shoes put on, and I turned the adjusters completely in on both sides in order to get the drums back on. I tried spinning the adjusters out until they just barely grabbed the drums, and I am having a very tough time doing this. I'll do one side and it feels right. Then I'll go to the other, and adjust it. Then the other is like stuck and wont spin. I loosen, and then check the other....and it will not be grabbing at all. I pushed the gas to see whats going on, and its like dragging the shoes real bad, and the hubs are barley turning. I then loosen, and they turn full speed, but when I push the brake pedal in it does nothing.....? What am I doing wrong?

[G2Rebel]

Are both brake cables working properly?

[deerslayer1985]

From what I can tell they are both working. When you push on the brake pedal the cables are moving the levers on the backside of the backing plates where the brake shoes are. I just loosened both adjusters out until the drums spun freely, and put it back together for the night. I took it for a drive slamming the brakes every few seconds thinking maybe they would adjust themselves like they do on a car.......It actually got a little better. The passenger side wheel will lock up if you slam it down now, but the driver side doesn't do much. Should I just turn the adjusters out a little bit, and try to get them to grab a little more? Or is there a special way of adjusting them?

[Mike Mac]

Slayer, I did brakes on my car starting on Page 302 in The G8 Club. Have to read a few pages, because the shoes I used were not "Genuine Yamaha" shoes. They had a hard compound, and wouldn't stop for crap! Later had to change to the yamaha shoe.

[cgtech]

I do the following to adjust the brakes. first with the brake shoes off make sure that the adjuster can slide back and forth. thoroughly clean the adjuster star wheel to make sure it spins freely. remove the pins that attach to brake cable to the brake arm on the back of the brake backing plate. with a pair of vice grips grab the back of the brake arm and ratchet it back and forth until it stops clicking with the shoes and drums installEd. you will probably have to loosen the two 12 millimeter adjuster nuts at the brake pedal under the floorboard to reconnect the brake cables. Readjust the 12 millimeter adjuster nut until you have one and a half inches of brake pedal travel when pressing the pedal with your hand. you should now have a good brake pedal feel and even braking on both rear wheels.

[pebersole31516]

Please can some one help i am looking for information on trying to adjust the breaks on my cart it had been setting up for some time they pulled the break cables loose and I am haveing trouble getting adjusted and clipped back on

[slonomo]

Originally Posted by pebersole31516

Please can some one help i am looking for information on trying to adjust the breaks on my cart it had been setting up for some time they pulled the break cables loose and I am haveing trouble getting adjusted and clipped back on

My first suggestion is to get a factory service manual. It will go over the adjustment procedure pretty thoroughly.

If the brakes were seized up the parts inside are probably seized up as well. The little automatic adjuster device usually rusts and will not "adjust" anymore. Do you have it apart yet?

[raydhd]

Originally Posted by cgtech

I do the following to adjust the brakes. first with the brake shoes off make sure that the adjuster can slide back and forth. thoroughly clean the adjuster star wheel to make sure it spins freely. remove the pins that attach to brake cable to the brake arm on the back of the brake backing plate. with a pair of vice grips grab the back of the brake arm and ratchet it back and forth until it stops clicking with the shoes and drums installEd. you will probably have to loosen the two 12 millimeter adjuster nuts at the brake pedal under the floorboard to reconnect the brake cables. Readjust the 12 millimeter adjuster nut until you have one and a half inches of brake pedal travel when pressing the pedal with your hand. you should now have a good brake pedal feel and even braking on both rear wheels.

Cgtech's procedure is spot on. You absolutely need to make sure all the parts are free before making any sort of adjustments.

[cgtech]

I guess I didnt include this, spin the "screw thing" that goes in the star wheel almost all the way back in, or you'll never get the drums back on. Some some stuff I tend to skip over, assuming "you'll just know", but some dont. Sorry. I also forgot "lube those 6 "resting pads" on the backing plate.

Wow, that was 2013 post. Ahh, seems like just yesterday.