maggiemaggie

I get back to my locked-up bike last night and find my front brake caliper totally bent and seemingly broken. I don't know a lot about this particular part of the bike and am nervous to try to finagle it myself- I am squeamish about working on my own brakes. So my question is, should I bring my bike into the shop and have them try to fix it (is that possible?) or should I try to find another set of center pulls and replace them entirely? Here's what it looks like:



I tried using (wo)manpower to realign it, but no luck.

FYI: it's a 70s Raleigh Super Course, with the original Weinmann calipers. If I need to replace them, what do you guys recommend?

due ruote 

If it were my bike I'd probably bend it back, but I'm not terribly risk-averse. Fixing it probably will require removing the brake, taking the arm off, putting it in a vise and gently pushing it back, then re-assembling. Obviously I'd do a very careful inspection to look for any sign of cracking.

Alternatively, if there's a co-op near you they likely have a box of cp brakes. Another Weinmann, a Dia-compe or Mafac would be fine. You can use the shoes from your present caliper.

Amesja

Probably just take it to your LBS. I'm pretty sure mine would probably fix that for free or just a few bucks. Dunno about the generosity of the NYC bike shops.

maggiemaggie

Yeah, I have a decent-enough shop a couple blocks away, but I always like to ask here first so that I make sure I'm not being taken for an idiot at the shop...they do tend to make assumptions when a girl walks in the door.

Amesja

I agree with what due ruote said aaid. The arm is probably going to have to be dismounted and bent back in a vise. It should bend back fairly easily once you get it in the vise correctly. But if you have any doubts about taking the centerpull apart, bending it without cracking it, or getting it put back together and hooked up/adjusted again then it is probably a job for the LBS or someone you know who is at that level.

Dec1st

+1

maggiemaggie

Thank you all for your opinions, btw- I can't tell you what a terrific resource I've found this board to be. I hope someday I can be of assistance in some way, myself!

cudak888 

I wouldn't bend it back. There are tons of donor Weinmann 999 brake calipers out there that could lend a spare right arm without resorting to bending this one and weakening it.

Snap the return spring off it's peg, loosen the pivot bolt (careful that the nut at the back of the arm doesn't fall out), swap the arm, and reverse the disassembly procedure.

-Kurt

aixaix 

It is almost certainly repairable. The alloy the arm is made of isn't so brittle that it is likely to crack when bent back into alignment. A competent mechanic would take it off the bridge, put it in a vise and straighten it with his fingers or an adjustable wrench. When I was in the bike repair game (about the time your bike was new, I think), this was a common issue. It happened when the fork was turned too far and the brake arm was bent forward by the down tube.

bigbossman 

It would be easier and faster to just put a replacement caliper on there. If you're going to have to remove it anyway, replace it with one that doesn't need to be bent. Just about any one of us can send you a replacement for the cost of shipping. Hell - if you lived around here I'd give you the part and even do the job for you.

Aluminum does not like being bent, and it might get angry - you DO NOT want your brakes angry at you.

sailorbenjamin

I could send you one of my extras. I could even put it on for you one of these weekends. If you wanna come this far north I'll do it whenever. Bring beer.

frantik

now what? hurt them back

maggiemaggie

Wow, thank you all so much for your input and offers to help! Armed with your advice, I think I'll take my baby into the shop this week and see if they can't bend it back for me. If not- and it sounds like it might not be the best solution- I may hit you guys up for a replacement- I'd be more than happy to pay for whatever, beer included This forum is so invaluable to me.

robatsu

I'm as much of a cheapskate hammer mechanic as anyone, but I wouldn't be super comfortable bending back an aluminum brake arm. Especially on the front brake. It will *undoubtedly* be weakened. How much is anyone's guess, but if you do find out, it will be when you are squeezing it to the super max which, unfortunately, will be the absolute worst time to discover this information.

Get another arm or another brake, these kind are cheap and plentiful as dirt.

JReade

I think I've got a spare floating around here as well, a little south of you, but still. I'm with Cuda - I don't think bending it back is the best solution.

Amesja

+1 This is a common injury. Aluminum is very bendy. As long as there aren't any scratches on the surface the ductility of the metal will allow it to bend back without much fuss. If there is a surface crack or scratch then it will tend to cause fissures under the damage which will let the material fatigue and the damage to creep further into the brake arm.

This type of brake mushing is common and may happen again. If the OP is going to replace the brake every time the fork gets turned too far by some schmuck in a bike rack trying to get their bike out they may be replacing this part many times over the life of this commuter tool.

Michael Angelo 

I have a few spare arms pm me with the size of the caiper and I'll send you one.

randyjawa 

Being able to depend on your brakes for stopping is of paramount importance! Were you to attempt to bend the brake arm back, you are taking a risk. All be it a small risk, but if you loose, the results could be catastrophic. Not being able to stop when you really need to is a bad idea.

So, don't repair the lever, even though the repair is quite possible. Consider the risk of the brake caliper failing and decide if you wish to take it or not. As for replacement, my guess is that is will be incredibly easy to find a replacement part and have it installed.

Hope this is a help.

rhm

I have several centerpull brakes, including a Weinmann or two, and I'm in NYC every day. Manhattan, near Central Park, to be precise. If you want me to bring one in, let me know.

Grand Bois

I've never seen damage like that before and I can't imagine how it would happen.

Maybe only in Chicago.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

Bunch of savages in this town.

Amesja

1. Turn bars until they are almost backwards and the brake contacts the downtube.
2. Turn bars a little bit further.
3. ???
4. Huge profits.

randyjawa 

This sort of damage is not as common as the bent mounting bolt. The damage does occur when the forks are turned too sharply, particularly under crash conditions. Not only have I seen this damage before, but I have seen what can come after - complete, snap in half failure of the bent caliper arm.

maggiemaggie

With your advice in mind, I brought 'er into the shop on my way home from work today...the mechanic there fiddled with it a bit, tried bending it back, and eventually sided with those of you who say it's not worth it to risk trying to repair, if a replacement is available. I PM'ed rhm because he is local re: a replacement, but if for some reason that doesn't work out I'll hit the rest of you up. I make excellent cookies, you all should know, and I like buttering up people who help me out

As I walked out of the shop, the mechanic admitted that the last time I'd brought my bike in, he'd taken a photo of it and put it as his phone's background. Creepily awesome!

atmdad

Probably the best call. Older brakes like that are a "dime a dozen" so to speak. I don't have much of a parts stash but I even have an orphaned centerpull in my bin (it's either dia-compe or weinmann, can't recall) I would offer up but you should be able to round one up quicker and cheaper than the cost of postage from the left coast.