Do Not Buy Brake Bands From Northern

[Russ2251]

You must be doing something wrong if you think a band brake has no real stopping power.

Agreed!!! Just this past week my throttle stuck at half open.
Band brake locked up no problem.

 

[EagleTalons]

Where do I find these magic bands at?

 

[Blazkowiez]

You mean ones that actually stop? Or ones that pop out gold?

 

[EagleTalons]

I'm interested in the ones that stop, but popping out gold may be a plus too.

 

[Blazkowiez]

I'm sure Bmi sells quality bands, just like we do. We sell outs for 13.95 plus tax for a standard 4".

 

[EagleTalons]

What hardware do I need to make a band brake work?

 

[dave1701]

a cable, a drum and other stuff

 

[Blazkowiez]

For a brake band, you need a drum which in some way will either lock on an axle in a live axle set-up or be mounted on the drive tire and will brake that tire. You need a pin attached to the kart to be the stationary mount, then you will need a rod typically which will run from your brake pedal leading to the brake band, the band will always pull over, not under.

 

[Hybrid]

I ordered a brake band from BMI. I haven't used it yet, but it sure looks like it is good quality. It is not rubber (more of a ceramic like on automotive brakes) and the metal looks thick and strong as well as the welds.

 

[Blazkowiez]

They sell the exact same kind we do, you'll be fine.

 

[EagleTalons]

Do you have pictures of the brackets that hold the band brake in place?

 

[Blazkowiez]

There is not necessarily a bracket, typically it is just a "brake pin". This can be a grade 5 3/8" bolt in a collar which is welded to the kart, this can be a 3/8" pin with a hole drilled to fit a cotter pin to keep it in place. I'll see if I can not snap a picture of the green manco 215 we've got in for repairs tomorrow at the shop.

Does what I just said make sense? It usually is not a bracketing system, much simpler.

 

[TOO FAST]

Band brakes were originally designed as parking brakes for riding mowers, and work just
fine for their intended purpose. To adapt them to go karts is nuts, I don't care who is
building it. Go with a proper drum/shoe brake or a disc/caliper set up. Manual discs I have found work great, but you must build your linkage so it has the required leverage
to make the caliper grab with enough force.

 

[Blazkowiez]

Are you saying the 16 main manufacturers in the past 2 decades are nuts?

 

[TOO FAST]

Yes, they are taking the cheap option because they want to make money!
Ever hear of Toyota?

 

[devino246]

Good bands work really well. There are alot of things that were originally designed for one thing and adaped for something else.

 

[gokart14]

This brake is on my go kart and it doesnt work well at all