Another day, another coaster brake

[Dmar]

I wish I would have known that before I bought another bike.and destroyed that wheel. But at least I learned like I always do. The hard way.

 

[CrazyDan]

I was having issues with my stock coaster brake on a huffy cranbrook. Them caged bearings didn't last long. Braking from 30 mph loosens the hub a tad, eventually the caged bearings don't seat correctly and the brake pads would move from their spots and mess things up. I scavenged some parts from a similar hub with a bent axle. Worked fine for a bit longer, then the donor caged bearings blew out. Got loose bearings from a lbs, 15 loose bearings fit where a caged 9 bearing was. So far so good, never knew you could coast a cranbrook without popping and clanking noises coming from the coaster hub lol. Trying to be nicer to it and intend to get a new front suspension fork with tabs for disc brakes (on a cranbrook ) gonna get a plain cruiser caliper for the rear. Then the coaster will be for emergency braking only.

 

[Dmar]

So I'm just going to get away from coaster breaks altogether. I'm getting some bike parts hopefully tomorrow. I already have two cranebrook bikes but no brakes. I do have a diamond back bike that I can use I'm still debating though cranbrook or diamond back. I have another engine, just missing a lot of parts though. So I'm just ready to put some miles in an engine.

 

[Frankfort MB's]

So I'm just going to get away from coaster breaks altogether. I'm getting some bike parts hopefully tomorrow. I already have two cranebrook bikes but no brakes. I do have a diamond back bike that I can use I'm still debating though cranbrook or diamond back. I have another engine, just missing a lot of parts though. So I'm just ready to put some miles in an engine.

The cranbrook frame is a good frame but the wheels are terrible, see if you could salvage everything but the wheels.....

 

[Dmar]

Ya I'm going too Ya I'm get of of those evil pos.

 

[crassius]

if you like huffy, I've gotten good builds out of the fresno model - spokes are way thick on those, but it took just a bit of filing to get rear 9 bolts past the oversized hub

frame is very small for a 26", but it eats the vibration down to almost nothing

 

[CrazyDan]

You can make the cranbrook fairly reliable if you replace all bearings and the wheels lol. I can feel my rear twist slightly if I take a hard turn under power, but I haven't bent or broken anything (yet). Since you have 2 cranbrooks check the welds out on both, pick the one with the better looking welds.

BTW, did you unfasten your brake arm from the chainstay for those pics? If not, there is your problem...

 

[Dmar]

No I didn't while I was riding the brake arm shaped the bolt off. Then the tire was loosened and wobbled all over the place.

 

[CrazyDan]

I made a beefy replacement for my brake arm

Made it 3 bikes ago when that same thing happened. Was near a freeway offramp so I searched around till I found a matching nut and bolt with a thick straight piece of aluminium with holes at the ends that I banged into the right shape with my wrench . Works so good I've kept it.

 

[JunkyardDog]

The Cranbrook frame is pretty strong, the wheels are junk. And using a rag joint doesn't help. No wheel should be driven with the spokes, especially a cheap crappy one. Do you have a caliper brake in the front? If not, that is the cause of the problem. I would NEVER ride a motorized bike without a good front brake. The rear brake doesn't matter that much, about 90% of the stopping power is in the front brake.