BMX - !@#$ing front brakes..

My front brakes are crapping out. It started after I sawshed my bike 2 days ago. They are a little stingy when you pull them. I took the things that mount on the 990s off greased up the 990s put em back together, same result. I thinks its the brake cable, any thoughts?

im not very good at the names of parts but i know parts well but um the brake cable the brake springs and the tension that u put on the brakes

Operator error.

Operator error.


Agreed, take your bike to your LBS(or a friend that knows what hes doing) and have them tune the brakes.

"Stingy" is not a word I can work with. Sorry, I have no answers for you.

"Stingy" is not a word I can work with. Sorry, I have no answers for you.

What? But you'll take "Sawshed"?

What do you use them for? If you dont have an answer other than to stop, take them off.

What? But you'll take "Sawshed"?

My internal safety mechanisms that protect me from thinking too hard where thinking too hard might possibly bring me harm blocked that one out, I wasn't even aware that word existed somewhere I could read it until you mentioned it.

LUBE THE CABLE.......and don't put too much tension on the springs.

might as well just trash your bike. start new.

Spray heaps of WD40 all over your brakes. If nothing else, at least you'll be taking a consistent approach to bike maintenance.

Get rid of them and ride brakeless or a rear!

My front brakes are crapping out. It started after I sawshed my bike 2 days ago. They are a little stingy when you pull them. I took the things that mount on the 990s off greased up the 990s put em back together, same result. I thinks its the brake cable, any thoughts?
I know what the problem is, you don't know how to put brakes together.
And I don't live in a refridgerator box ass hole

I know what the problem is, you don't know how to put brakes together.
And I don't live in a refridgerator box ass hole

Why don't you two PM each other, instead of exchanging weak insults on the open forum? Most of us are pretty tired of seeing you guys go at it. Your comments are childish, and as far insults go, they're not even creative.

take them off when they quit working.

well, if you washed your bike with a hose and soap, you probably got water in your cable housing, if you have a high pressure air compressor (like a shop has), you might try blowing any moisture out. or just buy new cable and housing and drip a few drops of phil's tenacious oil in the housing. another thing to check would be the cable routing. if the housing is kinked anywhere, it could make it feel sticky. either way, if you replace the cable and housing, you'll probably be golden.

on another note:
i really hope you didn't use a hose to clean your bike. if you did, and you used that nifty little thumb over the end to increase the pressure trick, you can probably kiss all your bearings goodbye. especially if they're sealed cartridge. the seals are designed to keep water and dust out under normal riding circumstances, but if you force water into them, they won't let it back out again...and then...well, hosed bearings. the nice thing is, most cartridge bearings are available at your LBS, and are pretty trouble-free to replace yourself.

I'm pretty sure he's stuffed up something simple on his brand new bike. I stick to my original advice: He needs to take it to an adult, or someone that knows what they're doing.

I'm pretty sure he's stuffed up something simple on his brand new bike. I stick to my original advice: He needs to take it to an adult, or someone that knows what they're doing.

but how will he learn if he doesn't fix it himself?

but how will he learn if he doesn't fix it himself?

How will it work if he fixes it himself?

i dunno...stupidity never strikes the same place twice?

Well, I can see you haven't spent too much time in the BMX forums. :D

I've kind of stopped trying to second-guess a lot of the issues, especially from certain frequent posters here...I'll only field specific technical questions or more general ones if they're interesting or esoteric enough. The problem is in order to educate someone on how to *fix* their brakes, you've got to go through an entire dissertation on how brakes *work* for several of the users here. It's some pretty tedious sh*t.

1. pull brake lever.
2. cable moves through housing.
3. cable moves paddle inside the caliper that wakes up the magical gnomes who then telepathically sense that you have to stop.
4. gnome uses telekinesis to move the brake arm against the rim, then uses telekinesis to slow/stop the entire bike.


i mean, what's so hard about that? come to think of it, sounds like our boy charlie has a problem with some punk-ass, lazy brake gnomes. front brake gnomes are the worst, too. he'll probably have to take the bike in and have them replaced.

Welcome to the BMX threads.

1. pull brake lever.
2. cable moves through housing.
3. cable moves paddle inside the caliper that wakes up the magical gnomes who then telepathically sense that you have to stop.
4. gnome uses telekinesis to move the brake arm against the rim, then uses telekinesis to slow/stop the entire bike.


i mean, what's so hard about that? come to think of it, sounds like our boy charlie has a problem with some punk-ass, lazy brake gnomes. front brake gnomes are the worst, too. he'll probably have to take the bike in and have them replaced.

Dude, you know he's just going to squirt more WD-40 at the problem, pretend that fixed it and come back with another one. Then the cycle begins anew.

get new front brakes, cables, levers , and if that is to hard to do take them off and use your foot a jam it in the front tire

I'd never use WD40 the stuff is trash.

I'd never use WD40 the stuff is trash.

You've been huffing it again, haven't you?

Oh man huffing WD40, okay buddy.

I take offensive to you insulting WD40. Thats stuff is a major league helper. How many jams I have been in with rusted or hard headed nuts/bolts and the stuff helps so much. I would just look at the cable housing...maybe to long. Also...maybe the slack in the cable. Bikerguy45 got the point...trash the front brake..Like I always say..." why do you need a front brake". Your not going fast on a bmx. I see guys running only a back or front or messenger bikes so! This forum is so childish....Bmx-forum.com so much better!

[snip] This forum is so childish....Bmx-forum.com so much better![snip]

Ok, bye!

if u have rusted nuts and blots then ****ing taking better care of your bike ur such an idiot if u dont take good care of ur bike wut a ****ing poser

WD40 is the worst lubericant for ur bike onlg good for house hold uses not a bike

if u have rusted nuts and blots then ****ing taking better care of your bike ur such an idiot if u dont take good care of ur bike wut a ****ing poser

WD40 is the worst lubericant for ur bike onlg good for house hold uses not a bike

You, of all people, should not be calling someone else an "Idiot". And WD40 is not a lubricant.

wd-40 is penatrating oil used for freeing up rusted-in nut's and bolts and what not, never use it on bearings of any sort unless they are so rusted they wont work, but even then you should just be getting new bearings, and i dont see any possible use it could have for brakes?

WD stands for 'water displacer'. The stuff is designed for chasing moisture out of hard to reach areas. It also chases out rust, dirt and most lubricants in the process.

Why don't you two PM each other, instead of exchanging weak insults on the open forum? Most of us are pretty tired of seeing you guys go at it. Your comments are childish, and as far insults go, they're not even creative.
Well I guess I'm going to have to try harder.

:fight: oh, my God..-This whole thread is awesome :)

Wtf