V brake lever knurled nut - any point?

[Blue Hills]

As here, between the lever body and the brake adjuster.

Is there really any point to them?
I have the idea that they are supposed to stop the adjuster moving - that you push it up against the adjuster to keep it in place.
But do they really?
I usually end up screwing them up when I have to wind them hard up against the lever body to loosen the brakes a bit - and after that they are useless for anything.

 

[cyberknight]

As here, between the lever body and the brake adjuster.

View attachment 588488

Is there really any point to them?
I have the idea that they are supposed to stop the adjuster moving - that you push it up against the adjuster to keep it in place.
But do they really?
I usually end up screwing them up when I have to wind them hard up against the lever body to loosen the brakes a bit - and after that they are useless for anything.

reach adjustment , really handy for kids bikes or someone with small hands

 

[Blue Hills]

reach adjustment , really handy for kids bikes or someone with small hands

I meant the black knurled nut - the ones with the split in them.
And why are they split?
In case you really bugger them up and have to get them off?

 

[Ajax Bay]

The silver knurled bit allows fine adjustment of the brakes. The narrower black one is there to lock the silver one in the position you choose. To adjust, unscrew the black one first; then make the effective cable length adjustment; then lock the black one back up against the lever body. Make sure the slots in both are not aligned. Edit: I will let someone else suggest why the slots are there in the first place (but doesn't affect the function I've described above).

 

[cyberknight]

I meant the black knurled nut - the ones with the split in them.
And why are they split?
In case you really bugger them up and have to get them off?

ahh ok sorry i misread

 

[Blue Hills]

The silver knurled bit allows fine adjustment of the brakes. The narrower black one is there to lock the silver one in the position you choose. To adjust, unscrew the black one first; then make the effective cable length adjustment; then lock the black one back up against the lever body. Make sure the slots in both are not aligned.

yes i realise that's the theory - I just keep screwing them up - usually after having the brakes too tight and not wanting to move the cable at the brake end in case I accelerate cable fray. And have never been sure if they really work anyway.
Why do you need to avoid having the slots aligned? cable may pop out?

 

[Ajax Bay]

In extremis, I guess the cable may pop out.
Having slots in them allows one to detach/attach a cable (eg for removing/replacing the lever) without having to thread everything through.
If the lock nut wasn't there the silver one would rotate with use and your careful adjustment would be adversely affected. You can check whether the locknut "really works": leave it slack for 1000km.

 

[Brandane]

that you push it up against the adjuster to keep it in place.

Maybe I am reading this wrong; but....
No, you adjust the brake cable with the silver adjuster, then you screw the black nut tight against the LEVER BODY to keep everything in place. If you don't, the vibrations during cycling will eventually loosen the silver adjuster and slacken off the brakes.

 

[figbat]

I usually end up screwing them up when I have to wind them hard up against the lever body to loosen the brakes a bit - and after that they are useless for anything.

I think maybe a user error? You don't adjust the brakes like this, you loosen the locknut then turn the silver adjuster to adjust the brakes, then retighten the locknut back against the lever body to keep the silver bit in place - it only needs to be nipped up, not FT.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think maybe a user error? You don't adjust the brakes like this, you loosen the locknut then turn the silver adjuster to adjust the brakes, then retighten the locknut back against the lever body to keep the silver bit in place - it only needs to be nipped up, not FT.

I realise that - i need to sort my cable installs i suppose - i wind the adjuster out a fair bit, do the cable tight, but sometimes find that I can't wind the adjuster back in enough to loosen the brakes without some serious forcing - more winding out called for pre nipping up the brake cable at the brake.

 

[raleighnut]

The silver knurled bit allows fine adjustment of the brakes. The narrower black one is there to lock the silver one in the position you choose. To adjust, unscrew the black one first; then make the effective cable length adjustment; then lock the black one back up against the lever body. Make sure the slots in both are not aligned. Edit: I will let someone else suggest why the slots are there in the first place (but doesn't affect the function I've described above).

The slot is there to allow you to remove/refit the cable.

 

[fossyant]

Quite useful adjusters, especially on hydraulic brakes. I tend to occasionally adjust mine when changing pads.

 

[annedonnelly]

The slot is there to allow you to remove/refit the cable.

I was getting a bit worried that no-one else seemed to know that!

 

[battered]

They work very well for me. I have Tektro V brakes on my oldest MTB, they work well enough. The bike originally came with Shimano STX cantis, they were not the best performing brakes in the world, especially in the wet, but they were very well engineered. The setup procedure was to get the brake blocks hard against the rim, then with the adjuster screwed all the way out you set the cable clamp such that the brakes were applied. Nip it all up. Then wind the adjuster all the way in, the brakes were now perfectly adjusted to come on in the middle of the lever travel, with plenty in reserve. Now comes the best bit. As the blocks wore down you wound the adjuster out, when it reached the end of its travel and the levers were coming rather too close to the bars the blocks were at their wear limit and done. You no longer had to adjust the cable clamp point, just repeated the procedure above. Tektro have never worked this out, so I end up changing cable clamp points, or removing a block before it is fully worn out.

 

[battered]

I realise that - i need to sort my cable installs i suppose - i wind the adjuster out a fair bit, do the cable tight, but sometimes find that I can't wind the adjuster back in enough to loosen the brakes without some serious forcing - more winding out called for pre nipping up the brake cable at the brake.

don't ever attempt to tighten either the silver adjuster or the black picking ring beyond what you can achieve with moderate pressure between finger and thumb. They are only in aluminium, if you abuse them they break. Forcing it will not create new threads. When this happens you have to move the cable clamp point.