Quality

[racedad70]

Can some one tell me why Cobra has issues with the front brake set up.Is it they dont care or just quality control. I for one would be embarassed to say "Built in America", and for sure this will be the only year I will run a Cobra!!! This issue I was told was corrected in 08's. Now; let me defend my complaints. I purchased a new Cobra 70 and had it drop shipped to me on the 25th of Jan 2008.After uncrating it and going over all nuts and bolts this is what I encountered. Rims hit the top a-arms when turned left or right, clutch bleeder leaking, left front tire flat(had to break bead and clean out a piece of debre of some sort) and now this brings up the front brakes draging. Cobra's answer to me is remove whole spindle/break assembly in tach and ship it back for correction. Now no telling when I will get it back corrected. I know I am not the only one that has encountered this,but Cobra needs to get a hold on this break issue.After spending over 8000.00 on a NEW Cobra it should come with no problems.Thanks for letting me vent :grr:

[team37]

Now let's see if I'm reading this right - the cobra was delivered on Jan.25th, you posted you crashed the cobra on Feb.3rd and now on Feb.6th we have a cobra bashing post with a list of complaints about a cobra that was crashed on Feb.3rd. Now I'm no JONNY COCHRAN - but where was the bashing post on Jan.26th? :confused:

Posted by a concerned cobra owner

[racedad70]

Originally posted by team37
Now let's see if I'm reading this right - the cobra was delivered on Jan.25th, you posted you crashed the cobra on Feb.3rd and now on Feb.6th we have a cobra bashing post with a list of complaints about a cobra that was crashed on Feb.3rd. Now I'm no JONNY COCHRAN - but where was the bashing post on Jan.26th? :confused:

Posted by a concerned cobra owner

Reading it right??NOT! Read it again, the brake issue was noted right out of the crate. Wreck had nothing to do with brakes. Obviously you own a cobra,and this is not an isolated complaint.

[THARNESS]

Racedad, I have felt your pain. For two years my son raced Cobras. A 50 and a 70. We experienced a ton of problems. Overheating, broken frames ,several broken pipes and silencers,front brakes, carbs,auto clutch failure,manual clutch failure,lots of blown head gaskets,shift fork and shift cartrige problems, I could go on for a while but I think you get my point.
We won a lot of races on these quads, including a 2006 ATVA EDT National title, but for all the races we won there were many heartbreaks due to equipment failures.
The people at Cobra were always very good to me. They helped as much as they could as far as getting me parts or advice or helping me out at the tracks. They always did everything they could to help, but thier quads really seem to suffer from some quality issues.
It got so bad for us that I had DC Motorsports build us a 70cc mod that was completed in August that has several races on it now with no problems. I am really looking forward to going to the nationals this year with a quad I trust. I removed the 70cc engine from our Cobra and had a KX65 engine installed so mabye it will be a reliable practice quad.
Call Ryan at Cobra and tell him your problem and he will help. They really are great people.

Good Luck.

[racedad70]

Tharness, Ryan has since left Cobra and John Padock is the new guy in the shop. He seems sorta lost on this issue but is trying to address it.Like I said though,at the end of this season "im done with the cobra"I will move him to the super mini class on a reliable quad.Thanks for your input and I should have researched this further and less heart burn. :rolleyes:

[QBS]

we can also sympathise with you we bought a new cobra 70 shifter in nov 2006 off the uk dealer for the equvalent of 12,000 dollars it was disapointment from the beginning we did not take delivery until march 2007 a mere 2 weeks before first race .After running it in as per handbook it coughed and spluttered round its first race meeting due to jetting issues the dealer hadnt any so had to deal direct with cobra they are great people but there engine reliability leaves a lot to be desired out of 20 race meetings we only managed 6 finishes 3 seconds and 3 firsts without breaking down and not finishing.Main problems all engine related even after fitting 90 kit head gaskets blowing due to head nuts coming loose had to retorque after every race eventually had to fit locknuts,crankseals kept blowing had to eventually drill and tap casings and fit lock tabs,main bearing failure fitted better quality bearings,piston failure,crankshaft failure,stators burning out,we also fitted a kx 100 engine it has been hammered as a practise bike and has been a totally reliable missile handling is superb unfortunately cant race hybrids here.

[fcfab]

IF you want the stock Cobra front brakes to work better. You need replace the pads with a severe duty set. You can find them at your local bicycle shop. As far as drag goes they should not at all.

Carey
Fc Fabricating:cool:

[racedad70]

Well got the brakes back from Cobra and not to my surprise they are still dragging and they replaced the rotors but did not correct the dragging. Now they are saying there is a natural drag in the bearing seal and this is what Im exsperiancing.This is crap!!! I believe they are using below standard materials (low bidder) and it cost the consumer to correct their screw ups. I am truely sorry I bought this piece of crap and i'll leave it at that.

[THARNESS]

Is the dragging constent or does it drag only on part of the disc?

[THARNESS]

The stock cobra disc are very thin, so if it is only rubbing on one spot you can easily bend the disc and make it better. If it is dragging on the entire disc the caliper isn't spaced properly. I had this same problem. I had to use washers on the caliper bolts to properly center the caliper on the disc. Let me know if this helps.

