Hey guys, we have 2 86 fourtrax 250's that run great and treat us well but the brakes are bad really bad. the rears are almost non existant on one, and the fronts on both seem to fall out of adjustment consistently. "i think" all the brakes are numb and have very little feel despite adjustment, what could be wrong? and how much $$$ am i looking at?
thx guys INTOTH3LIGHT

 

Please help

 

It is at least three years since I worked on the old model 250 but if I remember rightly the brakes are similar to those on the newer models. The front brakes are hydraulic and should not need frequent adjustment. If the wheel bearings are OK and the drums not badly scored, check that you have fitted the shoes the right way round and the springs in the right places. The front adjusters on all Hondas, including new ones, are prone to seizure. Almost every time I service one I have to free them off and grease the threads. Make sure there is no grease or brake fluid on shoes and drums, then remove glaze on them with emery before re-fitting.
The rear brakes also have common faults, the cam shaft that goes through the backplate is often seized or very stiff so when the rear brakes are applied they don’t come off. Remove the cam, emery the rust off, clean the hole in the backplate out and grease before refitting. Smear a small amount of high melting point grease on the shoe pivots and cam surfaces then refit the lever on the spline that allows for maximum adjustment of the cable adjusters. If the brakes still stick, either the cables are shot, or the linings are so badly worn the cam is lifting to a point where the brake springs are not forcing the cam back down. The answer to this is new shoes. The other common fault is a seized footbrake pedal pivot but this is obvious as the pedal won’t return without lifting by hand, or in severe cases, not move at all.

 

thats a pretty complete answer many thanks mate