Originally Posted by
USAZorro
It is the latter. However (as in the case of the Universal calipers), I have two bicycles with the same model of caliper, and their pads are within a mm of each other when pressed together. Not so with my problem child. It looks like the arms on that set may be bent. I am guessing that correcting the bend will leave the arms even more compromised, and possibly subject to catastrophic failure.
I haven't seen this for quite a while! My question is always, where is the misalignment? I would take them apart and inspect all the parts, that they are straight where they need to be straight, aligned to each other where it is necessary, that their pivot bores are not worn and unable to rotate true on the bolt, and of course the arms are not bent or twisted on the caliper side or on the cable pull side. Reassembling, if you tighten the pivot bolt do they seem to be better aligned? Does the alignment change when the return springs are engaged?
Sometimes it seems like elves live in our boxes of old bike parts. Usually when I take them apart I can see what was intended when the calipers were new.