yoramf wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I read that XTR V-brakes (M960) has "self lubricating bearings". Does
> it mean that these bearing need no maintenance (cleaning/ lubricating)?
>
> What puzzles me, is that after a ride in muddy conditions, I noticed
> that one of the brake arms was seized. It looked as if the bearings of
> that arm were seized. After playing with the arm, it got loose, but now
> the movements feels grainy.
>
www. shimano.com exploded view
http://tinyurl.com/89xa8 Oh, you'll
need Acrobat Reader.
Their "service instructions" offer no service advice other than
installation, adjustment, and pad replacement, so all we have to go by
is the exploded view and some good sense.
I'd say you washed a bunch of grit into your brake and washed lube out.
You need to flush the thing with solvent and lubricate it by drizzling
in a bit of oil. Make sure you're working the thing while flushing and
lubing.
Many years ago I ran these brakes (952?) and, if I recall, you cannot
open the bearing unit. The exploded view reflects this. I'm pretty
sure theirs alot of press-fitting going on, and not meant to be
disassembled/reassembled by normal means (read, "consumer"). The "self
lubricating bearings" are probably bushings, aka plain bearings. The
only thing you can do is add a drop or so of oil every now and then and
work it in, as you should on the other rotating bits in the "parallel
push" parallelogram as well. I'd go by how they feel without the cable
attached (smooth?).
There is no movement, btw, between the brake and the post, so no worries
there ... just a light smear of oil or grease to keep corrosion away.
Robin Hubert