Bicycle Mechanics - Do I dare bend my 30 yr. old Campy caliper?

After only 30 years my brake shoes wore out, so I replaced them with some Kool Stops in the original shoe holders. Apparently the original shoes had worn to the proper angle over the years, but the Kool Stops are pretty squeaky and need to be toed in. I'm a bit leery of bending the caliper. Should I just get on with it?

Start by telling us what type of brake it is.

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Yes, get on with it.

Yes, bend them and move on. I did.....

Why not just grind the face of the pads to the correct angle-$10 pads maybe $50 caliper?? Easy choice.
Sure, they won't last as long, but $10 pads-so what.

Luck
Charlie

Sorry for the info vacuum. They're NR calipers. Bianchigirl, these are new pads and the rims are clean. I really think it's a toeing problem. The front caliper is fine; the left side of the rear toes in but the right side heels in.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4072918950_9de37d8d31_m.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/4072920616_b06f211fc9_m.jpg

Why not just grind the face of the pads to the correct angle-$10 pads maybe $50 caliper?? Easy choice.
Sure, they won't last as long, but $10 pads-so what.

Luck
Charlie

I hear you, but with one toeing in and the other heeling in, the pad holders are basically parallel but not parallel to the rim. It's annoying. So I'm inclined to fix it if I can be convinced that I won't break the caliper. Those who have done this - have you taken the brake off the bike, disassembled the caliper, or just done it in place? I'm thinking of removing the brake shoe, grabbing the end of the caliper with vice-grips (with some leather for padding) and gently twisting. Is that the approach? I figure on the bike I'll be much better able to tell when it's bent enough.

Do it in place. Use a crescent wrench, a small one, 6".
Steel wool on the wheels, not sandpaper.

Sometimes hesitation is a good thing. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, esp. as I'm the original owner, but staring at the brake just now I realized that it's not mounted straight on the bridge. So rather than bend the brake I'm now thinking I should either slightly file the flats where the brake mounts, or grind a washer to throw the calipers into proper alignment. I guess I'll try the latter first, as it won't involve messing with the frame. Thanks for the help; I'll remember the tips if I ever actually need to bend a brake.

Sometimes hesitation is a good thing. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, esp. as I'm the original owner, but staring at the brake just now I realized that it's not mounted straight on the bridge. So rather than bend the brake I'm now thinking I should either slightly file the flats where the brake mounts, or grind a washer to throw the calipers into proper alignment. I guess I'll try the latter first, as it won't involve messing with the frame. Thanks for the help; I'll remember the tips if I ever actually need to bend a brake.

:thumb:

Filing the washer sounds like a better fix. In any case, see if you can figure out which part is responsible for the non-straightness.

Why not just grind the face of the pads to the correct angle-$10 pads maybe $50 caliper?? Easy choice.
Sure, they won't last as long, but $10 pads-so what.

Luck
Charlie

We've been doing this type of repair with no problems. You bend the arm in place. Works perfectly fine.

The shop I'm at is so old it has a tool for exactly this job. Although I can never find it and a small crescent wrench works just fine.

Park makes a tool that only bends brake calipers. Weird.

I had a squealing problem with KS pads in Campy NR brakes this year after I mounted a set of fenders. I read somewhere that the squealing is caused by movement of the pads resonating though the fork.

So I just started from scratch with the brakes - tightened the mounting bolt, centered the brakes and adjusted the front retaining nut and lock nut. After this adjustment, the brakes stay centered and there is no perceptable play in the arms and no squeal.

I suggest that before you start bending or grinding, make sure that everything is adjusted and tight.

Start by telling us what type of brake it is.
"Campagnolo," per the OP's post. 30 years old means it's either a Record or Gran Sport. In either case it should be possible to bend the arms.

Universal calipers are the ones renowned for breaking instead of bending.

Park makes a tool that only bends brake calipers. Weird.
Yup; works quite well, but an adjustable wrench is often just as good.

http://os2.dhs.org/~john/bt3.jpg

"Campagnolo," per the OP's post. 30 years old means it's either a Record or Gran Sport. In either case it should be possible to bend the arms.

Universal calipers are the ones renowned for breaking instead of bending.

Thanks for the irrelevant clarification 30 posts too late. Play again

Thanks for the irrelevant clarification 30 posts too late. Play again
Only 19 posts in entire thread: Fail.