Ezgo brakes and adjustments.

[andy4639]

OK here is my way of doing a brake job on a Ezgo rear end.
First jack it up and place on stands safety is always first. Take the lugs loose and remove wheel & tire. Now for the fun part:

First take the cable loose from the brake lever on the back side of the backing plate.



Once this is loose work the brake lever back and forth a few times and get it loose and free. Just make sure it moves.

Now you get to take the hub off. Take the cotter key out and back the nut off. After that it can get tricky. If the hub isn't in bad shape it should slide right off. If the shoes have woren a groove into the hub it's hammer time.
Take and hit the hub around the outer edge and hope it comes off. You can also stick a screw driver up inside the hub at the bottom of the brakes and turn the star wheel in so the shoes will loosen up on the hub.

See the teeth on the wheel. You have to get a screw driver in the hole of the hub and turn it in. This can be done it just takes a little time.

Now the hub is off and you are looking at the shoes and springs.


I use a small set of needle nose vise grips and take the bottom spring off.


Now take the two side keepers off they are the metal clips that are on each shoe. Just needle nose pliers and twist them off. Push in on the metal tab and twist the pin. Sorry about the picture it has the bottom spring on it. Just wanted to show the clips.

Now just take the shoes off with the top spring in place and set them down like they come off for referance later.
Now remove the brake lever are assembly.

Clean it really good and relube all the moving parts.
Clean the rest of the brake up as well. I use brake cleaner and wipe it down good.

Now with everything clean relube the backing plate with some good lube. See the wear marks in the plate this is normal just make sure you put some lube in those area's to help it move smooth. I also lube where the lever arm slides in the bottom of the plate also.

Once all this is done just go back in the same order you took everything off and then when your ready to put the hub back on you will need to adjust the star wheel so the hub barely will slip over the shoes. This may take severl tries to get right. Once the hub is on and tighten back up with the nut and cotter key installed, make sure you get it tight. I put 100 LBS of torque on mine. Now you need to loosen the brake cable tee under the drivers side floor. The rod has two 1/2" nuts that you loosen until you can hooke the cable back up to the brake arm. Make sure your cables are working and not binding this will cause trouble with your brakes if they don't move freely in the skins. Once you can hook the arm up you can tighten the 1/2" nuts back up until the slack is gone. You want just enough slack so the spring isn't got tension on the system when not being used.
I hope this helps everyone and if one of the admin wants to move it to the resource area that's fine too.

[golfcartg]

Thank you so much for taking the time to create an article andy4639 I broke it down into an guide for easy reading. Here's the step-by-step for performing a brake job on an EZGO rear end:

You'll need a basic set of tools. This includes a jack and jack stands for safely lifting and supporting the cart, lug wrench for removing the wheel, needle nose pliers for manipulating springs and clips, vise grips for handling springs, screwdrivers for various tasks such as turning the star wheel inside the hub, and a hammer for tapping stuck hubs. Additionally, you may need a cotter key remover, brake cleaner for cleaning components, and lubricant for relubricating moving parts. A torque wrench is also handy for tightening the hub nut to the specified torque. These tools, along with patience and attention to detail, will help you complete the brake job efficiently and effectively.

1. Safety first: Jack up the cart and secure it on stands for stability.
2. Remove the wheel and tire by loosening the lugs.
3. Disconnect the cable from the brake lever on the back side of the backing plate.
4. Work the brake lever back and forth to loosen it for free movement.
5. Remove the hub by taking out the cotter key and backing off the nut. If the hub is stuck, use a hammer to tap it around the outer edge or use a screwdriver to turn the star wheel inside the hub to loosen the shoes.
6. Once the hub is off, inspect the shoes and springs.
7. Use needle nose vise grips to remove the bottom spring.
8. Take off the two side keepers (metal clips) from each shoe using needle nose pliers.
9. Remove the shoes with the top spring still in place and set them aside for reference.
10. Take off the brake lever assembly and clean it thoroughly, lubricating all moving parts.
11. Clean the rest of the brake components with brake cleaner and wipe them down.
12. Apply lubrication to the backing plate, focusing on wear marks and where the lever arm slides.
13. Reassemble the brake components in the reverse order of removal.
14. Adjust the star wheel so the hub barely slips over the shoes.
15. Tighten the hub nut securely and reinstall the cotter key.
16. Loosen the brake cable tee under the driver's side floor to reconnect the cable to the brake arm.
17. Tighten the nuts on the cable tee until the slack is eliminated, verifying the spring isn't under tension when not in use.
18. Check that the cables move freely without binding.
19. Once everything is in place, test the brakes for proper operation.
20. Congratulations! You've successfully completed the brake job!