Cantilevers:What a B*****d



S

Sam Salt

Guest
Decided to swap the front brake pads on the Galaxy yesterday.

Hmm...........

The pads are swapped but positioning the pads is something else.

I've been here before,it requires six pairs of hands,the patience of Mother
Theresa and cancelling all appointments for weeks to come.

I have three "third hands",and none of them work.

Even though they are cartridge pads there isn't enough cable to clear the
rims.

Have had a read of Sheldon and will try again tomorrow,and probably the day
after and the one after that.

Sam Salt
 
Sam Salt wrote:
> Decided to swap the front brake pads on the Galaxy yesterday.
>
> Hmm...........
>
> The pads are swapped but positioning the pads is something else.
>
> I've been here before,it requires six pairs of hands,the patience of
> Mother Theresa and cancelling all appointments for weeks to come.
>
> I have three "third hands",and none of them work.


I find a strap around the brakes helps to hold everything against the rims.
And another to control the position of the brake lever.

I use either old toe-clip straps or a ski holding velcro straps, depending
on which falls to hand in the shed.


> Even though they are cartridge pads there isn't enough cable to clear
> the rims.


Let out a little bit on the straddle cable. Do it with the brake-blocks tied
together using the strap (above)

If you can still get the bits, the Shimano Y-cable straddles make life a
little easier.

But basically, adjustment of Shimano-style cantilever blocks stinks, and I'd
fit a cartridge pad to reduce the amount of adjustment fiddling required.
V-brakes style of mounting pads is a lot easier, and my bike with old
Suntour cantilevers is much easier to adjust than the other bike with
Shimano cantilevers (Suntour brakes use the same pad attachment as Shimano
V-brake pads).

> Have had a read of Sheldon and will try again tomorrow,and probably
> the day after and the one after that.


Good move :)


- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/
 
Sam Salt wrote:
>
> Decided to swap the front brake pads on the Galaxy yesterday.
>
> Hmm...........
>
> The pads are swapped but positioning the pads is something else.
>
> I've been here before,it requires six pairs of hands,the patience of Mother
> Theresa and cancelling all appointments for weeks to come.
>
> I have three "third hands",and none of them work.
>
> Even though they are cartridge pads there isn't enough cable to clear the
> rims.
>
> Have had a read of Sheldon and will try again tomorrow,and probably the day
> after and the one after that.
>
> Sam Salt


A good start is to throw away those third hand things.

Fit blocks and cables in the approximate position

Back out the barreladjuster at the brakelever about 1/4"-1/2"

Undo the clampbolt (10mm), push the block against the rim, and tightne
the clampnut again. Most canti's give you the option of sticking a
hexkey in the clampbolt to help keep the block in position.

repeat for the other side, back in the adjuster and equalise the
brakesprings to adjust the gaps
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl
 
"Nigel Cliffe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sam Salt wrote:
> > Decided to swap the front brake pads on the Galaxy yesterday.
> >
> > Hmm...........
> >
> > The pads are swapped but positioning the pads is something else.
> >
> > I've been here before,it requires six pairs of hands,the patience of
> > Mother Theresa and cancelling all appointments for weeks to come.
> >
> > I have three "third hands",and none of them work.

>
> I find a strap around the brakes helps to hold everything against the

rims.
> And another to control the position of the brake lever.
>
> I use either old toe-clip straps or a ski holding velcro straps, depending
> on which falls to hand in the shed.
>
>
> > Even though they are cartridge pads there isn't enough cable to clear
> > the rims.

>
> Let out a little bit on the straddle cable. Do it with the brake-blocks

tied
> together using the strap (above)
>
> If you can still get the bits, the Shimano Y-cable straddles make life a
> little easier.
>
> But basically, adjustment of Shimano-style cantilever blocks stinks, and

I'd
> fit a cartridge pad to reduce the amount of adjustment fiddling required.
> V-brakes style of mounting pads is a lot easier, and my bike with old
> Suntour cantilevers is much easier to adjust than the other bike with
> Shimano cantilevers (Suntour brakes use the same pad attachment as Shimano
> V-brake pads).
>
> > Have had a read of Sheldon and will try again tomorrow,and probably
> > the day after and the one after that.

>
> Good move :)
>
>
> - Nigel
>
>
> --
> Nigel Cliffe,
> Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/


Thanks Nigel,never thought of a strap.

Sam Salt
 
"Sam Salt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Decided to swap the front brake pads on the Galaxy yesterday.
>
> Hmm...........


Swap them for Deore V-Brakes and 287V levers and never look back.

Ken ;-)