Question about brakes! Coasters....of course

I add front brakes to my builds, I'd like to be able to stop if the pedal side chain comes off. I had that happen as a kid, I probably looked like Fred Flintstone with both feet sliding on the pavement.

2door said:

It's generally agreed that the coaster brake will work 'BUT' you really need to consider a brake on the front wheel also. There has been a lot of discussion here regarding the coaster brake and its reliability. I have two bikes with rear coasters but I run disc on the front. I use both when stopping and have yet to have any negative issues with the rear coaster.
One thing to remember is that about 60 to 70 percent of braking action is done by the front brake. Without one you're relying completely on the rear.
They were never designed to halt a bike at the speeds we can attain or the weight of the powerplant and associated equipment and rider. A front brake of some type would be a very good addition to that cruiser.

Tom

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Tom,
What kind of disc brakes do you use? Do you buy a kit, with everything you need? I would like to get some front brakes but it's hub, then it's how to attach the calipers? Any advise>?

I just wanted to add here that not all coaster brakes are equal. I don't know enough about all of the old ones to speak with any authority, but have been impressed by the quality of material, number of bearings, etc. in the old Bendix and New Departure brakes. Open one up for a look and then open up a Chinese coaster brake hub (which I have had fail). Some difference.
SB

I made it a standard practice to pack every new (or used) coaster brake hub that rolls out of my shop with grease. I had a few hubs lock up (& skid) way too easy from a lack of grease from the factory.

The factories these days always seem to add the very minumum amount of grease possible to their hubs when they build them.

There's nothing wrong with a coaster brake. If I can only have a rear brake I'd prefer it be a coaster. A coaster has an additional advantage of being easy to fit a hub adapter to. So the real question is do you need a front brake? I say yes, it's much safer to have front, and rear brakes no matter what kind they are.

I have a rear coaster and a front drum, and I won't run anything else. Disc brakes do have superior stopping power I'll agree, but I have found my brake setup more than adequate for my needs, and there are certain advantages to drum brakes. The shoes do not wear out as quickly as rim pads or even disc pads do. Also, imho, drums are less prone to weather related failure than other types of brakes. One thing that you must know about coaster brakes is that they require proper service and assembly. Normally in order to install a sprocket on a coaster hub, removal of the brake arm and sometimes disassembly of the hub itself is required (and its a good idea to disassemble and service your hub from the factory anyway). They must be reassembled exactly the way they came apart, or they will fail. Failure of a coaster hub can potentially lock the wheel, and a sudden stop at 25 or 35mph is not going to end well. They also require routine service. Every so often (anywhere from twice a year to once a month, depending on how many miles you put on the hub) you'll need to disassemble that puppy and pack it with high temp grease. The hub and the shoes get VERY hot from braking, and even high temp grease eventually gets "cooked". I use a white high temp grease with a dropping point of 500 degrees fahrenheit. Another good choice is red automotive grease. There are probably a few other greases out there that work well, but those are two I can personally recommend. A lot of people do talk about coaster brakes and say they'll work fine, but not many go into detail as far as required maintenance.

Repacking your coaster brake every month seems a bit excessive. Twelve times a year? I don't recall Sheldon Brown or any of the experts on the subject suggesting such a regimen. You must ride night and day all down hill, BBB! And if you completely disassemble your coaster brake it would be a good idea to have a diagram in front of you. Bendix hub schematics are available online. I don't know about other makes.
SB

It is absolutley a must to take apart any store bought hub and grease it properly. Also to see whats going on in there and get an idea of how these things work. Regular greasing is a good idea depending on how often and the conditions you ride. Here is a tip to make greasing your rear hub Super easy. Before you build the wheel put a zerk fitting in the hub shell. You will be able to grease the hub when needed effortless. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=360538479805&index=14&nav=SEARCH&nid=95645200117

silverbear said:

Repacking your coaster brake every month seems a bit excessive. Twelve times a year? I don't recall Sheldon Brown or any of the experts on the subject suggesting such a regimen. You must ride night and day all down hill, BBB! And if you completely disassemble your coaster brake it would be a good idea to have a diagram in front of you. Bendix hub schematics are available online. I don't know about other makes.
SB

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I dont ride often enough for my hub to need servicing once a month, but there are some riders who put over 50 miles a day on bikes, and if thats your daily driver, I would recommend pretty frequent servicing. I don't know that once a month is necessary, but I do know of at least one member who services his hubs monthly. I service about 3 times a year on my daily driver, but I put nowhere near 50 miles a day on mine.

Donavan321 said:

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys! I gave the bike to a friend, so I don't have to worry about the coaster needing a regular greasing. Thanks!

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Your friend should be aware of the service and maintenance a coaster brake requires. Not having the proper information on the subject could lead to his serious injury.

chainmaker said:

It is absolutley a must to take apart any store bought hub and grease it properly. Also to see whats going on in there and get an idea of how these things work. Regular greasing is a good idea depending on how often and the conditions you ride. Here is a tip to make greasing your rear hub Super easy. Before you build the wheel put a zerk fitting in the hub shell. You will be able to grease the hub when needed effortless. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=360538479805&index=14&nav=SEARCH&nid=95645200117

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I'll admit that being able to add grease without disassembly would be very convenient, but I like to clean all the old grease out when adding new grease. When I servicemy hubs I disassemble, clean everything from the bearings to the brake shoes, the cones and even the hub itself, coat the bearings and brake shoes in grease, and reassemble.