New Brakes for Rocket

[Recumbentg]

I have never been happy with the brakes on my Rocket. It doesen't have smooth braking. Since the day
I got it, it has felt like there is excessive drag in the brake housing. I have tried to lubricate
the cable, had the housing replaced, put in teflon cables everything I could think of and now I want
to replace the brakes themselves. What do people think? $himano LX? Avid SDs, SRAM 9.0? I want good
solid braking performance for as little money as possible. I plan on using Red/Pink Salomon
Kool-stop pads on the brakes BTW. Thanks, Geoff

 

[Bentbiker]

shimano deore.

recumbentG wrote:
> I have never been happy with the brakes on my Rocket. It doesen't have smooth braking. Since the
> day I got it, it has felt like there is excessive drag in the brake housing. I have tried to
> lubricate the cable, had the housing replaced, put in teflon cables everything I could think of
> and now I want to replace the brakes themselves. What do people think? $himano LX? Avid SDs, SRAM
> 9.0? I want good solid braking performance for as little money as possible. I plan on using
> Red/Pink Salomon Kool-stop pads on the brakes BTW. Thanks, Geoff

 

[Jude T. McGloin]

Here is what I do to all Rockets. There are three positions for spring return tension. The Rockets
are set to the middle position from the factory. I for one can not stand a sloppy return feel or as
you put it drag in the housing. If you remove the pivot bolt and take off the brake arm you will see
three holes in the plate at the base of the pivot shaft. The return spring tab can be moved from the
middle hole to the uppermost hole and then reassemble. You may need to loosen the adjusting screws
to acheive this. This will significantly increase cable return pressure. I have found in most cases
this improves the feel and performance of the SRAM 7.0 brakes. Koolstop pads (salmon) will
significantly improve the breaking also. If you are bent on replacing...The better Avids are IMO the
way to go.

Jude....///Bacchetta AERO St. Michaels and Tilghman Island.. Maryland Wheel Doctor Cycle and Sports,
Inc 1-800-586-6645 "recumbentG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have never been happy with the brakes on my Rocket. It doesen't have smooth braking. Since the
> day I got it, it has felt like there is excessive drag in the brake housing. I have tried to
> lubricate the cable, had the housing replaced, put in teflon cables everything I could think of
> and now I want to replace the brakes themselves. What do people think? $himano LX? Avid SDs, SRAM
> 9.0? I want good solid braking performance for as little money as possible. I plan on using
> Red/Pink Salomon Kool-stop pads on the brakes BTW. Thanks, Geoff

 

[Larry Bloomfiel]

"Jude T. McGloin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Here is what I do to all Rockets. There are three positions for spring return tension. The Rockets
> are set to the middle position from the factory. I for one can not stand a sloppy return feel or
> as you put it drag in the housing. If you remove the pivot bolt and take off the brake arm you
> will see three holes in the plate at the base of the pivot shaft. The return spring tab can be
> moved from the middle hole to the uppermost hole and then reassemble. You may need to loosen the
> adjusting screws to acheive this. This will significantly increase cable return pressure. I have
> found in most cases this improves the feel and performance of the SRAM 7.0 brakes. Koolstop pads
> (salmon) will significantly improve the breaking also. If you are bent on replacing...The better
> Avids are IMO the way to go.
>
> Jude....///Bacchetta AERO St. Michaels and Tilghman Island.. Maryland Wheel Doctor Cycle and
> Sports, Inc 1-800-586-6645 "recumbentG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I have never been happy with the brakes on my Rocket. It doesen't have smooth braking. Since the
> > day I got it, it has felt like there is excessive drag in the brake housing. I have tried to
> > lubricate the cable, had the housing replaced, put in teflon cables everything I could think of
> > and now I want to replace the brakes themselves. What do people think? $himano LX? Avid SDs,
> > SRAM 9.0? I want good solid braking performance for as little money as possible. I plan on using
> > Red/Pink Salomon Kool-stop pads on the brakes BTW. Thanks, Geoff

My Rocket brakes were dismal when I bought the bike new in '01. I changed the spring tension hole
(rear brake),as above, and completely disasembled both 7.0 brake arms. A pin punch (or similar)is
needed to pop out the washer behind the fixing bolt to access & grease the sleeve bearing/bushing
inside each arm - mine were dry from the factory. I do this at least annually. I upgraded to Avid
Rim Wrangler cartridge pads & use the black Wranglers pads rear & Coolstop Salmons up front. Result
is solid lever return & great stopping power w/ no squeal except for high speed descents - a sign
that I'm going too fast.

