SJX426 

A generous BF member sent me a pair of NR/SR brake mounting bands that I wanted to use for a second set of bars/stem/brake assembly for the 83 'Nago. They were a challenge to get started on the bars. I knew there would be a challenge as soon as I got near the first bend, they would not go. They were tight enough to produce scratches at the end of the bar with a great deal of torque applied to move them! Who hasn't seen the zig/zag trailings. What to do?

Most of you probably already have a system for loosening them up. Now that I solved the problem, I am interested in your approach.

How do you increase the diameter of the band so it will easily slip on a bar?

Drillium Dude 

Did they go on all the way in the end?

When I have this issue, I increase the leverage by putting a spare lever body over the threaded post and rock it back and forth as I move the band up the bar. I had to really wrestle recently when putting mine on my new bar for the Medici build. The good news, of course, is that those levers are going nowhere when I'm pushing hard in the future

DD

SJX426 

They were a challenge to get over the edge and completely on the end of the bar. A couple more replies and I will share my approach. My approach allowed me to very easily slide the band on the bar. The bend in the bar where they will end up is slightly smaller diameter than the tube was originally, due to the bending process. So they are so loose now that I would have to use tape to get them to stay on the radius.

I don't have extra levers. Now I am thinking of looking for some decent (not NOS) SR's.

miamijim

Back in my shop days I had band stretchers for the task!!!

Nowadays I've found that rotating them in a certain direction makes removal/installation much easier.

SJX426 

Well not much interest in this one. Once on the bar with the entire band on, I used a 12 oz hammper and lightly hit the end of the threaded stud. I didn't want to derform the end and I didn't think it would take much impact to cause the band to deform at the reverse bend. It is effectlively the reverse of force that happens when you tighten the nut. If I had a vice, I would have used that instead.

It didn't take much and the band expanded enough to loosen up for an easy slide over the bar and bends.

Bianchigirll 

Is that tool even made anymore? It was like a funny looking pair of pliers right?

Did these bands come in two sizes? was there a smaller one for GS levers for steel bars maybe?

miamijim

I think the tools I used were Schwinn branded and yes, they sort of looked like reverse pliers. Back in the day bands did come in 2 or 3 sizes, steel bar size and aluminum bar size.

Chombi

1st gen DA brake levers bands are just as bad or maybe even worse. I remember removing a set from a nice 70's era Cinelli Campione Del Mundo bars....and it did not turn out pretty for the poor handlebar. It was so bad that I didn't bother to re-use the DA levers on the bar again, when I put on the new bar tape....... I think the problem is the design of the lever bodies on these levers causes the bands to be bent to close to a full circular shape, very tight against the bar when you tighten up the lever mounting bolts. Other brand brake levers bend their bands more like a "U" shape with a bit of narrowing towards the lever body, so when you loosen them, they are so much easier to remove....

cyclotoine

a lug vice would do it.