caliper brake bolt tightness

[Kbh]

I'm having trouble getting my front caliper (Ultegra) brake tightened so that it won't rotate easily
by hand. Two questions:

1) Is this an issue? Are dual pivot caliper brakes effective even when they can rotate at the bolt?
Obviously keeping it in alignment could be an issue.

2) How can I get this baby tight? It seems that when I tighten the recessed nut behind the fork
crown, the entire bolt rotates within the caliper. I noticed that if you squeeze the brake all
the way (pads removed) this exposes another allen key that apparently is the back end of the
mounting bolt. This part is rotating when I tighten the recessed nut. So I used two allen
wrenches, one on the bolt in the caliper, and one on the recessed nut. I really cranked on this
and it seemed to tighten it down, only to loosen easily by hand the next day.

Any tips? Do I need a lock washer in between the fork crown and caliper?

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[A Muzi]

"KBH" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I'm having trouble getting my front caliper (Ultegra) brake tightened so that it won't rotate
> easily by hand. Two questions:
>
> 1) Is this an issue? Are dual pivot caliper brakes effective even when
they
> can rotate at the bolt? Obviously keeping it in alignment could be an issue.
>
> 2) How can I get this baby tight? It seems that when I tighten the
recessed
> nut behind the fork crown, the entire bolt rotates within the caliper. I noticed that if you
> squeeze the brake all the way (pads removed) this exposes another allen key that apparently is the
> back end of the mounting bolt. This part is rotating when I tighten the recessed nut. So I used
two
> allen wrenches, one on the bolt in the caliper, and one on the recessed nut. I really cranked on
> this and it seemed to tighten it down, only to loosen easily by hand the next day.
>
> Any tips? Do I need a lock washer in between the fork crown and caliper?

Did you lubricate the threads and under the head of the mounting nut? That makes a lot of difference
in a threaded fastener. Else you input torque but don't get much advancement out.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, KBH <[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm having trouble getting my front caliper (Ultegra) brake tightened so that it won't rotate
>easily by hand. Two questions:
>
>1) Is this an issue? Are dual pivot caliper brakes effective even when they can rotate at the bolt?
> Obviously keeping it in alignment could be an issue.
>
>2) How can I get this baby tight? It seems that when I tighten the recessed nut behind the fork
> crown, the entire bolt rotates within the caliper. I noticed that if you squeeze the brake all
> the way (pads removed) this exposes another allen key that apparently is the back end of the
> mounting bolt. This part is rotating when I tighten the recessed nut. So I used two allen
> wrenches, one on the bolt in the caliper, and one on the recessed nut. I really cranked on this
> and it seemed to tighten it down, only to loosen easily by hand the next day.
>
>Any tips? Do I need a lock washer in between the fork crown and caliper?

Sounds like maybe you ran out of threads, or perhaps the recessed nut is bottoming out inside the
fork crown (?). Options that might work:

1. Add washers as you mentioned
2. Shorten the recessed nut on a grinder.
3. Cut more threads on the pivot bolt with a 6x1 die.

--Paul

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

kbh-<< I'm having trouble getting my front caliper (Ultegra) brake tightened so that it won't rotate
easily by hand.

Add a knurled spacer or two onto the brake bolt-then install...

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Kbh]

Figured it out, what was actually rotating was the nut that is part of the brake, on the rear, sort
of a built-in spacer that holds one end of the spring in place. This was loose, so no matter how
hard I tightened the recessed nut, the caliper would rotate. So I removed the brake, lock-tited the
threads on the brake end of the bolt that this spacer threads on, put the brake in my vice, and
tighted that sucker down. I did add a knureld spacer as well.

Thanks,

Kyle

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> kbh-<< I'm having trouble getting my front caliper (Ultegra) brake
tightened so
> that it won't rotate easily by hand.
>
> Add a knurled spacer or two onto the brake bolt-then install...
>
> Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"