 

[Tom Sherman]

Larry Bloomfield wrote:
> ... Result is solid lever return & great stopping power w/ no squeal except for high speed
> descents - a sign that I'm going too fast.

Is the squealing coming from the brakes or the rider?

Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

[Larry Bloomfiel]

Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Larry Bloomfield wrote:
> > ... Result is solid lever return & great stopping power w/ no squeal except for high speed
> > descents - a sign that I'm going too fast.
>
> Is the squealing coming from the brakes or the rider?
>
> Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

Sometimes one, sometimes the other, but rarely both simultaneously.

 

[Seth Jayson]

> changed the spring tension hole (rear brake),as above, and completely disasembled both 7.0 brake
> arms. A pin punch (or similar)is needed to pop out the washer behind the fixing bolt to access &
> grease the sleeve bearing/bushing inside each arm - mine were dry from the factory.

Could you explain more exactly how you use the punch to pop out the washer? the side toward the
boss, or away? I'm interested in trying to grease this up, as I haven't tried this yet on my
squealing brakes.

I *could* install the Avid SD 7s that just arrived from pricepoint. But, I figure if I give the
SRAMs one more shot and get them hushed, then I have no excuse not to buy the rest of a lowracer to
attach to those Avid brakes...

Sj

 

[Larry Bloomfiel]

[email protected] (Seth Jayson) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > changed the spring tension hole (rear brake),as above, and completely disasembled both 7.0 brake
> > arms. A pin punch (or similar)is needed to pop out the washer behind the fixing bolt to access &
> > grease the sleeve bearing/bushing inside each arm - mine were dry from the factory.
>
> Could you explain more exactly how you use the punch to pop out the washer? the side toward the
> boss, or away? I'm interested in trying to grease this up, as I haven't tried this yet on my
> squealing brakes.
>
> I *could* install the Avid SD 7s that just arrived from pricepoint. But, I figure if I give the
> SRAMs one more shot and get them hushed, then I have no excuse not to buy the rest of a lowracer
> to attach to those Avid brakes...
>
> Sj

Unbolt the brake arm from the frame and place the punch at an angle through the mounting hole from
the rear of the arm so it contacts the edge of the washer then tap out washer & slide out the
bushing to grease. I clean & coat the brake boss (on frame) w/ bee's wax to keep the bushing in
place - the brake arm should not pivot on the boss itself but on the bushings. It will become
apparent when everything's apart. This will improve the brake action but may not help the squeal.

 

[bentcruiser]

SRAM 9.09 brakes are good. My Shimano Deore brakes are pretty good. But, the most impressive braking that I have experience has been using Avid Single Digit 7 brakes. They are quite impressive.

Derek

Originally posted by Recumbentg
I have never been happy with the brakes on my Rocket. It doesen't have smooth braking. Since the day
I got it, it has felt like there is excessive drag in the brake housing. I have tried to lubricate
the cable, had the housing replaced, put in teflon cables everything I could think of and now I want
to replace the brakes themselves. What do people think? $himano LX? Avid SDs, SRAM 9.0? I want good
solid braking performance for as little money as possible. I plan on using Red/Pink Salomon
Kool-stop pads on the brakes BTW. Thanks, Geoff

 

[Seth Jayson]

> Unbolt the brake arm from the frame ...

Thanks. I figure I might as well try *everything* to get these things to hush up... If I have no
luck, it's on with the Avids. If they still scream then, I'm switchin' back to my DF....

 

[Mikael Seierup]

"Seth Jayson" skrev...
> > Unbolt the brake arm from the frame ...
>
> Thanks. I figure I might as well try *everything* to get these things to hush up... If I have no
> luck, it's on with the Avids. If they still scream then, I'm switchin' back to my DF....

Actually its not so bad. If the bike doesn't turn peoples heads the brakes do. My discbrakes could
compete with the loudest brakes on the busses here. ;-)

M.

 

[Seth Jayson]

> Actually its not so bad. If the bike doesn't turn peoples heads the brakes do. My discbrakes could
> compete with the loudest brakes on the busses here. ;-)

True, the squeal is useful in traffic. But on a nice quiet rural ride, it's a real buzz kill.