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V-Brake adjustment problem

post #1 of 13
4/30/04 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
Hi,

When I apply my rear v-brake both 'halves' of the mechanism
grip the wheel but when I let go of the brake lever only the
side where the brake cable enters 'springs away'.

The other side (chain side on my bike) hardly moves so that
the brake block is still close to the wheel and the wheel
doesn't spin properly.

Any ideas/help/advice please?

Regards,

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
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post #2 of 13
4/30/04 at 6:23am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

John Latter wrote:

> When I apply my rear v-brake both 'halves' of the
> mechanism grip the wheel but when I let go of the brake
> lever only the side where the brake cable enters
> 'springs away'.

First, make sure the pivots are clean and lightly
oiled. Then, adjust the tension screws (allen or
philips screws sticking sideways out of the pivot body)
to even up the calipers.

Some more info from the Guru: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-
adjustment.html (V-brakes are cantilevers, y'know).

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
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post #3 of 13
4/30/04 at 6:43am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

"Simonb" <sbennett@YOUAREALLHEATHENSwiderworld.co.uk> wrote in message
news:40921676$0$39894$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk...

> Each arm should have an adjustment screw (sometimes a
> socket head screw) towards its bottom end for altering the
> tension.....

I was adjusting my vbrakes last weekend as i noticed the
block to rim gaps were uneven, and I noticed that as well as
the little screw for "fine" tension adjustment there were 3
holes for seating the spring in the frame mounting point so
you could also get a "course" tension adjustment, and I
selected the "tightest" of the 3 holes.
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post #4 of 13
4/30/04 at 7:43am
Thread Starter 

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:54:36 +0100, John Latter <jorolat@msn.com>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>When I apply my rear v-brake both 'halves' of the mechanism
>grip the wheel but when I let go of the brake lever only
>the side where the brake cable enters 'springs away'.
>
>The other side (chain side on my bike) hardly moves so that
>the brake block is still close to the wheel and the wheel
>doesn't spin properly.
>
>Any ideas/help/advice please?
>
>Regards,

Thanks to everyone who answered!

With regard to the small adjustment screws: I turned it one
way which made it spring closer to the wheel rim - the
opposite of what I wanted but I was just having a 'look see'
- so of course I then turned it the other but there was
hardly any springing away from the wheel (hence this post).

Adrian said:

>I was adjusting my vbrakes last weekend as i noticed the
>block to rim gaps were uneven, and I noticed that as well
>as the little screw for "fine" tension adjustment there
>were 3 holes for seating the spring in the frame mounting
>point so you could also get a "course" tension adjustment,
>and I selected the "tightest" of the 3 holes.

Er, does this mean that if I took the mounting to bits I
might find something similar? And is it easy to do - I've
got visions of something like a clock spring irretrievably
going 'Boinggg!'...

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
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post #5 of 13
4/30/04 at 8:00am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

Reply to John Latter
> I've got visions of something like a clock spring
> irretrievably going 'Boinggg!'...
>

And a second later, a faint sound twenty feet away at the
other end of the garage...

--
Mark, UK. We hope to hear him swear, we love to hear him
squeak, We like to see him biting fingers in his horny beak.
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post #6 of 13
4/30/04 at 8:00am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

John Latter wrote:

> Er, does this mean that if I took the mounting to bits I
> might find something similar? And is it easy to do - I've
> got visions of something like a clock spring irretrievably
> going 'Boinggg!'...

It's easy enough and it's never gone "boing!" for me yet.

Easiest with the wheel off.

Note which hole the spring is in Undo the bolt holding the
brake to the boss Withdraw the brake arm gently

Clean and lightly grease the boss when putting the
brake back on

Usually it is best to have both springs in the corresponding
holes. Cheap brakes usually need more spring tension than
better quality ones. Sometimes one brake is in hole A and
the other in hole B; that's unusual IM(L)E but I have had to
do it before.

Apply a drop of Loctite to the bolt when reassembling.

What else? Must have forgotten at least a Several of
things there.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
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post #7 of 13
4/30/04 at 8:00am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

"Mark McN" <mark@gesualdo.freeserveMUSTGETABETTERADDY.co.uk> wrote in message
news:c6ta6k$csh$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...

> Reply to John Latter
> > I've got visions of something like a clock spring
> > irretrievably going 'Boinggg!'...
> >
>
> And a second later, a faint sound twenty feet away at the
> other end of the garage...

