When I began my quest for cable rear brakes that actually worked, I couldn't find that one article that "put all the pieces together." I'm gonna attempt to do that here. I now have awesome rear brakes! Its wheelie time.
Step 1. BUY THE AFTERMARKET "SHORTY" REAR CABLE. (This is non-negotionable!)
Step 2. Buy a new set of rear pads. (Suggested but not required)
Step 3. Get the back wheels off the ground by placing the quad's carriage on something.
Step 4. Remove right rear tire. (Just do it; Makes the procedure so much easier; "4" 14mm nuts.)
Step 5. Remove rear brake caliber ("2" 12mm bolts) along with the old cable that runs all the way up to the front brake.
Step 6. Open up the rear caliper by removing the "3" allen bolts. We will call the entire assembly inside the caliper that you are now looking at "The mechanism." It is essentially just one piece. Keep it together. Run the adjustment all the way in on the cable; there is a pin that slides out on the inside to release the end of the cable from the mechanism. Remove the entire cable and discard.
Step 7. Remove the brake pads. Clean the caliber out with "carb cleaner" THOROUGHLY! Remove the old gasket and discard; use a new gasket for reassembly.
REASSEMBLY
Step 8. Put the "skinnier" brake pad in its place first. Bolt the caliper back on. Put the new cable on at the rear brake-pedal first. Make sure your spring is still working on your rear brake pedal. Screw the new cable all the way into the caliper, then back it out about 2 turns. Reattach the cable end to the mechanism.
Step 9. The "thicker" rear pad must line up with the pin sticking out of the mechanism. Grease the sides of your new "thicker" pad; insert it into the caliper. To get the pad in place, align the pin on the mechanism with the brake pad, and push the pad all the way in until it hits the rotor. You can now slide the mechanism back out as we'll need to adjust it.
ADJUSTMENT (The stuff I read said that the mechanism is "self-adjusting," but no such thing happened for me. The following is what worked perfectly for me.)
Step 10. By now, on the mechanism, you've probably noticed a white plastic cap that clicks, and on the other side a little rod that sticks out. Slide the white plastic cap out of its place, then turn the rod clockwise until it stops. This will screw the rod into the mechanism, thus making it shorter. Push the plastic cap back into place.
Step 11. If you were to put the mechanism on now, and the cover, the rod would not be making contact with the pad. The trick is to turn the plastic cap clockwise, thus making the rod longer before you bolt the cover on. How much do you turn it you ask?? That's where the fine-tuning comes in. Just turn the cap a couple clicks, then slide the mechanism in place, and place the cover on. With the rear wheels suspended, you can spin them, and you'll immediately know if you've made the rod too long, thus locking the rear wheel. When this happens, screw the rod back into the mechanism a little, and try again.
Step 12. (I would get the rod adjusted as close as I could b/f I started doing a lot of adjusting on the cable part.) After your brake pedal is working, adjust your cable at the caliper to remove any "looseness" in the cable. Snug your cover up with the "3" allen bolts. Don't forget to put ur rear wheel back on!!
Enjoy!
(I hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion.)
Step 1. BUY THE AFTERMARKET "SHORTY" REAR CABLE. (This is non-negotionable!)
Step 2. Buy a new set of rear pads. (Suggested but not required)
Step 3. Get the back wheels off the ground by placing the quad's carriage on something.
Step 4. Remove right rear tire. (Just do it; Makes the procedure so much easier; "4" 14mm nuts.)
Step 5. Remove rear brake caliber ("2" 12mm bolts) along with the old cable that runs all the way up to the front brake.
Step 6. Open up the rear caliper by removing the "3" allen bolts. We will call the entire assembly inside the caliper that you are now looking at "The mechanism." It is essentially just one piece. Keep it together. Run the adjustment all the way in on the cable; there is a pin that slides out on the inside to release the end of the cable from the mechanism. Remove the entire cable and discard.
Step 7. Remove the brake pads. Clean the caliber out with "carb cleaner" THOROUGHLY! Remove the old gasket and discard; use a new gasket for reassembly.
REASSEMBLY
Step 8. Put the "skinnier" brake pad in its place first. Bolt the caliper back on. Put the new cable on at the rear brake-pedal first. Make sure your spring is still working on your rear brake pedal. Screw the new cable all the way into the caliper, then back it out about 2 turns. Reattach the cable end to the mechanism.
Step 9. The "thicker" rear pad must line up with the pin sticking out of the mechanism. Grease the sides of your new "thicker" pad; insert it into the caliper. To get the pad in place, align the pin on the mechanism with the brake pad, and push the pad all the way in until it hits the rotor. You can now slide the mechanism back out as we'll need to adjust it.
ADJUSTMENT (The stuff I read said that the mechanism is "self-adjusting," but no such thing happened for me. The following is what worked perfectly for me.)
Step 10. By now, on the mechanism, you've probably noticed a white plastic cap that clicks, and on the other side a little rod that sticks out. Slide the white plastic cap out of its place, then turn the rod clockwise until it stops. This will screw the rod into the mechanism, thus making it shorter. Push the plastic cap back into place.
Step 11. If you were to put the mechanism on now, and the cover, the rod would not be making contact with the pad. The trick is to turn the plastic cap clockwise, thus making the rod longer before you bolt the cover on. How much do you turn it you ask?? That's where the fine-tuning comes in. Just turn the cap a couple clicks, then slide the mechanism in place, and place the cover on. With the rear wheels suspended, you can spin them, and you'll immediately know if you've made the rod too long, thus locking the rear wheel. When this happens, screw the rod back into the mechanism a little, and try again.
Step 12. (I would get the rod adjusted as close as I could b/f I started doing a lot of adjusting on the cable part.) After your brake pedal is working, adjust your cable at the caliper to remove any "looseness" in the cable. Snug your cover up with the "3" allen bolts. Don't forget to put ur rear wheel back on!!
Enjoy! (I hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion.)
