Converting to a LHS rear brake pedal set up...

[Andy B.L.C.]

A mate was badly taken out by a myopic 4 wheeled box pilot some time back. His right leg is now full of bolts & plates & it's mobility is sadly so compromised that he'll never be able to use a standard right hand fitting rear brake pedal again. He is (respect!) well keen to get back on 2-wheels... So the question is, & I'm sure I have a distant memory of this having been done before, does anyone know of LHS brake pedal conversions/cable routing etc? In theory just a case of welding the brake pedal pivot (&opening up the legshields) & outer cable stop on the LHS, right? With many thanx in advance!

[Solid Air]

How about keeping everything as is but modifying the pedal so that it extends to the left side Andy? Sounds a bit Heath-Robinson but would then only need a hole cutting and some thought to bolt/weld/modify the brake pedal.

[Andy B.L.C.]

Cheerz Mark! So if I get you right... Open up/lengthen the oval cut (backwards) in the legshields. Shorten the stop on the brake pedal & angle it so that it results in a 45 degree (previously 180 degree/ parallel to legshields) line in the pivoting section of the pedal while also rewelding the second / top section of the pedal to achieve a 90 degree (to legshields) run that lifts it above the central frame loop in order to allow enough travel (with an extended left handed knurled or other foot peg) to make it effective...? Reckon that would work... Obviously any other ideas gratefully received, ta!

[Solid Air]

Just proves there are many ways to skin a cat

Hope this makes sense, it was just a quick thought. Minimal work, just extend the pedal to the left and cut a new hole with nothing else being touched. It may need a bit of refinement but it just might work.... excuse the scribble, never did get any work shown on the Take Hart gallery as a kid



td bank atm machine near me

[coaster]

That last idea would have too much flex to provide sufficient brake travel I suspect It would work better if the pivot pin was removed and replaced with a steel tube and the relocated pedal modified to have a spindle welded that would rotate in the new tube. Some way of mounting the rear part of the old pedal on the other end of the new spindle would be required but this would allow the cable to work as per normal. Or consider hydraulic?

[Solid Air]

Yep agree with you about the flex, the tube through the frame would work - so the tube would give a pivot point on each side (?) and would add stability to the new LH pedal.

[Knowledge]

There are nice ideas above, each of which might work, but my concern is the ANY additional flexin the pedal will result in less power for the rear brake shoes. However, there are some neat ideas above.

Of course the issue with simply moving the pedal pivot and pedal to the LHS is that the return spring will be coiled in the wrong direction. Bummer.

However, I think somewhere in my workshop I have an identical spring that IS coiled in the wrong direction already (it fooled me, until I tried to fit it to a RHS pedal), so if some one needs such a spring, PM me and I will look for it (no guarantees I will find it again).

FOC to get someone back on their Lambretta.

[St George]

Would it be possible to fit hydraulic to the back and front and operate both from the front handlebar lever with a larger reservoir for the brake fluid . There must be a way to send 60% of the force to the front brake for correct braking. We have been doing this on cars for many years.

[sunrisemac]

That last idea would have too much flex to provide sufficient brake travel I suspect It would work better if the pivot pin was removed and replaced with a steel tube and the relocated pedal modified to have a spindle welded that would rotate in the new tube. Some way of mounting the rear part of the old pedal on the other end of the new spindle would be required but this would allow the cable to work as per normal. Or consider hydraulic?

Along with the theme,
Keep the original pedal setup with spring up to the stop underneath the frame crosspiece and lose the rest.
Match the retained piece of pedal to a decent piece of steel the same diameter as the hole in the pedal which would be long enough to go through the welded tube (which could also have a bronze bush fitted both ends for the steel shaft to run in).
Get a new pedal
Get a spline and thread (to hold the new pedal on) cut on the end of the steel shaft and matching spline cut into the new pedal.
Assemble all the bits to make sure all will fit then get the original pedal welded to the shaft in line with the new pedal when fitted to the spline.
Adding a bit to coaster's idea I've done a quick sketch of how I think you could do the job

[Knowledge]

Would it be possible to fit hydraulic to the back and front and operate both from the front handlebar lever with a larger reservoir for the brake fluid . There must be a way to send 60% of the force to the front brake for correct braking. We have been doing this on cars for many years.

Linked brakes is a bit odd.i have them on a Gilera Nexus 500, but they are linked in the following way. One brake lever operates one of the front discs, and the other operates the other front disc and the rear disc. Construction rules dictate that you have to have two separate braking systems.

However, the new Hydra system might be a way to go, if only to find an alternative way of operating a rear drum brake using a method other than the traditional cable set-up

[Solid Air]

Your diagram put my scribble to shame

[rossclark]

Linked brakes - you might be able to adapt the Cosa set up to work with the hydra rear and a disk front - I guess it might depend on the regulator split - that said the parts are not cheap

[sunrisemac]

Your diagram put my scribble to shame

not at all, it gave me something to think about whilst sneezing my way through the evening

[St George]

There is a cut down GP 200 just listed on Ebay with linked disc brakes. May be worth messaging the seller.