my drum brakes on my 1985 Suzuki quad will not work?

Question

i have a 1985 suzuki 230 quadrunner and the rear brakes are drum brakes. when u pull the brake lever it will pull the arm on the brake drum and lock the brakes but when you release the brake lever the arm will not go back to its original position and the brakes will stay locked. what can i do to fix the problem so the arm will go back and the brakes will work properly. My quad is a 1985 suzuki lt230ge quad runner, this is the modle with no suspension in the back and is shaft drive.

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with your quad, but drum brakes are simple. Check the return spring, is it still there? Then starting at the lever, check all the linkage for free movement. Either the spring is broken or weak, or there is a moving part binding.

Answer 2

you could purely brake over the groove interior the wheel, no harm,the only detriment is the minimum loss of friction doe to the lack of section ( minimum) the rear drum does little or no of the braking. you probable won't die via rear brake in case you utilize the front properly and frequently.

Answer 3

Clean and lube brake cable(s) and pivot pin. Dirt and corrosion will make the brake not return.