Re: Drum brakes,regrettably,KilroyCD is misinformed,the axle has no role whatever in transmitting the reaction torque from the braking action to the forks,how could it via the ballbearings?,as the brake shoes are forced against the drum,the mounting plate that carries the shoes&actuating mechanism attempts to rotate with it,unless it is somehow rigidly attached to the fork(s) .In this manner one fork leg has to absorb all the bending force,and in turn transmit it to the bike frame proper.It is fallacious to say that because the brake force ultimately acts on the entire bike everything is OK, as somone else has stated.It's like saying if someone hits me on the head with a baseball bat,my cervical vertebrae will transmit the force to the rest of poor me !,so what is there is to worry about ?(only a fractured skull ?)
My bike was designed for cantilever brakes as evidenced by the mounting studs,not for drum or disk brakes.It is quite likely that these work perfectly fine with these forks,but the inescapable fact remains that the telescoping front fork was not designed for this application.I don't have a clear picture really how it is constructed,(two sliding tubes with a spring in between).If it was a solid fork I would feel more comfortable with it.If you query the manufacturer,I guarantee you they won't commit themselves and tell you that you're on your own,JJ