ghas

I'm installing side pull brakes on a vintage Falcon frame using Dia-Compe aero levers combined with Cross Creek Crosstop levers. The front brake was no problem but on the rear when I apply the brake for the first time the cable button at the other end pops out of the groove/hole inside in the aero lever handle. When I do apply the brake the shoes make contact with the rim once but then will not spring back away from the rim. I'm thinking there is some extra friction somewhere but I have done the same job many times on other bikes and never had this problem. What are the possibilities for me to check out?

cny-bikeman

You have likely made the housing too short, so that when the housing follows the caliper arm down it pulls the other end out of the lever. The same problem can cause poor or uneven return. If the button pops out when you release the lever then the cable has too much friction or the brake caliper pivots are too tight.

gyozadude

Before you install brake cables and housing, can you manually squeeze the calipers by hand against the rims? Now let go. Do the calipers spring back? If so, then you've eliminated the overly tight pivot bolt as the issue. Next, when you say that you squeeze the brake lever and the cable end pops out, do you mean the cable ceases to be attached to the DiaCompe aero lever? Or something slid out of the Cross lever? You have a two lever system. There is housing between the cross lever and the aero lever. Hopefully, that is only taped to the handlebars now and not wrapped. Are all housing segments the right length? Do you have the housing ends cut square and capped properly? Does the brake cable slide smoothly inside the housing? Did you coat the metal cable in grease first before threaded it through the housing? And did you thread the cable correctly out of the aero lever and into housing? Those are things to check that should reveal what is wrong with your rear brake install.

ghas

I meant that the button end of the cable pops out of the Dia-Compe lever attachment hole. The calipers are new and yes, they spring back easily. I'll check for burrs at the cable ends and maybe try different cable lengths. One confusing thing is I can't find a reference as to whether EVERY cable connection point in the entire run needs a ferule, that is, at both levers, entry and exit points on the Cross Creek levers, etc. Also, I thought that if the housing has a liner then greasing the cable wasn't necessary.

cny-bikeman

I have found that light lubrication (not grease) is helpful even with lined housing, especially if the cables are not stainless.

oldbobcat

It shouldn't be necessary to grease the cable with new lined housing. And the general rule is, if a ferrule fits in the hole or slot, use a ferrule.

Be sure your housing has no kinks and that the end cuts are clean. I always open the cable ends with some sort of pokey tool, a dental pick or a sharpened spoke. A nail will work, too. Be sure your cable didn't fray when you threaded it through the housing.

onespeedbiker

You are lucky, Part Tool uses the Cross Creek levers in their tutorial on installing In-line brakes. https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...s-cross-levers

ghas

I lengthened some of the housing pieces, bought a Jagwire Teflon coated inner wire (which was thinner than my original wire), smoothed out the housing ends, and installed ferrules. Works fine now. Thanks for all the suggestions.

ghas

Spoke too soon. The rear brake works fine when I apply the Cross Creek lever but when I apply and release the Dia-Compe aero lever the caliper only partially returns to the open position and the pads rub the rim slightly. If I then apply the Cross Cross lever the caliper returns to it's normal full open position with about 1/8" between the pads and rim. So there must be some difference in the cable/housing when I use the regular aero lever versus the Cross Creek lever.