Brake pedal mod? CW

[Forrest]

Finally had a chance for a real ride on the Combat Wombat. It ran excellent and starts on the 1st kick every time, I broke off my rear fender where I had patched it, and lost the rear brake rubber on the pedal. Fun ride.
But now my question. I was having a hard time finding the rear brake, I have to take my foot off the peg and then usually I'd lock up the rear. Has anyone done any mods to this setup?
-Forrest

[Bullfrog]

That looks like a stock rear brake set-up with the foot peg mount bar moved all the way to the rear (just like I like it too). The rear brake pedal can rotate up till it hits the footpeg bar . . . which is too high. I've added a bit of steel to the top side of the brake pedal arm to serve as a travel limiter, whick keeps the brake pedal from going up so high.

Ed

[michael_perrett]

I welded a 6mm nut to the side of the arm, installed a 6mm bolt (with a locknut), which touches the footpeg bar. Now I can adjust the pedal height to suit myself.
mike perrett

[taber hodaka]

Forest not trying to be funny but you should have the feel of the brake before you ride. Using the brake when you need it should be autopilot. Do you ride with your toes on the pegs or the middle of your foot on the foot pegs? I ride with my toes on the pegs and when braking I put my toes on the brake and my foot is then also touching the peg and I am controlling the brake.??

[Zyx]

Toes on the pegs? WOW! I would not trust myself doing that. Have worn out more than one pair of boots by the pegs chewing up the arch of the boot, which is where my foot stays full time. Shifter and brake are in reach without changing foot position.

For Forrest, the question is whether the reason you cant reach or find the pedal is because it is too high, or too far away from the peg. If too high, you can do the mod described to lower the position at rest, but remember to readjust the brakes to match the new stop position. If too far away, cut the pedal arm in front of the pivot, shorten to where you want it to be, and re-weld the arm. If it is just too close to the frame, bend it out a bit. The arm is pretty flexible. As for the rubber part, I took mine off 40 years ago, and it went into the box with all the other parts I removed but sadly did not keep.

[RichardMott]

I think Nate did a modification on a CW rear brake arm a few years ago. At least I think it was Nate.
He had posted photos and procedure on this site. Perhaps he can repost it since most of the old postings are gone.

[olddogs]

I slice the top edge of an old foot peg off and weld it to the pedal surface. I also weld an adjuster to the pedal arm to lower it. I like to use a Honda CRF brake rod. It goes over both sides of the brake arm rod hole, and is attached with a pin and cotter key. It pulls then from the center of the pivot, giving a better feel and is much stronger. I broke many brake rods before finding this solution. You can find plenty of these brake rods for around 15 bucks. No cutting or welding required. I have been riding/racing with this setup for years with no issues.

[socalhodaka]

How about some photos of this stuff!

[olddogs]

My cell phone takes 2 D batteries and my camera uses film. I will have to locate a teenager to take and post some pictures. Its hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

[Forrest]

Great Info guys, appreciated. Adding an adjuster to the pedal arm sounds like the way to go. I don't have a welder but thought about shortening the pedal (or even leaving it intact, drilling a hole about 3 inches from the pedal end inserting/securing a bolt with a fuel line sheath, would look a bit like another shift lever.

I saw a couple of brake pedals for sale cheap on ebay (don't go buying them on me, I just got laid off and I'm broke) One for a Super Rat, and one unknown model, but they look the same, are they interchangeable?

As far as riding style, I try to ride on the ball of my feet, like the Pro's, but usually end up mid foot, peg against the heel. I mostly ride trails that you are in 1st and 2nd, brief 3rd (not my preference, all we have around here) And I ride pretty cautiously at 58. The bike is a lot easier to handle than my Honda Fat Cat, Here is a pic of that 300 lb fatty.

[Forrest]

Here is a quick fix that will probably be ok for a couple of rides until I come up with something better (wish I had a welder)

Took a piece of sheet rubber, folded it over to about 3/8 thickness, clamped it to the peg, cut off excess clamp. Safety wired it down, although it feels very solid and is clear of everything. Put a strip of split fuel line on the top edge of the lever, safety wired down. Bent out lever to a better position.

Like I said it is temporary, at least it's in the right place. And Ed thanks for pointing out that the foot pegs were adjustable, I never had noticed before.

[Zyx]

I have found that temporary fixes sometimes last for years. Yours looks like it could outlive all of us. The only part I wouldn't go out of my way to do is the rubber on the pad part of the pedal. I raced mine for two years with bare steel, and never had any issues of slipping off the pedal. Adding a steel gripper surface should be easy, even without a welder if you need a bit of extra traction there. But I have found that rubber, when wet and muddy, is slipperier than bare steel.

If you find that the rubber on the foot stay shaft and the pedal arm don't stay in place or wear out too fast, try using a piece of 1/8th inch steel laid flat to the back side of the arm, where you now have safety wired rubber, held in place by two screw/nut retainers, about where you now have the safety wire. Eighth inch bolts should work. You can make the rise above the pedal arm as much or as little as you want, just by placing the holes in the 1/8th plate carefully. On the back side of the arm there should be a small triangular gusset supporting the arm against the pivot tube. put your adjustable plate ahead of that gusset, and you should be just about where you have the rubber now. The arm is around 1.25" wide top to bottom, and you have filled somewhere around 3/8ths or so of space. You could use 1.5" wide steel about 2 inches long, or given that this added strip of metal is not really under pressure, the strip would not have to cover the full back of the pedal, and could be attached just to the upper flat of the stamped arm. I would think an inch wide strip of steel would give you room to adjust where you want the pedal to be, and the steel is available at most any hardware store, Lowes, or Home Depot if you don't already have some laying around.

[Forrest]

I like that idea Arizona Shorty, would you have to drill thru the pedal arm to hold it in place?
And yes the duck tape on the pedal is not a great idea.
Thanks.

[Zyx]

I was thinking drilling through the upper flat on the pedal arm, just under where you see the safety wire in the photo. I would use as small a bolt or screw as I thought would get the job done. Maybe even #6 screw.