If you remove the coaster brake arm, will it just be a freewheel?
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If you remove the coaster brake arm, will it just be a freewheel?
The reason I ask, is that I'm interested in buying a 3 speed hub. Probably a Shimano Inter 3 speed hub (Shimano SG-3C41). I looked into S/A hubs but they're pretty expensive, and most are old. The shimano hub has a coaster brake. I don't want a coaster brake. If I simply remove the coaster brake arm, will that leave me with a free wheel? will I be able to pedal backwards, for instance, like on a normal geared-bike?
#2
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No, you won't. The brake arm is actually a reaction arm, which prevents the hub from rotating in your dropouts (this is bad and prevents the brake from working). I would look for a 3-speed hub without a coaster brake, either another Shimano Inter-3 or a SRAM 3-speed hub.
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Originally Posted by grolby
No, you won't. The brake arm is actually a reaction arm, which prevents the hub from rotating in your dropouts (this is bad and prevents the brake from working).
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Originally Posted by wroomwroomoops
Isn't that exactly what the OP wants?
Regards, Anthony
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Originally Posted by AnthonyG
Not realy. Removing the coaster brake arm will provide the WORST of both worlds. You won't be able to back pedal without activating the brake but when this happens the braking won't be good and it will likely damage the dropouts. I'm thinking that it could be difficult to de-activate the brake in such a situation. Not worth trying as damage will result.
Regards, Anthony
Regards, Anthony
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Disassemble the left hand side of the hub and remove the brake pad assembly. Fairly straight forward process, just lifts out.
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Originally Posted by dobber
Disassemble the left hand side of the hub and remove the brake pad assembly. Fairly straight forward process, just lifts out.
We used to do that to friends bikes back in the BMX days, just to mess with them!
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After removing the brake pads, one needs to put something elastic around the 6 rollers to push them in and hold them together (like the original brake pad assembly did), such as:
- A keyring of a proper size
or - A rubber plumbing o-ring like they sell in Home Depot
or - Perhaps a zip tie (if it is small enough that its head will fit in and won't touch the hub shell
That piece (whatever you chose it to be) does not need to be very strong. Its function is to exert sufficient pressure on the rollers so that it was "easier" for the hub to ratchet (carrier unit against the hub shell) while freewheeling or backpedaling rather than to drag and attempt engage the brake roller clutch. Without this piece, any freewheeling will rotate the roller clutch inside the carrier unit as if the brakes were engaged (though there are no brake pads so no braking will actually occur). By default (without anything pushing on the rollers) it is "easier" for the hub internals then proper ratcheting. Then subsequent pedaling will need to undo all that rotation before the gear is engaged, and it results in a very noticeable pedals slack.
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12 year old Zombie Thread!
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What do you expect will happen when one messes with the brakes and dropouts on a bike? Zombies!!!
There are so many internal gear hubs available that I'd just get what one wishes to have for the application.
There are so many internal gear hubs available that I'd just get what one wishes to have for the application.
- Coaster Brakes
- 3 speed fixed
- freewheeling rim brakes
- freewheeling disc brakes
- CVT
- 3 to 14 gears
- Dual Drive
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The thread is old but the hub is still on the market (not to mention millions of bikes already out there) and when question comes up, this thread pops up in Google search. It contained incomplete advice, so I decided to contribute.
Yes, when one has a choice, it's better to get the right hub upfront. Sometimes, people are dealing with already built bikes wheels and are not in a position to chose or to go with a full wheel re-lacing. Also, Shimano hub availability varies. It's not easy to buy a 28-hole SG-3R40 (freewheel model) - only 36-holes are being sold. One may be forced to buy a Coaster brake model because of the hole-count requirements. Also, coaster brake hubs are just cheaper.
Yes, when one has a choice, it's better to get the right hub upfront. Sometimes, people are dealing with already built bikes wheels and are not in a position to chose or to go with a full wheel re-lacing. Also, Shimano hub availability varies. It's not easy to buy a 28-hole SG-3R40 (freewheel model) - only 36-holes are being sold. One may be forced to buy a Coaster brake model because of the hole-count requirements. Also, coaster brake hubs are just cheaper.
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That's why I wish the Forums would return the feature that listed the date of the first post in the index of threads. It went away when they "updated" these forums about two years ago. The moderator of one of the Bike Forums advised that they were working on restoring it, but I guess somebody decided it wasn't important enough.
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That's why I wish the Forums would return the feature that listed the date of the first post in the index of threads. It went away when they "updated" these forums about two years ago. The moderator of one of the Bike Forums advised that they were working on restoring it, but I guess somebody decided it wasn't important enough.
Likes For SPGremlin:
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Oftentimes someone will awaken a zombie thread by trying to carry on a discussion that ended long ago and/or with an OP who is long gone from BF. Also not a bad thing. Sometimes a funny thing.
