You can clearly see that these shoes haven’t been doing a great job…
Lambretta rear brakes are a bit hit-and-miss (literally). It’s not often you get one capable of stopping a standard Lambretta safely, never mind a tuned one.
Luckily UNI Auto have come to the rescue by recreating the original Innocenti brake shoe skimming tool. The first batch sold out very quickly last autumn but 60 more are available now from AF Rayspeed.
Why are rear brakes rubbish?
There are a couple of reasons why Lambretta rear brakes don’t quite work as they should do. Firstly, rear hubs are often old, worn or just cheaply remade so they’re not always concentric. This means not all of the friction material on your brake shoes will touch the braking surface of the inner hub. Also, many Indian engine casings had the pins for the brake shoes machined in the wrong position, a minute difference has a knock-on effect on where the shoes will touch the hub – or not as the case may be.
It’s not just an ‘Indian Lambretta’ problem though. Innocenti knew they also had a problem and made a factory tool for the job decades ago. It was available to dealers and there are still a few original ones in use. Places like Rimini Lambretta/AF Rayspeed and Torbay Lambretta use one.
This huge Innocenti press was being used for larger Lambro parts, like front shields and cabin floors. When the factory closed it was producing Lambro front mudguards.
Scavenging at Scooters India Limited
We spoke to Manish Mittal from UNI Auto International in June 2024 when the tool was first remade, he told us how and why it came about.
“It was the summer of 2022 when SIL (Scooters India Limited) had closed down and I was scavenging the remains inside their factory, looking for whatever interesting I could lay my hands on. That is when I found one small room that was probably where all their workshop tools were stored. Most of them were for modern Lambros but then I spotted some Lambretta brake shoe skimming tools gathering dust in a corner. These were new and never used for probably four to five decades! Luckily, all the five or six tools were complete and ready to use. I got them to Delhi and tried one of them on a GP and they worked really well!”
“I sent a few pics and videos to some enthusiasts and they were quite interested to know if these could be commercially produced. After some discussions with a few different factories, we decided to produce a batch. It was not as easy as I had thought it would be to make them! It took more than a year to finally get a batch ready. We have tried a couple of our own production tools on a GP and they work nice. We have since made a few different adapters so this tool can be used on J Range Lambrettas, as well as Vespa PXs, Sprints and smallframes.”
The skimming tool
The repro version of the Innocenti skimming tool is just like the original. It’s a cast steel drum with six open windows (to allow dust to escape and for adjustment of the cutters). The six cutters are adjustable so that you can align them to skim your brake shoes. Once set up, with a gentle press of the rear brake they’ll cut the shoes so that more of the pad material hits your hub and improves braking force.
From left to right, adaptors for Lambretta Cento, Vespa smallframe, PX and Sprint
Vespa brakes
Unlike the original, the UNI item has been developed to also work with J Range Lambrettas (using an adaptor) and there are adaptors for Vespa PX and smallframe so one tool can sort the brakes of many scooters. Those extra Vespa adaptors can be bought separately.
Wear a mask
It’s not a good idea to breathe in brake dust, especially on old scooters with vintage shoes that may contain asbestos. Wear a mask to be on the safe side.
Using the tool
Before using the tool, prop the rear of the scooter up on blocks. Then remove your rear hub and attach the skimming tool in its place (using the adaptor for your model if required). The rear end needs to be off the floor and the engine will need to be started.
You will be able to see where the hub has (and hasn’t) been touching your brake shoes. For the purposes of this feature, we used the shoes that were already in the scooter, but the process can and should still be done when fitting new shoes.
Adjust the tool
Once the tool is in place you can spin it by hand to see if you have any high spots. Adjust the six cutters until you have little or no resistance with the brake off. Setting up can take a while when you try it for the first time.
VIDEO | Watch the tool in action
Once you’re happy that the cutters are set correctly and their locking nuts are tight you can start the engine (make sure the scooter is propped up safely first). Pop the scooter into second gear and release the clutch. As the wheel spins, gently apply the rear brake and any high spots will quickly be removed.
It takes less than a minute so don’t get carried away or you’ll have no pad material left! You can see all the material that has been removed on the bench.
That my friends, is a genuine Lambretta skid mark behind the rear wheel – not something you see everyday!
The result
Our video was shot during the first time Rob Miller at Simply Retro had used the tool. We tested it on Tim’s Series 1, his rear brake was worse than useless and always had been. There was no way it would ever lock the rear wheel.
The difference was very impressive, not only can the rear wheel be locked but the feel through the brake pedal is much smoother. Before, it would ‘thrupenny bit’ as the shoes could be felt touching at some points during the wheel’s rotation. Not any more!
Since then, it’s been used on quite a few scooters with very good results. Rob will be offering this as a service on future scooter builds and repairs.
I’ve also used it on my own Series 1 and it’s like night and day. Having a decent Lambretta rear brake makes a massive difference, especially on tuned engines where you need all the help you can get.
Words, photos and video: Iggy
Where can I get one?
AF Rayspeed have just had a delivery of 60 tools. You can order one from their website here. The UNI brake shoe skimming tool costs £156, so it’s not cheap, but it is effective. If you’re part of a club or have a group of scooter-riding friends, it’s worth buying one tool between you.
If you miss out this time, the following shipment will be for 150 tools and should arrive around May 2025. That one will include the Vespa adaptors as well, which can be bought separately.
