Do Not Buy Brake Bands From Northern

[Blazkowiez]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_21294_21294

This is the brake band the title mentions. If you've had brake band troubles or dislike brake bands, this may be your problem.

These bands are rubber and Chinese and pathetic.

They do little else beside smoke and smell bad, the welds break often and tend to besmirch the name of the brake band.

Several companies make a quality band, go with them, they should have actual pad material and look reasonable.

Nothing spells life or death better than a motorized vehicle without brakes.

 

[dave1701]

It's true.

 

[solomon]

That brake band looks horrible! How does it even stay on the drum? their is no bracket!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Rubber? Yeah. That'll work. Really. For two stops at 5 mph, maybe.
Is it safe to assume that the reputable ones use an automotive-type friction material?

 

[DK shredaaa]

every thing from northern sucks

 

[KieranM]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_21294_21294
.

ho ho that looks quality, nice find

 

[dave1701]

Where Can I get a good one?

 

[Russ2251]

Here's what came with my kart:
4" brake band

 

[Blazkowiez]

I'll post some failure pictures today when I get to the shop, its fantastic to see how they fail. Many people buy these and they ruin drums, how can this company be allowed to sell something like that???

 

[solomon]

my brake drum is scored bad, but it still works! I'm to cheap to replace it.

 

[Russ2251]

A scored drum can have better braking power.

 

[solomon]

Awesome!

 

[Kenny_McCormic]

Lol, drilled and slotted brake drums? With ceramic bands?

 

[Doc Sprocket]

How can a rubber band f**k up a drum?

 

[devino246]

i would asume the rubber wore away and the metal band messed it up

 

[Blazkowiez]

Bingo, good job devino.

Was too busy at work today, I can take a pic of the 2 display bands we use to show how bad they are.

 

[Blazkowiez]

It can destroy them horribly. Especially if the drum is Carter, their drums are significantly thinner than some other companies. The best kart company to design a brake drum would be ThunderKart.

 

[Blazkowiez]

 

[birdman58]

i just pulled my brake band and drum completely off the axle theyre just getting in the way, and provide no real stopping power. i like disc better

 

[Blazkowiez]

You must be doing something wrong if you think a band brake has no real stopping power. Trash like that band they sell at northern give people the idea that band brakes do not work.... they do have the ability to lock up a rear axle very well if you have the correct sized band for your job.

Manual disk brakes for their cost are pathetic compared to band brakes, hydraulic have significantly stronger stopping power than manual but their cost is not practical for most consumers.