I have obtained a set of the Weinmann centre pull brakes, (810 Vainoueur 999) for not much (about US$5) and am thinking about installing them on my road bike, which is an older steel frame bike with a mix of old Shimano / Suntour and 27" wheels.

I just can't figure our how to install them, ie does the brake cable have to be perfectly vertical when reaching the cross - wire? How iss the tension maintained? Can they be run with my brake levers (not the cable pointing our of the top ones).

If it sounds like I'm confused, it's because I am. What I'd really like is a picture of a bike with some centre pull brakes installed, so I can copy it. I've searched the forums without much luck, if anyone knows where I can find such a picture or some advice, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

R

Centerpull brake cables are set up like Mtb cantilevers. Both the front and rear need cable hangers centered & mounted off of the frame itself. If you get them set up right, they are very strong brakes. Here's a photo I found in the fixed gear gallery...

https://www.fixedgeargallery.com/sue.htm

George

looks like this dude

https://www.classicrendezvous.com/Swi...einmann_cp.htm

The tension on those brakes is adjusted by the springs on each side. They can be set strong or weak and also to center the brakes itself by either tightening or loosening the springs. I cannot remember the size off hand but there is a hex nut to achieve the adjustment desired in front of the spring.

The vital parts are cable stops where the housing for the cable ends and the cable proceeds down in the midline of the bike to the brake. The short cross cable that links the brake arms is attached to the brake cable by a delta shaped metal bit. The cable stops are typically attached 1)to the head set somewhere (top usually) and thus rotates with the front wheel. It is a metal ring large enough to fit over the threads in the headset with a tang bent down that has a cable stop at the bottom. 2) In the rear a metal V with two circles
large enough to be mounted on the seat tube seat clamp bolt (one under the bolt head, one under the nut) with a cable stop at the bottom of the V pointing down toward the brake. If these didn't come with the brakes you will
have to find some. Old established bike shops may well have them in the back somewhere covered with dust.

Barnetts Manual Chap 35/36 has a few pix: 35.11 for side view of rear cable stop. Pix 36.32 or 36 for the cable attachment to the short cable between the brake arms. Steve

Hunter, I think you might be confusing U-brakes with centerpulls. U-brakes are actually frame-mount centerpulls, and you can adjust the tension on most of those, but I've never seen a Weinnman Vanqueur with this feature.

Old Weimann center-pulls are really only ajustable by taking the spring out and bending it for more tension. Another person was mistaken when he said there were screws (that's a cantilever brake that has those, not a center-pull), so ignore that input. You do, however, need cable hangars for these brakes.
If your bike came with calipers, you should stick with calipers. They weigh less, are easier to fix, and really are easier to modulate. Some people say that center-pulls give you more stopping power (probably true), but they sure aren't easy to modulate!