<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: action450s

Drum brakes work perfectly fine if you take care of them so take it apart and get a good look at it.



First take the rear brakes apart to check for water/mud/corrosion. take off the shoes and clean and lube the pivot point on each brake shoe.Next take apart the shaft that operates the brakes (cables attach to it on the outside) and clean and lube where it goes through the backing plate. The freeer all this moves, the better your spring will return the handle to its proper position. With everythign apart, manually operate the cable while its not attached at the brake. If its sticking you can try lubing it with a cable greaser, or shooting a good penetrating oil which will eventually work its way through the cable. If this does not work, you may have to replace the cable.



When reassembling the rear brakes, make sure the seal on the shaft that operates the brake is in good shape, the vent hose is attached and not torn anywhere and the seal on the outside cover for the axle is in good shape, and the o-ring seal where the cover bolts on is in good shape. I use silicone on the surface where the cover bolts in place to ensure a good seal. Do not use too much here.</end quote></div>
good advice. I'll take the drum apart, but since they work right now with the foot petal, I think it has more to do with the cable. Already spent quite a while lubricating it, but haven't taken it off to do it the right way. I think the cable inside may be kinked, so unless I can straighten it, it'll probably need replacing.