V brake return spring not engaging post holes

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Summerking

Veteran
Location
Cornwall
I was given a older Claud Butler mtb and the v brakes front and back are stiff, and when I checked to see what was wrong all 4 springs fall short of the hole they're meant to engage, the v brake wont seat any closer and theres a gap where there shouldn't be...am I missing something? its almost as if these arent the brakes meant for this frame? in the first photo you can see the gap between the end of the spring and the hole its meant to reach but doesn't...Id appreciate any advice,thankyou.
 

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Drago

Legendary Member
Are the springs the correct way round?

Its hard to be sure, but it doesnt look like the brake is fitting fully over the post?
 

weareHKR

Senior Member
I've come across this problem before, I bought a pair of Shimano V brakes to replace a pair of Tektro, the Shimano type wouldn't seat far enough down to full engage the spring, or at least not far enough to be secure!
I've tried to picture the difference. if you can make out the bushing they are completely different, & the depth of the one with the white
nylon bush (Tektro) is 1.15mm deeper than the Shimano version!
Despite the fact I've always thought they were all std for years, clearly, they're not...


1. Tektro.jpg

2. Shimano.jpg
 
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T4tomo

Legendary Member
1621250886468.png


what is the bit I've green arrowed? that looks like its stopping the brake seating onto to post fully?

if its an "old" CB MTB, its was probably meant for Canti's rather than Vees, although as pointed out above, the mount posts should be compatible for both, unless the original brake was an odd type with a slightly different mount?

need more and better photos of the brake you are trying to fit.

do you know if they are original or a replacement?
 
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the snail

Guru
Location
Chippenham
A bit hard to tell from the photo, but my guess is that you have a bike that has been cobbled together from parts that don't belong together - the brakes dont go all the way onto the pivots, and the pads don't look like they will hit the braking surface on the rim - maybe the brake bosses are too close together for modern v-brakes?
 

Domw

New Member
I've come across this problem before, I bought a pair of Shimano V brakes to replace a pair of Tektro, the Shimano type wouldn't seat far enough down to full engage the spring, or at least not far enough to be secure!
I've tried to picture the difference. if you can make out the bushing they are completely different, & the depth of the one with the white
nylon bush (Tektro) is 1.15mm deeper than the Shimano version!
Despite the fact I've always thought they were all std for years, clearly, they're not...


View attachment 589212
View attachment 589213
Hi I just built up a new cyclocross bike and it appears I have this problem with shimano cx50 cantilever calipers where they don't sit flush on the bosses, can you tell me which brakes you found were compatible? Why would shimano go out of their way to build incompatible components is beyond me.
 
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