I just undid the main allen key mounting bolt and the brake
arm easily came away as one part. The spring appeared to be
"captive" in that there seemed no way to remove it from the
arm, and yes I was worried something would go "twang" and
fly through the air but it was easy to remove and replace
the brake arm assembly.
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post #8 of 13
4/30/04 at 10:42am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

Mark McN wrote:
> Reply to John Latter
>
>>I've got visions of something like a clock spring
>>irretrievably going 'Boinggg!'...
>>
>
>
> And a second later, a faint sound twenty feet away at the
> other end of the garage...
>

STI road levers are the best for this, hours of pure
unadulterated entertainment. If you don't believe me, just
loosen the bolt at the front, go on you know you want to!
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post #9 of 13
4/30/04 at 11:00am

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

Clive George wrote:

> Probably worth mentioning what sort of loctite - most
> people will assume superglue, which probably isn't what
> you meant...

It would work fine right up to the point where you try to
get it apart again ;-)

Loctite 243 medium strength oil-tolerant thread locking
compound, aka "Nutlock"

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after
posting. http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

Victory is ours! Down with Eric the Half A Brain!
Reply
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post #10 of 13
4/30/04 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 11:43:20 +0100, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<outlook.bugs@microsoft.com> wrote:

>John Latter wrote:
>
>> Er, does this mean that if I took the mounting to bits I
>> might find something similar? And is it easy to do - I've
>> got visions of something like a clock spring
>> irretrievably going 'Boinggg!'...
>
>It's easy enough and it's never gone "boing!" for me yet.
>
>Easiest with the wheel off.
>
>Note which hole the spring is in Undo the bolt holding the
>brake to the boss Withdraw the brake arm gently
>
>Clean and lightly grease the boss when putting the
>brake back on
>
>Usually it is best to have both springs in the
>corresponding holes. Cheap brakes usually need more spring
>tension than better quality ones. Sometimes one brake is in
>hole A and the other in hole B; that's unusual IM(L)E but I
>have had to do it before.
>
>Apply a drop of Loctite to the bolt when reassembling.
>
>What else? Must have forgotten at least a Several of
>things there.

Thankyou Guy - that SOUNDS so straighforward that I might
even give it a go - especially now that I've located the 3
holes (btw both 'pins' are currently in the center position)
and despite an aptitude for wrecking things in order to see
how they used to work...

'Course, I'm not gonna do anything til tomorrow by which
time my nerve will probably fail & I'll go whining to the
chap at my local LBS for reassurance - he's only 200 yards
away (a fact which he is becoming increasingly aware of *g*)

Thanks again!

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
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post #11 of 13
4/30/04 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 11:47:26 +0100, "Adrian Boliston"
<adrian@boliston.co.uk> wrote:

>"Mark McN"
><mark@gesualdo.freeserveMUSTGETABETTERADDY.co.uk> wrote in
>message news:c6ta6k$csh$1@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
>> Reply to John Latter
>> > I've got visions of something like a clock spring
>> > irretrievably going 'Boinggg!'...
>> >
>>
>> And a second later, a faint sound twenty feet away at the
>> other end of the garage...
>
>I just undid the main allen key mounting bolt and the brake
>arm easily came away as one part. The spring appeared to be
>"captive" in that there seemed no way to remove it from the
>arm, and yes I was worried something would go "twang" and
>fly through the air but it was easy to remove and replace
>the brake arm assembly.
>

Thanks Adrian - in a flash of inspiration I finally looked
UNDER the mounting & found the three holes you were
referring to! (not very good am I?)

--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
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post #12 of 13
4/30/04 at 2:21pm
Thread Starter 

Re: V-Brake adjustment problem

On Fri, 30 Apr 2004 14:13:18 +0100, "Clive George"

>"Just zis Guy, you know?" <outlook.bugs@microsoft.com>
>wrote in message news:c6tak9$g729q$1@ID-151936.news.uni-
>berlin.de...
>
>> Apply a drop of Loctite to the bolt when reassembling.
>
>Probably worth mentioning what sort of loctite - most
>people will assume superglue, which probably isn't what
>you meant...
>
>cheers, clive
>

Wouldn't it be funny if someone had posted "Arrgggh - too
late to tell me now!"

No, you're right - of course it wouldn't...



--

John Latter

Model of an Internal Evolutionary Mechanism (based on an
extension to homeostasis) linking Stationary-Phase Mutations
to the Baldwin Effect.
http://members.aol.com/jorolat/TEM.html

'Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Discussion Egroup
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech
Reply
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post #13 of 13
11/20/11 at 10:43am

I've been having trouble with my V-brake, too on my front wheel.  I even tried adjusting the tension screws.  The side that didn't move at all (the one at the end of the cable), I adjusted all the way in, and the tension didn't imporive any...same with the other side (I unscrewed it in an attept to ease cable tension).  The tension was still the same.  It seems like they brakes are permanently misaligned: whenever I try to adjust them and move them off to one side, it shifts to the other side and continues doing the one-sided braking.

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