A couple of question for you guys: How would you rate Honda’s drum brakes? I and many others have been less than positive with their continued use but I’m looking for your honest opinions. Does anyone know what the red **** on the 04 Rancher 400’s wheel is (p.144 of December’s Dirtwheels)? Is it a drain plug?

 

One a scale from 1 to 10 I give Honda an 8 in the brake department. I had a 1986 250 Fourtrax 4x4 which I sold in 2000 for a new Rancher 4x4 Manual Shift. In all the years I had the 250 (14 years) I replaced the brakes like 3 times so to me they're reliable. I could always lockup the front and back wheels no problem. The only difference between Honda and other manufactures with disk brakes is you need to apply just a little more pressure to the brake lever. Aside from the extra hand effort a Honda will stop just as good as any other. My 2001 Rancher is no different the brakes a really good and I expect the same reliability from it as my 250.

 

I find the brakes great. With the manual gearbox I rarely have to use them anyway, but when I do braking power is strong, reliable and fade free. I've never even had a problem with water in the brakes as the seals tend to hold up well. I think it is a pretty good setup because all of the moving parts and friction surfaces are sealed from water, dirt and corrosion, unlike disks. The only better set up would be the wet brake on the kawis. There is a disk brake upgrade kit from High Lifter if I ever need it, but i don't think I will.

 

Thanks for the replies sometimes a person can only see the negatives. Guess the drums aren’t as bad as I lead myself to believe (I had them on the back of my Bayou 300 with no problems).[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

The red plug is what you remove to gain access to the adjusting wheels for the brakes.

What I do like about Honda brakes is that you have three different ways to apply them. The left hand brake applies the rear brakes via a cable. The foot brake on the right floor board also applies the rear brakes. If one cable fails you always have the other.

The right hand brake hydraulically applys the front bakes. Three different systems. Coupled with the ATV always being in 4wd it is probably the safest braking system of all ATV's.

When you get down and look at Honda's brakes, they are probably the most expensive to manufacture. Six brake shoes, four wheel cylinders, all the hardware and cables and three brake drums. All combined you will always have some brakes. Each brake shoe on the front has it's own wheel cylinder and is independent of the other shoe. One wheel cylider can freeze up and you still have braking action. Again, safety first.

Some ATV's if you get one leak in the system you loose your entire braking system. I would not care to have my family riding these types of ATVs.

I think Honda is giving in to the buying public on the brakes on the Rincon because I don't believe there is anything wrong with the drum brakes the currently use on all their other sport/utility ATVs.

And last but not least, I don't have to listen to that squeek squeek squeek.

 

I think that the brakes are good in dry conditions and in places that there isn't much mud in these places I would give them a 7 out of 10. I like the mud, I tell myself I will stay out of it and when I get to all of the big mudholes I just have to go in all of them. My friends are all there and like to see it and I like to put on a show and push others out of the mud. With my 25" 589's on rubi I knew my limits but with the 27" claws i have yet to find them because I haven't been stuck yet, and this means a lot more mantenance work when i get home. I have to clean the mud out of them tommorow as a matter of fact because the last two trips out I have went for the big mudholes and i have to pump the brake to get any responce. In mud and water I rate them a 3 out of 10 because the brakes fail me after a few rides. If I get in the slop and then it's down to the local Walmart to get a couple new cans of brake cleaner. This has been the same with all of the Honda's my family has owned, but if you stay out of the mud you will find that they are alright. I would rather listen to the squeek than have to clean them on a regular basis.

 

You should never ever have to clean out your drum brakes. I have put my machine through more water, mud and bog in the past 4 years that most people do in a lifetime.

1. Check, inspect maybe replace the rubber seals for your drums.

2. Check the vent lines coming out of each drum. If it is ripped, torn or missing you will have the problem your describing. This happened to a freind of mine, we replaced the hose ($3) and havent had a problem since and brakes work perfectly all the time.


These brakes are designed to be relatively maintenance free, do a quick check of these 2 items and I'm sure you'll find your problem.

 

Well I just got done cleaning my front drums, found a little water, mud and all of my seals are fine and the vent hoses too. Funny how this happens to every honda that goes mudding with me, you know they get mud in the brakes. I love honda but I know there brakes are not good for mudding in rack deep goo repeatedly. Other than mudding the brakes are fine.