Roller brake grease
 

Running IM-50 brakes.
the front and back do not sound the same when braking. The front is silent, the back sounds a little abrasive during hard braking.

I got the roller brake grease and went to use it and came across a couple of issues and questions I can't seem to find answers to, help?

1) The nozzle doesn't go in very far. When I watch videos I see the tip go all the way in. I get maybe at most 1cm. Instructions say at least 12mm. Should I force the tip harder?

2) Removed the rear brake (the grease hole is covered by the bike frame, doh!. When moving it around it is not completely smooth, it feels like there are 1 or 2 piece of grit in there. Is that a big deal?

3) Grease. On the Sheldon Brown site I look at the grease and it is not in the area where the round disks are but on mine that area is filled with grease, does that indicate someone has filled it incorrectly and maybe I should be taking it apart?


:)

Looked up the service manuals online yet?

1) It's fine, as long as it's in the hole, it will be forced in when you squeeze.

2) In all likelihood? Not a problem. Unless you've cast off parts of the shoes/the braking surface (which, granted, is possible if the brake was run dry), most stuff that finds its way into the brake assembly is going to not harm it. There are some rollers in there to help things spin along nicer, and they can get rough with age, but it is not typically something to worry about. Especially when you have the brake un-mounted, it can feel strange, since it isn't being held in good alignment.

3) Like a coaster brake hub, it may look like it has grease in it, but it has been displaced from the working surfaces. Disassembly is not typically required (nor suggested, as they aren't supposed to come apart, though it can be done...)...just adding more grease than you think you need to. Several applications of the brake should quiet it quickly, but if it doesn't, the shoes may be worn out. These brakes are particularly vulnerable to heavy rain, which emulsifies the grease and aids it in washing out of the brake. After a rainy day, you should squeeze some grease in after drying the brake as best as you can.

These brakes work well when taken care of, but are more labor intensive than other drum/band-type brakes. Typical drums, like Sturmey Archers, do not require greasing. The downside, such as it is, is that when the hub braking surface wears out, the hub is finished and must be re-laced...though that takes a significant amount of time [ed. to wear out, not re-lace]. Band brakes (an inverted drum assembly), that are common on folding bikes in Asia/on some scooters, do not suffer from the grease problem that Roller Brakes have, but they also lack any significant heat capacity.

Yes, I tried that captain obvious.

Shimano has the grease they want you to use, in their product , why not get it?

Thank you for clearing it up. It makes sense and I didn't know about the heavy rain thing, I happened to just the heavy rain thing.:thumb:

What makes you think I don't have the Shimano grease?