Bolted Brake Bracket business..

Minimichael

Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
So yeah I'd appreciate any and all comments again...

I'm modding a Honda rear wheel onto this Arctic Cat rear end, but these two are dissimilar enough in design that I'm unsure how best to stabilize the brake shoe panel. I'm only used to the kind of slotted brake panel housing that locks against a welded lug post on the frame, like inside the swing arm, or fork tube. But this Honda panel has a bolt for securing it to a bike, and I'm pretty much drawing a blank about how to rig it up here to be: 1) safe, and 2) not stupid-looking. So far my best idea is to just run a short flattish but angled steel bracket from the panel's fastener to the backside of the suspension assembly (ie: between the shock absorber bolt head and the inside of the swingarm). But how robust does such a bracket need to be? And is my swingarm going to be able to handle that stress? Will the 3/8" shock bolt end up sheared or bent? The original welded lug post on the frame is so much more substantial, ... it's even buttressed with an additional weld-on.

If you all could make out from the pictures what I'm working with, I'd really appreciate any ideas or advice you might have. I don't want to have to modify the frame significantly. Nor do I want to get into welding on it. In the pics, the panel is unsecured, obviously. But I set it to where I think it visually will blend in best, just kinda hiding in line behind the swing arm. And speaking of blending, I plan to ultimately paint the hub and brake panel black.
 

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Bird Brain

Bird Brain

Active Member
#2
#2
If you can orientate the pivot bolt to around the 6 or 7 o'clock position and still have adequate ground clearance you can then utilize a trailing arm to secure it bolted from up near the front of the swingarm. It has to move in unison with the swingarm and stay parallel. Might have to use your illusion to figure out mounting the front of the arm (drilling a hole and tapping) however. Still some thought processing to do. Check out an early 80's Honda XR80 right side of bike. Many dirt bikes use that configuration normaly a length of round tube smashed and drilled hole on both ends for the arm. Might be a simpler way to do it but that way is tried and true.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#4
#4
That original bolt in the break doesn't look much larger than 8mm, maybe 10mm. That piece of steel on the floor, (fender bracket?) is PLENTY strong enough as long as you are PULLING on it, not pushing it. As stated above by Mr. Brain, nearly parallel to the swing arm in best.
You could theoretically drill a hole in the swing arm, install a bolt with a bushing, make a short, maybe 2-3 inch dogbone bracket and you would only need to rotate the brake housing about 45 degrees forward, thereby not reducing your ground clearance.

Drill hole maybe 3 or 4 inches in front of lower shock bolt.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#5
#5
sparkwizard said:
That original bolt in the brake doesn't look much larger than 8mm, maybe 10mm. That piece of steel on the floor, (fender bracket?) is PLENTY strong enough as long as you are PULLING on it, not pushing it. As stated above by Mr. Brain, nearly parallel to the swing arm in best.
You could theoretically drill a hole in the swing arm, install a bolt with a bushing, make a short, maybe 2-3 inch dogbone bracket and you would only need to rotate the brake housing about 45 degrees forward, thereby not reducing your ground clearance.

Drill hole maybe 3 or 4 inches in front of lower shock bolt.
Click to expand...
 
Minimichael

Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Thanks SparkWiz. And that piece of metal is a brace left over from an edger. So I'm gathering it's most important that the brake bolt attachment point be in a trailing position. Makes me think of the one-speed Schwinn coaster brake Bracket with it's peculiar "J" shape and how it was merely strapped to the frame by a small screw. Both Mr. Bird's smashed-end pipe design and your short forward bracket plan seem to share that concern – that it be 'nearly' parallel, but in a trailing/pulling position. So now I'm noodling on the idea of strapping a length just all the way to the pivot point where the swingarm attaches to the frame. Or would that somehow amplify the stress to the chassis? Think a shorter bracket is better? My initial concern was regarding the swingarm's ability to resist twisting on itself if I bolted the panel straight to it.

Oh yeah, and I also need a touch of adjustability in whatever solution due to the rear wheel needing room for chain tensioning.
 
sparkwizard

sparkwizard

#7
#7
As long as you don't connect to anything that is not on the swing arm you should be OK. Remember, you can't push a rope because it will bend.
What is going to pull on that Honda brake arm? Cable or solid rod? Either way, there will be adjustment there.
Ideally, your brake backing plate pivot point should be 90 degrees from whatever you are pulling on.

I hope that makes sense.
 
Minimichael

Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
Using a pic of the opposite side for convenience, here's how I'm thinking of bracing all the way to the swingarm mount pivot (in yellow), or instead bracing at a short, 90° angle (in red). The red requires that a hole be drilled. The yellow will require a different, accommodating sort of through bolt at the pivot.
 

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Minimichael

Minimichael

Well-Known Member
#20
#20
Finger tight, but fitting...I might redo the design, but this one keeps me in the race for now. And hey Bird Brain yeah the XR80 design just nails it. I'm thinking I could go to a tie rod solution, ultimately using the swingarm's crossbar. Then it would be totally hidden.
 

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