Cush drive "rubbers"......

[Andy Higham]

......But they aren't rubber!
Drum brake hub, hard plastic with no elasticity so little to no cushion effect. A real ball ache to coax / force the paddles between them total
I have ordered some natural rubber in 15mm, 5mm and 6mm thickness which I will cut to size and give it a try. If it's too soft, I may polypropylene which is about between rubber and the plastic

 

[velo54]

Just get a Madass Don Pender hub and brake assembly. All hub and brake problems solved, Graham

 

[mdt-son]

Interesting. Keep us informed of your findings!

A cushion made of a thermoplastic material exhibits a modulus of 1 - 4 GPa while Aluminum has a modulus if 72 GPa. There is definitely a cushioning effect by using the OEM pads.

- Knut

 

[kommando]

I have been using these plastic ones for years, last longer than the previous one made possibly from nylon and still provide shock absorbance.

 

[baz]

......But they aren't rubber!
Drum brake hub, hard plastic with no elasticity so little to no cushion effect. A real ball ache to coax / force the paddles between them total
I have ordered some natural rubber in 15mm, 5mm and 6mm thickness which I will cut to size and give it a try. If it's too soft, I may polypropylene which is about between rubber and the plastic

I once fitted a non cush drive rear wheel from an atlas to my commando mk2a
It was bloody awful
Horrible crunch when you put it in gear
It was way better with the cush drive
Nowadays I have an apprillia pegaso hub fitted to my 750
It's silky smooth with the large rubber cush drive

 

[MexicoMike]

New AN cush "rubbers" are very tight/difficult to insert the wheel the first time - I used some large clamps. But after a bit of operation, they are OK and no problem to insert the wheel.

 

[MikeG]

A bit of silicone spray or grease helps as well

 

[BrianK]

Or tire-mounting lube, like RU-Glyde or the like. Slippery when wet (don't go there boys....) and dries tacky - although not sure the latter is actually a feature (but not a bug either, I should think).

 

[robs ss]

I have Don Pender's one-piece axle, which makes things easier, but I've always thought on thing would improve rear wheel fitting a lot.
I haven't got off my arse to make one yet though...

It's a fitment tool that temporarily replaces the spacer on the RHS (#4 in AN's rear wheel diagram)
It obviously needs an ID a bit bigger that the axle, but it's made of two pieces that screw over each other - one threaded on the inside. the smaller one threaded on the outside.
When fully screwed together they're about1/4" - 5/16" shorter that the spacer so that it can be installed easily with the rear wheel.
Then the rear axle is tightened, partially pushing the cushes in.
Loosen the axle and lengthen the "tool" to take up all slop and re-tighten the axle, pushing the cushes further in.
Redo that last line a couple of times then- bingo! remove the tool and the normal spacer should drop right in.

I will make one one day- honest!
Cheers

 

[Andy Higham]

That has given me an even easier idea.
Two steel plates with a hole in the middle to slide over the axle, one of them with 2x tapped holes to accept say M8 screws, the other drilled half way through so the screw ends will locate in the recesses.
Slip them between the wheel and swingarm, push the axle through and finger tighten it so it touches the arm. Then just tighten the two bolts to push the wheel across

 

[Torontonian]

The Mk 111 cush drive rubbers seem to be made of rubber and not nylon composite like earlier models ?

 

[ludwig]

The first Commandos didn't have a cush drive. When they later modified the hub for a cush, they did it in the cheapest possible way.

 

[Andy Higham]

I've pulled the trigger on a Madass / Don Pender cush drive hub. I am already rebuilding the rear wheel so I wont need to touch the original now. I can sell the original on and recoup some of the cost

 

[marshg246]

I have Don Pender's one-piece axle, which makes things easier, but I've always thought on thing would improve rear wheel fitting a lot.
I haven't got off my arse to make one yet though...

It's a fitment tool that temporarily replaces the spacer on the RHS (#4 in AN's rear wheel diagram)
It obviously needs an ID a bit bigger that the axle, but it's made of two pieces that screw over each other - one threaded on the inside. the smaller one threaded on the outside.
When fully screwed together they're about1/4" - 5/16" shorter that the spacer so that it can be installed easily with the rear wheel.
Then the rear axle is tightened, partially pushing the cushes in.
Loosen the axle and lengthen the "tool" to take up all slop and re-tighten the axle, pushing the cushes further in.
Redo that last line a couple of times then- bingo! remove the tool and the normal spacer should drop right in.

I will make one one day- honest!
Cheers

In the meantime....

I talk often about not liking gorillas working on bikes --- my only gorilla move is wooden handle of a ballpeen hammer used between the swingarm and speedo drive to pry the wheel over, get the cush posts in the rubbers, and slide the standard spacer into place.

To me, with new rubbers the key is to get the hub spotless in the holes for the rubbers (I use denatured alcohol), get the rubbers in place; fully in and fully separated. Then red rubber grease on the ends of the posts and make sure they are well aligned before pushing.

 

[NickZ]

A bit of silicone spray or grease helps as well

Be careful doing this. When I used red rubber grease to help the paddle insertion, some of the grease migrated into the brake drum as it heated up. Ruined rear brake effectiveness.

 

[slimslowslider]

Not a big job to cut up some Mk3 rubbers (they are real rubber) to size and fit them.

 

[NickZ]

I have Don Pender's one-piece axle, which makes things easier, but I've always thought on thing would improve rear wheel fitting a lot.
I haven't got off my arse to make one yet though...

It's a fitment tool that temporarily replaces the spacer on the RHS (#4 in AN's rear wheel diagram)
It obviously needs an ID a bit bigger that the axle, but it's made of two pieces that screw over each other - one threaded on the inside. the smaller one threaded on the outside.
When fully screwed together they're about1/4" - 5/16" shorter that the spacer so that it can be installed easily with the rear wheel.
Then the rear axle is tightened, partially pushing the cushes in.
Loosen the axle and lengthen the "tool" to take up all slop and re-tighten the axle, pushing the cushes further in.
Redo that last line a couple of times then- bingo! remove the tool and the normal spacer should drop right in.

I will make one one day- honest!
Cheers

The same thing can be done more clumsily using various spacers (06-0324) and washers (06-7738) before installing speedo drive.

 

[baldy]

I got the norvil ones last time. They were a little softer and fit very easily. The wheel mounted easy. Problem solved. Dont normally buy norvil but these are good. Fairspares new england source.

 

[ilikevelos]

The first Commandos didn't have a cush drive. When they later modified the hub for a cush, they did it in the cheapest possible way.

I converted my 20M3 to a later cush hub and used the bolt up "beauty ring". Looks original and in my opinion is a lot easier on the drive train. I think the early commandos may be the only nortons with no cush anywhere in the drive train, no esa or cush rubbers and hard on the rest of the components.

 

[robs ss]

On my 650ss I have a Newby belt/clutch with no cush so I bought a later Commando hub and laced it into the rear wheel.
I suspect the cush/hub is superior to the cush/clutch.