Rubbing brakes

[fuzzybuddha]

I have noticed my brake pads rubbing on my tire. The pads are at the farthest part of the slot. Any ideas?

 

[Gunk]

You need calipers with a longer reach.

 

[Sharky]

Has anything changed? Any work done?
Presume it hasn't always rubbed?

Is the wheel fully into the fork ends?

 

[fuzzybuddha]

Has anything changed? Any work done?
Presume it hasn't always rubbed?

Is the wheel fully into the fork ends?

The wheel is fully set. I noticed it on my ride this morning. I new I needed pads, so I changed them and noticed it hitting the tire. This is a used bike that I got from a friend. I don’t know the full history of the maintenance.

 

[Sharky]

Is that big washer on the outside right? Does it fit on the inside?

 

[Brandane]

Is that big washer on the outside right? Does it fit on the inside?

Well spotted! OP - loosen off the cable to create some extra space for that washer and put it inside, between caliper and brake shoe. Might just create enough extra angle to get the pads pointing to where they should be on the rim.

 

[Brandane]

Actually, having now looked at my own set up, it looks like there might be a couple of spacers missing on the OP's brake, between caliper and brake shoe.

 

[fuzzybuddha]

Actually, having now looked at my own set up, it looks like there might be a couple of spacers missing on the OP's brake, between caliper and brake shoe.

View attachment 532811

Ahh!! Ok I will switch those and see what happens. Will keep everyone posted

 

[raleighnut]

Ahh!! Ok I will switch those and see what happens. Will keep everyone posted

failing that take a big file to the top of the pads.

 

[Brandane]

Ahh!! Ok I will switch those and see what happens. Will keep everyone posted

But - remember you're still going to need some kind of washer on the outside. Once you put spacers on the inside, the screw/bolt might be too short to catch the thread on the brake shoe. Which might be the reason they've been left out in the first place. So unless you've got suitable parts lying around, you might be better off buying 2 complete brake shoe and pad assemblies complete with the necessary washers, spacers, and screw/bolts.

 

[Sharky]

Looking again at the photo, the arms of the caliper look like they have been squeezed too close to the rims, so the arc they travel in has started to move upwards. Putting the missing washers on the inside will make the arms rotate down and outwards a bit and should be ok. As it is, the horizontal bit of the caliper looks very high and doesn't give much scope for shortening the cable with the adjusters to compensate for brake wear. The inner washers, if you have them also usually sitting on a "concave" cam, so you can angle the shoes to get the correct "toe-in" position.

Might be best to get a new set as @Brandane suggests which have everything you need.

Good luck

 

[fuzzybuddha]

I have changed out the washers. There was no effect on the clamp angle. Though the spacer helps with the fit of the pad. I will look into upgrading the front calipers. The rear are fine, but if I upgrade then might just swap them both. How much re-cabling, would be needed? Need to research as well why to get that would make sure I have enough pad adjustment.

 

[raleighnut]

I have changed out the washers. There was no effect on the clamp angle. Though the spacer helps with the fit of the pad. I will look into upgrading the front calipers. The rear are fine, but if I upgrade then might just swap them both. How much re-cabling, would be needed? Need to research as well why to get that would make sure I have enough pad adjustment.

There shouldn't be a need for any new cables unless the one fitted frays as you feed it through the clamp on the new caliper.

 

[Brandane]

There was no effect on the clamp angle

Then you didn't use thick enough spacers.

 

[silva]

It's like the wheel was replaced with a smaller diameter one.