[fcfab]

I build brakes systems for atvs and Use the same system on my boys shifter But had to work the spindles to make them not drag. Cobra uses those brakes for the weight savings. We went to the 400ex spindles and the Magura big brakes and they work great.

Carey
Fc Fabricating

[racedad70]

The calipers are mounted cock-eyd and the rotor is dragging constant. Even the new rotors appear to be mushroomed.

[THARNESS]

You are going to have to square the calipers up some how. You may have to grind a little off the mounting bracket on one side or put a washer on the other side. Not something you should have to do to an $8,000 quad. You could always go to aftermarket a-arms and use the honda spindles and brakes, but that will be pretty costly.

Good Luck!

[rookiewrench]

fcfab, how did you get the 400ex spindles to work with the stock a arms on the cobra, I can't see how they would be a direct replacement. I have tried different seals and you still have a problem. Although you get seal drag at least you don't get dirt in the bearings.

I did some work to my spindles to eleminate the brakes rubbing on the disk and when I get my new brake lines that match up with a 450r master cylinder we will see how well they stop the quad. I beleive that the stock master cylinder is more disigned for use on one disk brake from a bike and not for two and a atv.

I will deal with some drag from the seal to have the suspension of this quad and the power of this quad over the constent work I have to deal with on my sons cvt. quad.

The cost of this quad at 8000 grand is still far less than a new mod to build at around $15000. If you continue to have problems racerdad70 I would try and give Tittle Brothers racing a call and talk to Brandon, he has been so helpful to me in the past.
Shop (256) 766-4789, Brandon's Cell: 256-394-RACE (7223), Sonia's Cell: 256-394-1763

good luck

[fcfab]

Spacers work on squaring up the caliper. it should just touch maybe a little in one spot as it turns. I'm working on getting some new replacement wavy rotors for the cobras. soon to come.
Carey
Fc Fabricating

[racedad70]

Yeh! It looks like Im going to have to disect the brakes since Cobra has been no help, it just pisses me off to have to correct their screw up.

[fcfab]

you have to go the jb a-arms. it is costly but a big up grade
FC Fab

[fcfab]

If you like some help setting I can walk you thew the set up
Carey
FC Fabricating
503-572-4780

[racedad70]

fcfab, I would go another brake system but I just installed Arens+2s and fox floats. Im now dealing with brake lines(to short) along with drag. Going to jb is not in the budget now.But thanks for the option.

[fcfab]

A longer brake line is easy you can get a bulk 3m roll of tubing for $27. and the fitting - service kit is $30.
FC Fabricating

[racedad70]

fcfab, Sent you a PM.

[fcfab]

Racedad70 I sent you a pm.
Fc Fabricating

[racedad70]

fcfab, Sent pm

[rookiewrench]

fcfab, Do you make the brake lines your self and if so could you make custom lines with the 10mm banjo to adapt to the stock cobra set up.

I would also like to go to the jb set up if I can not get the brakes to stop like my son likes, He rode one of the cobras with the jb front set up with 450r brake set up and loved the stopping difference.

[racedad70]

fcfab,Sent pics to your email..

[fcfab]

I do deal with brake lines and can get braided line for the maguras, But the stock brake doesnt use brake fluid they use mineral oil.
I build the adapter to fit the stock cobra brake to the 400ex spindles. I'm working on a new brake system that well replace the stock brakes with a twin piston light weight set that well still be half the weight of the 450s Still to come.
FC Fab

[Ryko racing]

This is our second season on Cobras and after you get the small bugs out of them they seem to be decent. As far as brake problems we have had none, give Brandon at tittle bros racing a call he is the factory backed team for Cobra and he knows these things inside and out.Dont give up on it the kids can really fly on this chassis.



tittle brothers racing .com should help

[racedad70]

This will be my first and last season,and I know what your saying about the Cobra and its handling,but most would agree that when you buy a 8k quad that it should not have the bugs as you say right out the crate.

[fcfab]

I think the corbra is a great start, But that is all it is. It has it's problems just like all mini's. Just less of them.
What we did after breaking the frame over and over again we built our own frame and used a kx 60 motor.
Carey
FcFab

[racedad70]

fcfab,
Yep! Building a super mini is my next step at least I cant blame any one except myself if something is wrong. Thanks for the info on the brakes, I called a bike shop that can hook me up on brake lines. They laughed at me when I told them the Grimeca brakes are on a race quad:ermm: Go figure!!!!!!!!!

[fcfab]

But can they help you with the lines? if not I can go though brembo that make all grimeca brakes to them. I also have the magura front brake systems in stock.
Fc Fab

[racedad70]

fcfab,

Will have to see if they can help me with the brake lines,they said they can.Im going there tomorrow with lines in hand. I finally got the drag out of the brakes except for the small drag in the seal which I can live with. Again thanks for your help.Ill let you know about the lines.

[fcfab]

I'm glad I could help. I looked up in my book and there is lots of venders that sell those lines. So it should be no problem.
FcFab

[hr15]

What have you guys done to replace the Cobra "brake line clamps"?