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This is the right direction - but this is not enough to get a properly working freewheel hub! One more step is needed. Otherwise, the hub will freewheel but there will be a very late gear engagement (on all 3 gears - especially on the low gear), with a very noticeable pedal "slack" - nearly half a turn of a chainring will be required to engage the gear after even a small a period of freewheeling (or when starting movement).
After removing the brake pads, one needs to put something elastic around the 6 rollers to push them in and hold them together (like the original brake pad assembly did), such as:
A keyring of a proper size
or
A rubber plumbing o-ring like they sell in Home Depot
or
Perhaps a zip tie (if it is small enough that its head will fit in and won't touch the hub shell
I have an image of how it looks like (in my case, it was a keyring) - but being a new member I can't post it here (URLs and Images are prohibited). It is attached to my reply on similar question on the MTBR forum - you can find it by searching.
That piece (whatever you chose it to be) does not need to be very strong. Its function is to exert sufficient pressure on the rollers so that it was "easier" for the hub to ratchet (carrier unit against the hub shell) while freewheeling or backpedaling rather than to drag and attempt engage the brake roller clutch. Without this piece, any freewheeling will rotate the roller clutch inside the carrier unit as if the brakes were engaged (though there are no brake pads so no braking will actually occur). By default (without anything pushing on the rollers) it is "easier" for the hub internals then proper ratcheting. Then subsequent pedaling will need to undo all that rotation before the gear is engaged, and it results in a very noticeable pedals slack.
After removing the brake pads, one needs to put something elastic around the 6 rollers to push them in and hold them together (like the original brake pad assembly did), such as:
A keyring of a proper size
or
A rubber plumbing o-ring like they sell in Home Depot
or
Perhaps a zip tie (if it is small enough that its head will fit in and won't touch the hub shell
I have an image of how it looks like (in my case, it was a keyring) - but being a new member I can't post it here (URLs and Images are prohibited). It is attached to my reply on similar question on the MTBR forum - you can find it by searching.
That piece (whatever you chose it to be) does not need to be very strong. Its function is to exert sufficient pressure on the rollers so that it was "easier" for the hub to ratchet (carrier unit against the hub shell) while freewheeling or backpedaling rather than to drag and attempt engage the brake roller clutch. Without this piece, any freewheeling will rotate the roller clutch inside the carrier unit as if the brakes were engaged (though there are no brake pads so no braking will actually occur). By default (without anything pushing on the rollers) it is "easier" for the hub internals then proper ratcheting. Then subsequent pedaling will need to undo all that rotation before the gear is engaged, and it results in a very noticeable pedals slack.
Shimano Nexus coaster brake delete - do you think this will work too? Looks like little better solution. sory for my english
#16
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Check out this video - nice discussion of how a coaster brake works - something I always wondered about - may be helpful for the OP .
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This is the right direction - but this is not enough to get a properly working freewheel hub! One more step is needed. Otherwise, the hub will freewheel but there will be a very late gear engagement (on all 3 gears - especially on the low gear), with a very noticeable pedal "slack" - nearly half a turn of a chainring will be required to engage the gear after even a small a period of freewheeling (or when starting movement).
After removing the brake pads, one needs to put something elastic around the 6 rollers to push them in and hold them together (like the original brake pad assembly did), such as:
That piece (whatever you chose it to be) does not need to be very strong. Its function is to exert sufficient pressure on the rollers so that it was "easier" for the hub to ratchet (carrier unit against the hub shell) while freewheeling or backpedaling rather than to drag and attempt engage the brake roller clutch. Without this piece, any freewheeling will rotate the roller clutch inside the carrier unit as if the brakes were engaged (though there are no brake pads so no braking will actually occur). By default (without anything pushing on the rollers) it is "easier" for the hub internals then proper ratcheting. Then subsequent pedaling will need to undo all that rotation before the gear is engaged, and it results in a very noticeable pedals slack.
After removing the brake pads, one needs to put something elastic around the 6 rollers to push them in and hold them together (like the original brake pad assembly did), such as:
- A keyring of a proper size
or - A rubber plumbing o-ring like they sell in Home Depot
or - Perhaps a zip tie (if it is small enough that its head will fit in and won't touch the hub shell
That piece (whatever you chose it to be) does not need to be very strong. Its function is to exert sufficient pressure on the rollers so that it was "easier" for the hub to ratchet (carrier unit against the hub shell) while freewheeling or backpedaling rather than to drag and attempt engage the brake roller clutch. Without this piece, any freewheeling will rotate the roller clutch inside the carrier unit as if the brakes were engaged (though there are no brake pads so no braking will actually occur). By default (without anything pushing on the rollers) it is "easier" for the hub internals then proper ratcheting. Then subsequent pedaling will need to undo all that rotation before the gear is engaged, and it results in a very noticeable pedals slack.
Edit: Realized now that may create a gap in the assembly which would be unfavorable.
Last edited by ign1te; 06-18-22 at 01:53 PM.
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Check out this video - nice discussion of how a coaster brake works - something I always wondered about - may be helpful for the OP .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2f0e28Dito
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2f0e28Dito
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(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)