Lever Actuated Coaster Brake?

UncleKudzu · Aug 9, 2008

would it be possible to use a coaster brake as a hand brake? could a coaster brake be used on the front wheel? if so what would be involved?

i'm thinking about repacking the rear hub of my bike while i'm waiting on the engine, and i started wondering if the sprocket were removed if a rear hub might not work for a sturdy front hub. then i thought about that brake in there...

gadgetman80 · Aug 9, 2008

WOW, did that ever get some gears turnin in my head!!

deacon · Aug 9, 2008

wouldn't you have to leave the sprocket on the wheel and use the lever to pull it backwards and lock it down. Isnt that what happens when you back pedal.

gadgetman80 · Aug 9, 2008

Try to follow my thinking....may be hard for some:

drill a small hole in the sprocket and fasten a screw to hold the chain.........

attach a small length of chain in a fashion that could be hooked to a cable...

spring load the reverse side so as to release the brake...........

I think the rest can be figured out

gadgetman80 · Aug 9, 2008

Sometimes I have a hard time following my own thinking

UncleKudzu · Aug 9, 2008

deacon said:
wouldn't you have to leave the sprocket on the wheel and use the lever to pull it backwards and lock it down. Isnt that what happens when you back pedal.

i don't really know what happens inside the hub, so i was wondering if a little arm with a return spring or something might replace the cog altogether?

UncleKudzu · Aug 9, 2008

gadgetman80 said:
WOW, did that ever get some gears turnin in my head!!

yeah, me too! but it's probably such a good idea that there's simple a reason why it wouldn't work

Large Filipino · Aug 9, 2008

Mount the coaster to the forks. Get a bike chain,wrap it around the sprocket to a free sprocket welded to your handlebar. Alignment is critical so you need to strengthen your gooseneck so your handlebar won't loosen left or right. Weld a (you all seen this before) "safety lever" used in old school ten speeds with the curled handlebars that connect to your brakes so you can activate it from the top of the handlebar. Weld it to the free sprocket so it sits above your handlebar. To activate,push it down.
Man,this may be an answer to all them Schwinn chopper bikes with no provisions for brakes up front.

For the Schwinn chopper bikes maybe just a simple foot control directly off the sprocket.

Radmanfly · Aug 10, 2008

I once considered replacing the bendix arm with a brake disc and welding a gear onto the spoke hub so that I could convert the friction hub to a clutch. The original gear would be chain driven backwards from the motor and the disc free to rotate until I wanted the hub to turn. By applying the brake to stop the now rotating bendix arm (brake disc) it will stop and the hub will go.

Radmanfly · Aug 10, 2008

UncleKudzu said:
i don't really know what happens inside the hub, so i was wondering if a little arm with a return spring or something might replace the cog altogether?

Inside the hub are two wedges. When the gear rotates backwards, it forces the wedge shaped halves lock into a stationery cone (attached to the brake arm which is clamped to the frame) and forces them apart. They then pry out against the cylinder inside the hub and slow it down. The metal appears to be graphite impregnated so it will not squeal and will absorb some heat, and not be metal on metal. At least thats how I remember the one I took apart 30 years ago. Wish I could remember my gf's birthday!

UncleKudzu · Aug 11, 2008

Radmanfly said:
Inside the hub are two wedges. When the gear rotates backwards, it forces the wedge shaped halves lock into a stationery cone (attached to the brake arm which is clamped to the frame) and forces them apart. They then pry out against the cylinder inside the hub and slow it down. The metal appears to be graphite impregnated so it will not squeal and will absorb some heat, and not be metal on metal. At least thats how I remember the one I took apart 30 years ago. Wish I could remember my gf's birthday!

thanks, Radmanfly! i got a couple of old bicycle repair books at the library today and with the exploded views of coaster brakes coupled with your description, maybe i'll figure out what's going on in there

deacon · Aug 11, 2008

okay given the original scenario, if you just mount the coater wheel on the front just like it was going on the back it would freewheel as long as you did not reverse the sprocket.

Now you activate the lever and pull the sprocket backwards. there by applying pressure to the hub's brake lever and the shoes (for lack of a better word)... How much hand pressure do you need on the lever and how much throw would it take.

This would be a good brake system for the front mount motor is why I* am asking.

jasonh · Aug 11, 2008

Hmm, interesting idea. I doubt it would have as much stopping power as a normal front brake though.

Really it seems you would just need to rig up some type of bracket to hold your brake cable with a return spring. Drill the sprocket and connect the cable to it so when you pull the lever, you pull the sprocket backwards and Bob's your uncle.

UncleKudzu · Aug 11, 2008

deacon said:
Now you activate the lever and pull the sprocket backwards. there by applying pressure to the hub's brake lever and the shoes (for lack of a better word)... How much hand pressure do you need on the lever and how much throw would it take.

that's exactly where i am in my thinking after listening to y'all and studying how a coaster brake works. there doesn't appear to be any reason why it wouldn't work, so as you point out, leverage and travel is probably the real question. (they do call them shoes, BTW.)

deacon · Aug 11, 2008

I am so glad that they opened the diy section. So much good information is coming out of it.

UncleKudzu · Aug 11, 2008

jasonh said:
Really it seems you would just need to rig up some type of bracket to hold your brake cable with a return spring. Drill the sprocket and connect the cable to it so when you pull the lever, you pull the sprocket backwards and Bob's your uncle.

thanks for the input, Jason! this made me realize that i'm assuming that it would be OK for the cog to be stationary. i'll have to look into that aspect.

jasonh · Aug 11, 2008

Yeah the sprocket should be fine stationary. Since it's a coaster, it should just freewheel, just like if you were coasting and not moving the pedals.

Dave31 · Aug 11, 2008

I very much like this ideal and if I ever get another coaster brake wheel I think I might try to rig something up. I was planning on buying a drum brake for the front when funds became available, but I like this ideal because it would save a few bucks.

Keep the great ideals coming guys (^)

UncleKudzu · Aug 11, 2008

jasonh said:
Since it's a coaster, it should just freewheel, just like if you were coasting and not moving the pedals.

that makes sense.

fairracing31 said:
I was planning on buying a drum brake for the front when funds became available, but I like this ideal because it would save a few bucks.

same here. if it works, it might save money (i guess with a new drum brake a wheel would have to be built, whereas an entire assembled coaster hub/wheel off a junk bike could possibly be used) plus it puts, an old part to a new use, which is always fun.

jasonh · Aug 12, 2008

I'm curious if it would stop any better than linear pull brakes. Maybe use a dual-pull lever and have both the coaster brake and the linear pulls? Could be interesting.

Lever Actuated Coaster Brake?

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