TLS john tickle

Hi Tomas.

I don't know about the other pieces but I tried some Commando brake shoes for the Tickle TLS fitted to my 1966 650SS and they wouldn't do. I also don't know if shoes from another brake would fit instead as I simply had my existing ones relined. That doesn't help you without any, I know! At least this might save you wasting your money on Commando ones.

In photos of tickle brake plates they appear to use std norton SLS dommy shoes. These are different to Commando TLS  shoes.

RGM do some John Tickle spare/reproduction parts i think. Have you looked at their website 

After some study I am pretty  sure that std dommy shoes were used . Look closely at the shapes of the shoe where the linings stop .8"  Dommy ones are angled at both ends . Commando ones follow the lining arc at one end.  Makes little sense to have shoes specially cast when there was perfectly suitable items already on the market. I have recently bought SH sets of both SLS and TLS shoes  to have spare sets ready and re-lined, so am getting very familiar with the differences..   A set of SH  part worn shoes was used while waiting for re-lined to come back and found to give better sls braking than  a  restored 650 SS with  TLS brake that nearly rammed my 99  up the chuff !.

Plenty of SH shoes on e-bay.   ES2  Shoes £8 .  would be my choice.

Interestingly, most of the shoes advertised on E-bay  do  NOT fit a  std Dommy 8" front brake.  they are either rears (7")   or   TLS Commando .  Also linings on E-bay will not provide decent braking 

Commando tls operating arms will not work on your John Tickle plate as they are different and I don't think they could be adapted. The arms on my Tickle brake arm are made from flat bar so could probably made from scratch quite easily. I can upload pictures next week if it would help.

The question is  Tomas  --- do they work??.

Hi Tomas,  I do think the shoes will work ,as Its very logical that JT  would use shoes that were already availiable . However thinking that something is good is not the same as knowing it is. You are now  the Man that can say with  certainty  that it works  and this information will be usefull to club members in the future.   So let us know  how it goes once you get it up and running  Good luck   BOB.