Rearend brake conversion kit

[Rhguard32]

I have a 1995 goldwing with a motortrike kit. It was triked in 1997. The rearend had drum brakes. Is there a kit I could buy to convert the rear brakes to pads?

[trike tech]

I'll jump in on this one & give some possible insight & to be nosey..

First of all, why are you wanting to convert the bike to disc brakes? Drum brakes when maintained properly work very well & are quite cheap to repair should you have an issue?

The biggest issue you're going to run into is volume. The master cylinder can only produce so much braking volume so if you use calipers that require more volume than the master cylinder can produce, you will have very poor brakes. You may be able to add a residual pressure valve to the system to help alleviate, but it may not work still.

On the other side of the coin - If you use calipers with too small of a volume you will have a VERY hard brake pedal & mediocre brakes at best because the master cylinder is trying to push more volume than the calipers can take (imagine taking a very large syringe & attaching the smallest needle you can find, same thing essentially).

While you may be able to find a caliper that will work effectively, is the possible headache & struggles going to truly be worth it in the big picture.

[GoldWingrGreg]

I have a 1995 goldwing with a motortrike kit. It was triked in 1997. The rearend had drum brakes. Is there a kit I could buy to convert the rear brakes to pads?

I recommend that you call Motortrike. On their web page, for GL1500 trikes, one of their trike kits comes with rear discs. Possible they make a kit to convert your system.

[trike tech]

I recommend that you call Motortrike. On their web page, for GL1500 trikes, one of their trike kits comes with rear discs. Possible they make a kit to convert your system.

I'll save some headache & hassle. We don't offer a disc brake system for the solid axle conversions. The calipers & mounts used on our IRS kit are completely different and won't retrofit onto a solid axle conversion.

[CrystalPistol]

I have a '97 that was converted in 1998 with a Lehman kit and used a Ford 6.75" ring gear integral solid axle. It has shorter axles, but is basically as was used in a Pinto and even some early Bronco IIs / Rangers. It has 9" diameter Ford Drum Brakes & Hardware, very common parts = easy to find. Mine uses parts for a 1980 Pinto. I can even use different wheel cylinder diameters to tailor action.

I've seen guys trying to nail down what disc brake pads their trike used with great aggravation.

In hard rains with splashes, disc have to be swiped to dry for maximum use, drums are "ready". Drum have a "self energizing" attribute. Drum brakes will last a long time on a trike. Drums don't coat wheels in brake dust.

I adjust my trike's rear drums up each spring / oil change, I also use a 10 psi residual pressure valve in the rear brake line to maintain 10 psi on the lines to keep seals full, etc as drums have return springs that will still pull the shoes away from the drum.

[grumpy]

I did a conversion on a previous trike because I hate working on drum brakes. Nothing wrong with drums, I just don't like working on them. We average 17,000 miles a year so I figured I would need to replace shoes every couple of years. LOTS of aggravation & work. Could not find a kit, but was able to find the parts necessary. I agree with Triketech. Getting the M/C that is right for the calipers or the calipers that work with the M/C was a big issue. More trouble than it was worth. I wouldn't do it again. Oh by the way, my conversion was on a Valkyrie & the M/C is way easier to get to than on the Wing. (check out the FSM for the procedure.) And the brakes were no better after I did the job. Just my opinion & worth every bit of what you paid for it.