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Front brake. Right side is parallel to the rim, but left one is at the weird angle...
How do I straighten it out? I took brake shoe off and it seems ok, not sure what is crooked here. Please help!
How do I straighten it out? I took brake shoe off and it seems ok, not sure what is crooked here. Please help!
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Brake arms can get bent and the pins on the brakes themselves may be suspect.
If it isn't the actual brake pad then the brake can be straightened.
You need two adjustable wrenches so you can hold both brake arms and while you gently straighten the bent one the other will hold the other steady and keep the entire assembly from twisting.
Modern brake pads that can be adjusted for toe in are also pretty wonderful.
If it isn't the actual brake pad then the brake can be straightened.
You need two adjustable wrenches so you can hold both brake arms and while you gently straighten the bent one the other will hold the other steady and keep the entire assembly from twisting.
Modern brake pads that can be adjusted for toe in are also pretty wonderful.
Senior Member
you do need keep a little toe in about 2 mm closer in the front compare to the back . do this to all 4 brake pads.
Commuter
To find out if it is the pin on the brake pad, just swap with the brake pad on the straight side. If it isn't, you have to gently straighten the arm.
All others have given you the solution to get the pads parallel.
Now, if the braking is poor, especially in the rain, do yourself a favour and install Kool Stop Salmon pads (near the top).
These washers fit and allow you to adjust the angle, and your braking ability will parallel that of newer brakes.
Now, if the braking is poor, especially in the rain, do yourself a favour and install Kool Stop Salmon pads (near the top).
These washers fit and allow you to adjust the angle, and your braking ability will parallel that of newer brakes.
OMG, I haven't seen DiaCompe 500 brakes in like 15-years!!! To find out if it's the pin or the brake-arm that's bent, just loosen that one and rotate 180-degrees. If the pad stays in the same orientation, then it's the arm that needs to be bent back.
This is the problem with bending the arms to get toe-in on the pads. You install new pads on new rims on new brakes and you end up with some squealing because the pad surface is parallel to the time. So you bend the arm slightly to toe-in the front of the pad and it works great. Until a couple months later with wear, the pads' surface are again parallel to the time, so you bend the arm again. Repeat again and again and you end up with a brake-arm bent so badly that it looks like the above with new pads.
Be careful, bending back aluminium that's been bent that severely can crack and break it. A better way to toe-in brake-pads is to just sand off the rear of the pads. Just 2-3 seconds on a rotary-sander is all you need to get a 1-2mm gap at the rear.
This is the problem with bending the arms to get toe-in on the pads. You install new pads on new rims on new brakes and you end up with some squealing because the pad surface is parallel to the time. So you bend the arm slightly to toe-in the front of the pad and it works great. Until a couple months later with wear, the pads' surface are again parallel to the time, so you bend the arm again. Repeat again and again and you end up with a brake-arm bent so badly that it looks like the above with new pads.
Be careful, bending back aluminium that's been bent that severely can crack and break it. A better way to toe-in brake-pads is to just sand off the rear of the pads. Just 2-3 seconds on a rotary-sander is all you need to get a 1-2mm gap at the rear.
#@$!!$
Quote:
This is the problem with bending the arms to get toe-in on the pads. You install new pads on new rims on new brakes and you end up with some squealing because the pad surface is parallel to the time. So you bend the arm slightly to toe-in the front of the pad and it works great. Until a couple months later with wear, the pads' surface are again parallel to the time, so you bend the arm again. Repeat again and again and you end up with a brake-arm bent so badly that it looks like the above with new pads.
Be careful, bending back aluminium that's been bent that severely can crack and break it. A better way to toe-in brake-pads is to just sand off the rear of the pads. Just 2-3 seconds on a rotary-sander is all you need to get a 1-2mm gap at the rear.
Yeah, I just rotated it and it's still bent. It's the arm. I tried bending it with a wrench, but it won't budge. It's ok I guess, brakes work anyway Originally Posted by DannoXYZ
OMG, I haven't seen DiaCompe 500 brakes in like 15-years!!! To find out if it's the pin or the brake-arm that's bent, just loosen that one and rotate 180-degrees. If the pad stays in the same orientation, then it's the arm that needs to be bent back.This is the problem with bending the arms to get toe-in on the pads. You install new pads on new rims on new brakes and you end up with some squealing because the pad surface is parallel to the time. So you bend the arm slightly to toe-in the front of the pad and it works great. Until a couple months later with wear, the pads' surface are again parallel to the time, so you bend the arm again. Repeat again and again and you end up with a brake-arm bent so badly that it looks like the above with new pads.
Be careful, bending back aluminium that's been bent that severely can crack and break it. A better way to toe-in brake-pads is to just sand off the rear of the pads. Just 2-3 seconds on a rotary-sander is all you need to get a 1-2mm gap at the rear.
Commie
I had brakes like those when i was a teen back in the early 90s. Real PITA to adjust from what i recall, of course mine were bigbox bikes, huffy etc.