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Old 03-12-11 | 01:44 PM
  #18  
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Amesja
Cottered Crank
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,401
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From: Chicago

Bikes: 1954 Raleigh Sports 1974 Raleigh Competition 1969 Raleigh Twenty 1964 Raleigh LTD-3

I hate cheap brake shoes so usually I just replace any shoe that isn't new that I haven't already replaced on bikes that come through my hands. I usually save the cap nuts and the washers and throw the pads away. The hardware comes in handy in the junk fasteners drawer.

I'm a big fan of the Avenir sticky-fingers shoes. They used to be really cheap on Amazon but the price has crept up.

If someone does nothing else at least take apart the brakes and clean the pivots and the bushing washers and grease them. I do clock repair for a hobby and just cleaning a pivot with a reamer makes a HUGE difference in the amount of drag present. Grease and reassemble and put on new shoes and the brakes will work like new. I'm sort of a putterer-tinkerer and just can't stop with that myself. I have to pull everything apart, soak anything steel that even is slightly rusted in OA, clean all the other parts in an ultrasonic cleaner, polish the pivots, polish the aluminum bits and treat them with mothers to protect the finish. I can't do anything halfway and end up making love to each caliper for over an hour. It's a sickness I think. I don't really think they work any better than a quick 5-minute disassembly,cleaning, reamer-polish and then re-greased before assembling but it's more fun this way and they look better than new when I'm done. I like making something old look like it is new.


Originally Posted by Wogsterca
I'm guessing this is the process:

Yeah I know probably doesn't need fresh shoes, but I am not going to rebuild a brake and put on old brake shoes.... The only problem with rebuilding brakes is that you get used to their lacklustre operation and after they work too well
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