ppg677

Fiamme Hard Silver. AFAIK, all Fiamme rims are angled to some degree.

Velognome 

I should edit the post to say shoe instead of pad but ...adjust the angle of the shoe...slightly...I'm assuming this presents more of a leading edge and eliminates whatever harmonic set up that created the squeal. ....It seems to work without the need for bending anything.

jiangshi

For vintage brakes, I use a Park BT-3.

brianinc-ville

I shim mine. Get a thin washer in the appropriate size for the pad's mounting post. Snip the washer in half across its diameter. Put it on the side you want to toe in. Bolt it down.

FBinNY 

Gee, bike repair was so simple when we were all so ignorant we didn't know we couldn't do it. I can't believe how complicated people are making what is a simple straightforward job.

Give each side a firm tweak to establish about 1/16" of toe in. Don't work it back and forth looking for perfection, just get it close in a single or maybe 2 passes and be done with it. It's not like you're doing this 50 times in the life of the brake. Once the toe-in is established, it'll be the same for all future shoe installs.

The concern about bending the bolt is misplaced. You couldn't bend the bolt this way if you tried.

Kactus

I've used this tool several times with great success.

Maxturbo

Along the lines of this toe-in brake block discussion...I shimmed slightly my newly installed Kool Stops recently to eliminate squealing. All the time while contemplating and then carrying out the task I asked myself this question...

Won't the blocks eventually (maybe quickly) wear back to even / parallel and put me back at square one?

Then what...repetitive re-shimming or additional bending?

rhm

I have only heard of Universal calipers breaking when twisted like this. You definitely want top be careful with them.

Grand Bois

It still wouldn't make sense.

Old Yeller

"Won't the blocks eventually (maybe quickly) wear back to even / parallel and put me back at square one?

Then what...repetitive re-shimming or additional bending? "

Flip the pads over and they will be toed
again.

Velognome 

It changes the length of the leading edge of the pad.

Grand Bois

Maybe read it to yourself out load.

crank_addict

Not a fan of the idea bending the arms, especially for something old. Sometimes metal gets brittle and you never know if a little tweak becomes a snap.

Buy or slightly grind washers to make them spherical.

While on the topic of sidepulls and the center pivot, I like to use very thin bronze washers, polished and very light coat of quality grease. The arms are de-burred for any possible binding. Then snugged up to a very close tolerance, it'll minimize slop and give a smooth more precise feel.

bikemig 

+ 1.

Peugeotlover

Weinmann center pulls, with proper toenail in.





I have found that if you run a flat file back and forth a few times on the brake pad surface, that they no longer squeal.

Chombi

Some calipers are more able to tolerate having their arms bent to toe in their pads, especially ones that are thinner in profile so they are more flexible like Weinmann 500 series sidepulls. did it to my Weinmanns during the 80's without any problems using a small adjustable wrench with electrical tape added jaws. You usually only have to do the bending once or twice and the all the pads you insall in the future on it should be adequately toed in.
I'd be reluctant to do such on chuncky armed/very stiff brake calipers like Campy Monoplaners or Mavic/Modolo 460SSC's, as you are more likely to crack/damage them if you try to bend their caliper arms....

badger_biker 

Not one to criticize but can you rename your attached Thumbnail to Toenail...........

Looks like a Weinmann center pull to me.

Fahrenheit531 

Awesome.

gaucho777 

Oh, that was you. You startled my dog and left shivers up my spine.

I've gingerly bent calipers before. Works well, but it does make me nervous. Alloy doesn't like to be bent like that, and I wouldn't want to make a habit of it with the same set of calipers.

If it's a precious set of calipers, I prefer to use a filed washer as a shim. I start with two thick washers, put them about 1/3 of the way into a vice and then file the edge down to a point. You can also snip a washer in half as brianinc-ville suggests, but if that brake pad bolt starts to loosen, then there's a chance the half-washer may fall out.

FBinNY 

All this concern about tweaking aluminum caliper brake arm for toe-in is sort of ironic, given that the odds are better than 50:50 that any brake on any bike of the era was treaked home when the bike was 1st built up in the shop. Twisting brake arms using an adjustable wrench or tool made for the job (hint?) was SOP for decades.

I suspect that the only reason it's not done as often is the advent of brake shoes with float and/or the move from entry level calipers to canti and V-brakes.

due ruote 

Since everyone seems to be in agreement about the need to toe in, why aren't/weren't the caliper arms made that way?

FBinNY 

Because there's no real agreement, especially among experts, that Toe-in is necessary or beneficial.

There's a torque on brake arms when brakes are applied to a moving wheel. That twists the arm so the rear of the shoe digs in compared to the front. In a new shoe, this can set up a harmonic and the squeal we all hate. But that same action increases wear in the back, so eventually the shoe wears to a toe-in pattern that exactly matches what's needed for twisted position to apply the shoe flat.

Once shoes are worn in they'll only squeal when the conditions are different from those they've adapted to.

Also consider that excess toe-in uses available travel and makes brakes feel spongy, so as I said, not everybody thinks it's a good thing.

gaucho777 

@FBinNY, there's truth in what you say, but some of us happen to be more ham-fisted than others. I know it's *probably* safe, but I still feel like I could snap a caliper if I didn't back off at the right time. I have (and will continue to) bend easily replaceable brakes such as Weinmann centerpulls, but would sooner add a filed washer on, say, Campagnolo record or older Universal calipers.

FBinNY 

Of course, it's your bike, and you should feel free to work on it as you feel fit.

I try to avoid making decisions for people. I prefer to explain the considerations and allow them to reach a logical conclusion on their own.

due ruote 

Thanks; great explanation.