Fitting brake blocks

[summerdays]

OK I thought - lovely sunny day, and my brakes desparately need replacing as they seem to be underperforming. Surely I can manage this task on my own. No I can't.

I have a book beside me and I think I'm sort of doing it, but I tighten the bolt with the no 5 thing, till it feels tight... then I touch the brake block and it starts to move... tighten more.... it still moves ... have I not got enough brute strength? I haven't even got to the adjustment bit yet. And hubby has just texted to say he will be late back - and therefore will not want to be met by a demand to fix my bike.

Where am I going wrong?

 

[summerdays]

And if you are answering that question - then may as well ask anther - the block touches on the left side and too far away on the right ... is it a cable adjustment or the balance screw?

 

[Tynan]

if they're the same brakes as I've always had there's an itsy screw on each side that sets the tension n the spring and so where they blocks end up after pulling the lever

I'm afraid I have no idea what you;re talking about on the first question, the no5 thing? is that the allen key to tighten up the nuts and stuff that holds the block to the break caliper?

 

[summerdays]

Yes allen key (quickly deleting my description of the six sided spanner/screwdriver). I've fiddled more (about 1 hours worth), and released abit of cable, changed from thin to thick cup spacers and it no longer rubs, and both sides are about the same from the wheel.

Feeling proud that I've done it, but I can't manage to tighten the bolt without twisting the angle of the brake block against the wheel. Is there a knack to doing that? So its just movable by hand and hubby will have to try when he comes home I guess.

(I don't know why I'm worrying, its going into LBS for new wheels next week so they will have to adjust it all over again.)

 

[fossyant]

Pull the brakes hard - as if stopping, then tighten the bolt.

 

[Joe24]

I either pull the brakes hard and tighten the bolt, or set it off on bit of an angle, put s many fingures on one side of the brake that will lift up, and slowly tighten putting pressure down on the side of brake thats lifting. Then you release the pressure on the brake and slowly turn the bolt until it gets to the right place. Should be tight enough then. Its easier to pull the brakes so the blocks re running parralel to the wheel, and it will hold the blocks better.

 

[summerdays]

Thanks for the tips - I tried but still couldn't do one side up tight enough, so hubby did it when he came home. Though every time he tightened it, he moved it so that it rubbed the wheel - took about 20 mins of him doing it to sort it out.
I decided not to do the front ones at the same time ... just in case I hadn't done it up tight enough ... thought I may as well have one working set of brakes - I'll do that tomorrow after decending a big hill!!

Still its another bit of bike maintenance conquered!! (well almost)

 

[ChrisKH]

What everyone else says, plus make sure the blocks aren't the wrong way round. Some are directional.

 

[andy_wrx]

Dual pivots ? V-brakes ? What sort ?

See what Park recommend
http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp?catid=14&imageField2.x=26&imageField2.y=9

 

[summerdays]

Sorry - v brakes, with pink pads that fit in a holder - but I had to buy new brake fittings back last Nov, so they were only fitted with the black block that came with the deore brake. And I checked the direction against the ones on the front which had been fitted by the LBS. As for the inserts they only fit in one way because of the little peg to keep them in.

I looked at the Park website - I noticed it mentioned lubricating... should I have lubricated the cup and socket bits?

The pink pads are made by Clarks - just what the LBS stocked when I changed over to the pad system. Presuably I can buy other makes and put them in the same block holders?