Bicycle Mechanics - Front vs Rear MTB brake wear?

Not the pads, but the durability of the arms themselves--both cantis and Vs. I have found that the spring tension that is supposed to hold the individual arms even from the rim goes out on the front unit so that one side is closer to the rim than the other. I have the spring screws maxed out (one side in all the way, the other out all the way) to balance it. I have had this occur with two sets of cantis (one XT, one LX) and now a set of V-brakes (LX). Only happens to front sets, never to rear sets (always stay even). Thoughts? This normal wear?

You might try bending the spring on the side where you have it maxed out, thats how I usually fix it.

Whether this problem is normal or not, I have no idea.

Are you mostly using the front or the rear brake? I have the opposite problem, that is it's typically my rear brake that jams once a year or once every 2 years. However, I use the front brake almost exclusively. Both bikes are used year long, although I reserve the most sloppy conditions (i.e. snow and ice storms, uncleared roads) for my commuter.

What happens, generally, is that the brake pivots and springs become loaded with crap and start to jam. Usually, one side jams before the other.

Solution: Dismantle the brake arms, Clean the cantilever posts and the inside of the canti brake, especially the spring (use Simple Green, WD40...), re-grease and re-install.


Regards,