I have an RT 3,and like owners know the front brake isnt the best,so i was wondering has anyone tried an alternative front wheel.I want to stick with a drum brake,and id like to increase front tyre width{cosmetic}.I can get spacers made up,but axle diameter and the machining on the brake plate are the biggest issues,as i want to keep the same forks.Any body on here tried alternatives.

I wonder if a Twin Leading Shoe wheel from the IT465 (and several other IT models) might fit?

Axle is the same diameter since bearings look the same.... you'd need the IT speedo drive and maybe an IT cable? So maybe it wouldn't work, speedo drive has to lock into right fork.

That would be my best guess for better brakes that might be made to work with original forks.

Good shoes, quality brake cable, and having the shoes arced to match the drum often makes a big difference with stock brake.

Be careful & note where the brake achor point is on the forks if you go twin leading. I think IT's have the anchor lug out the rear instead of inline with the fork sliders. So when you fit 'that wheel' to a DT the cable ends up pointing forward rather than straight up. Could swap forks over & have the cable coming out the back before a big curve up to the bars. Then again that'd muck up front guard mounts. My original brake always worked very well. But the later DT250/DT400 has a bigger brake by a little. Nice looking conical hub. Works great.
photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMEcOkwTu8N...RySIm9Ha2dc4g6h_MApQ
photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOwD0WslliV...Z61BufjjyPmABuI6m9iI

Thanks for the detail on the TLS brake... probably wouldn't work.

The maddening thing is that the brakes CAN work well.  There was a post on how great the DT175 brake worked...  yet there are posts complaining about them here as well. 

I've had the exact same model with a great front brake and a different bike with a brake that won't lock up with the bike stopped and the lever pulled to the bars.  The difference is usually shoes and cable...  even cable routing can make a difference. 

In hindsight i might be putting you slightly wrong. Looks like model J with the skinny forks has the anchor lug in a good place & can see it in the drawing, so cable angles should be reasonable. Go to the K with 43mm forks & anchor disappears from the drawing as it's at about 90 degrees & shows in the brake plate drawing. In the 465J & 490K i can't see a cable lug in the drawings but i'm sure it's still located on the plate, not on something separate so must've missed drawing it i guess. Ebay 384997222901 shows a used plate with cable mount. Pics don't load sorry.


www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...80/it425g/front-fork
www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...0/it425g/front-wheel
www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...2/it465j/front-wheel
www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...82/it465j/front-fork
www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...83/it490k/front-fork
www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcy...3/it490k/front-wheel