Every single-, two-, three-wheeler or vehicle has an operating mechanism. There are a couple of features that contribute to their active operation and enable their movement across different types of surfaces.
One of those features is the brakes – a vital component for safety and control.
Electric scooters are one of the fastest-growing three-wheelers in the world now, and it is incredible how they’ve come a long way due to the advancements in technology.
Today, electric scooters have great components including hydraulic or mechanical brakes that can be used to ensure safety when riding anywhere in the city.
But what happens when the brakes aren’t totally in place? How do you adjust them? Find out in this article that explicitly discusses how to adjust an electric scooter brake.
What are the Tools Needed?
Before going into details about how to fix an electric scooter’s brake, let’s take a look at the tools or equipment you’ll need to get on with it below.
- A 2 mm Allen wrench
- A 4 mm Allen wrench
- A 5 mm Allen wrench
- An 8 mm Open-ended wrench
How Do Brakes Work on Electric Scooters?
Likewise, you also need to be in the know on how brakes work on electric scooters.
So, here is what you should know:
First, electric scooters are designed to use two different types of brakes – Hydraulic and Mechanical Brakes.
Hydraulic Brakes – How do they work?
Hydraulic brakes use mechanical force to put a scooter to a halt.
They develop that force when hydraulic pressure is created by the compressing or squeezing of the hydraulic fluid in the piston. This pressure is held in the brake lines which itself is connected to the brakes, putting the scooter to a stop.
Mechanical Brakes – How do they work?
Mechanical brakes use a cable system to put a scooter to a halt.
The cable runs from the lever to the wheel – so that when the brake lever is squeezed, the caliper in the disc brakes also gets the same reaction. Ultimately, the cable reduces in length and the scooter comes to a stop.
Interestingly, the mechanical brake and the hydraulic brake come in two different forms – drum and disc brakes.
The disc brakes
Disc brakes have disc-like rotors attached to the wheel assembly – if the wheel spins, the disc spins. When pressure is applied to the brakes, the rotor is pressed against the sacrificial brake pads protected by the calipers. That action puts the electric scooter to a halt.
The drum brakes
Drum brakes are also attached to the wheel assembly; however, they are enclosed in the wheel until when needed. So, when the brake lever is pulled, the sacrificial brake pads force the drum to move slowly, thus affecting the wheel. That action makes the electric scooter stop.
Which Should You Choose?
Disc brakes are the most appropriate choice for anyone riding an electric scooter. They are so much better than drum brakes.
Likewise, mechanical brakes are also much great with electric scooters than hydraulic ones.
That being said, you should be looking at a mechanical disc brake for your electric scooter.
Why Do You Need to Adjust Electric Scooters Brakes?
There are different reasons why you may want to adjust the brake on your scooter but primarily because of the squeaky sound.
Riding your electric scooter should be seamless but soon, you may start to develop or hear squeaky sounds from the brakes because of the following reasons:
- The brake pads are having difficulty getting well-positioned in the scooter
- The brakes may have been contaminated one way or another
- The alignment of the brakes with the designated surfaces is improper
- Bad brakes can cause vibrations or noise
How Do You Adjust the Front Brakes on a Scooter? – Step-by-Step Guide
Now that you’ve identified what could cause squeaky brake noise, you may as well proceed to fixing it. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to adjust the front brakes on your electric scooter.
Step 1: Inspect the Brake Cable
The first and the most important thing you need to do is to inspect the brake cable. You may never know if you’ll need a cable adjustment until you check.
Start by pulling the brake lever and see if it is too loose or slacking. If it is, then you definitely need an adjustment.
So, first, look for the adjuster around the cable – it often comes as a lock-nut or a plastic knob in mechanical brakes. Tighten either of them using the 8 mm open-ended wrench.
If you pull the brake lever, and it is dragging, then you need to loosen the adjuster using the same wrench.
What you need to feel during a cable adjustment is a good response – not dragging or slacking.
Step 2: Fix the Cable Clamp
You can also do further cable adjustment by fixing the clamp. This time around, you’ll need to reposition the cable clamp by loosening the bolt using a different type of wrench – the 4 mm Allen.
Adjust the cable properly until you don’t feel any slack, then put in the bolt and tighten back with the same wrench.
Step 3: Inspect the Mounting Bolts
Apart from Cable Adjustment, Caliper Adjustment is another considerable thing to do to fix electric scooter brakes.
First, it involves inspecting the mounting bolts and making sure they aren’t too loose. If they are, you’ll need a 4 mm Allen wrench to loosen them. Then, you’ll need to make sure the caliper and the rotor are in alignment before locking down the mounting bolts with the wrench.
Step 4: Separate the Rotor from the Housing
Still, on Caliper Adjustment, you’ll also need to separate the rotor from the housing and ensure the brake pads are not close to it for proper repositioning.
Then, you’ll have to release the caliper from the rotor by rotating the grub screw using a 2 mm Allen wrench.
Step 5: Align the Calipers Properly
In order to be more precise with the adjustment of the calipers, you’ll also need to align them properly by loosening the adjuster.
Here you will need a 5 mm Allen wrench to rotate and loosen the adjuster to align the calipers correctly.
Step 6: Ensure the Rotor and the Housing Align with the Brake Pad
Finally that the calipers are aligned, the brake housing and the rotor are the next part that needs a little bit of work.
You’ll need to align them correctly and make sure that the mounting bolts are tightened well enough to prevent them from coming loose and exposing the calipers all over.
Also, you are making sure that the inner brake pads are not touching the tire completely at every turn.
Step 7: See if There are Any Changes
Set the outer brake pad properly and see if changes have taken place. You can tell from the illumination of the taillight when the brake lever is pulled.
Conclusion
Regarding electric scooters and brakes, there is so much to know especially one that concerns your safety. Learning how to adjust the brakes is definitely one of them – besides, nobody wants a squeaky, noisy ride.
More Recommended Ebikes
Check out these other ebikes I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
More Recommended Scooters
Check out these other scooters I've reviewed:
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- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- GoTrax G5 Scooter – The GoTrax G5 Electric Scooter is a new commuter scooter from GoTrax that I’ve been riding for a while now. It’s a scooter that’s well-built, has a good top speed, and offers a lot of great features. And with a price point in the $500 range, it’s a scooter that offers a lot of value for the money too. Check out my GoTrax G5 Review.
- Sisigad Arrow Max Scooter – When it comes to scooters, you sometimes just need a solid, well-built, decently fast scooter to get you around. The Sisigad Arrow Max is an entry-level scooter that does exactly that. I’ve been riding it around a bunch lately – and so far – I find it to be a fun, affordable scooter that works well for commuting and getting around the city. Check out my Sisigad Arrow Max Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
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