Need to reattach brake cables on mountain bike
 

Hi,

I've had both my wheels off my mountain bike and have recently reattached them. The problem is that I don't know how to connect the front and back brake cables to make the brakes work. The brakes are standard ones (not disc brakes), and the cables form a sort of U shape near where they need to connect near the wheel. I am at my wit's end trying to connect the stupid things back up and I would greatly appreciate someone to tell me how to do it.

Thanks
Adam

I'm having to guess a little because I can't tell exactly what equipment you have on your bike but this will handle the most common current equipment.

1. Set your bike on it's own wheels. Loosen and retighten each quick release. (Important)
2. Squeeze the brake pads together against the rim.
3. Now look at the little noodle shaped metal thingie. One end is encased in a plastic cable housing. Take the other end and slip the cable through the slot in the "U" shaped piece of metal that's attached to one of the brake arms.

Check with Sheldon at: http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment.html

Adam,
The the cable and housing fit into that J/Lshaped(you called it U) usually dull silver metal sleeve. The housing-the outer part that is usually plastic coated and black colored-slips in a few mm, the actual cable slips in and protrudes about 4-6". Attach the end of the cable to the left upper part of the actual brake(while sitting on the bike the front brake will have a left part and a right part).There should be a little nut(allen frequently) that clamps down on a washer. Slip it under the washer and tighten. After that, pull the right part of the brake toward the left part,and pull both toward the midline of the bike.Slip the front part of that sliver metal tube into the little pivot in the top part of the right brake-let it go. The brake parts will spring apart.
Now, you almost certainly will have left too much play in the cable, and if you squeeze the lever, it won't pull the pads all the way to the rims.You need to readjust the cable, by taking the sliverU metal part out of the pivot, and take up some of the slack by loosening the allen bolt, and pulling more cable thru the left side of the brake.
Same thing on the rear.
Sometimes it is tough to get the cable back through the housing and silver U shaped deal-it gets unravelled.New cable will solve that, or a lot of patience.
Luck,
Charlie

I think you've all interpreted it wrong. The U I'm talking about is the U shaped bend in the brake cable between the side of the wheel where it's screwed in, and the other side of the cable which I'm assuming needs to somehow attach to a metal thing connected to the other side of the brakes that flips from one side to the other - it looks like a piece of technical lego, and has a thin cut in it which the brake cable will go through if I pull back the metal cable housing to expose the cable. I've tried every which way to make the thing go with no luck at all.

Cheers
Adam

Take your hand and squeeze the calipers together so that the "technical lego" and brake noodle are in position to be connected. If that doesn't work, you're going to have to loosen the bolt that anchors the cable and adjust the cable to make room-

Probably not. If it came out it should go back in without screwing up the adjustment and causing a new problem.

True, but there are often things in these threads that don't make a lot of sense- :D

Are the cable housings inserted into the brake handles all the way? (and any other housing stops)
Is there a "thumbscrew" adjuster on the brake handles (or elsewhere) to give you a bit more slack.

Is there another bike like yours that you can look at?

Maybe you can search the web and find a link to a brake system that looks like yours and then post it here so we know exactly what you have.

"sort of U shaped" and "technical lego" really don't help us a lot. Go to Sheldon's site and learn the terminology (it'll only take a couple minutes). There's multiple types of brake systems. Knowing exactly what type you have helps us to help you.

A friend came over and did it for me. The bits that needed to connect up were hidden underneath a rubber sheath so I couldn't see them. A little fiddling with an allen key and it was all done. Thanks for your help

Cheers
Adam