While out on my bike today I got a puncture in the back wheel. So when I got home I took the wheel off, changed the inner tube, and put the wheel back on without any problems. But then I noticed that the brakes had gone wonky: the brake pads on one side were rubbing on the rim, while on the other side there was plenty of clearance, so whenever I tried spinning the wheel it very quickly rubbed itself to a halt.
The wheel looks to be in properly - it's not like I've put it in diagonally - so the problem seems to be with the brakes themselves. I don't know why this just happened, maybe it was when I was forcing the (deflated) tyre back in past the brake pads.
I tried pulling the brake lever, that didn't sort it out. I tried adjusting Teh Screw Thing (a.k.a. Cable Adjuster?) next to the brake lever, but that didn't seem to have any effect whatsoever:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/crunchydog_2006/P1280013done.jpg
I then moved to back to the actual brakes:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/crunchydog_2006/P1280012done.jpg
These are Vee Brakes. I tried undoing the cable clamp (see Wire and Bolt) and pulling the cable through more, and then (when that didn't help) pulling the cable through less. This tightened (and then loosened) the brakes with respect to the side that was clear of the rim, but didn't alter the fact that one side was rubbing the rim all the time. In desperation, and running out of ideas, I just tried adjusting random things. Allen Key no.1 was no use as it just rotated the brake pad (so half of it was now rubbing the tyre). Allen Key no.2 didn't seem to do anything. Nor did fiendishly-small-and-almost-impossible-to-turn-with-any-screwdriver Tiny Screw, no matter whether I tightened it or even completely removed it.
I've tried throwing things around and swearing a lot, but that doesn't appear to have helped either. I'm out of ideas.
― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Sunday, 27 January 2008 19:22 (seventeen years ago)
I don't have any great answers (I find brakes maddening too). I was fiddling with my front brake yesterday and must return to it today.
The tiny screw adjusts the spring in the brake arm. If you tighten the screw, the arm will move away from the rim (tighter spring = more pull). You could try tightening the one side all the way and maybe loosen the other side too. That might help, but it sounds like your brakes are really out of wack, and that's a more fine-tuning kind of adjustment.
Other things to consider:
Are you totally sure the wheel is mounted correctly? An off-centered wheel will f-up the brake.
Are the pivots nice and lubbed. If one of the pivots sticks, the brake will be off line.
Are the brake pads properly aligned?
― Super Cub, Sunday, 27 January 2008 20:00 (seventeen years ago)
Are you totally sure the wheel is mounted correctly? An off-centered wheel will f-up the brake
Woo-hoo! That *was* the problem. I tried taking the wheel off and putting it back in again and this time the problem moved to the opposite rim. So I tried taking it out again and putting it in with the nuts just done up finger-tight (it isn't quick release) and it was fine. So I tightened them bit by bit with a spanner and it stayed absolutely fine right up to that final twist which must have been a twist too far because it took wheel off centre. So I've just not done the nuts up as tight as I can (hopefully my wheel won't fall off now).
― Nasty, Brutish & Short, Sunday, 27 January 2008 21:00 (seventeen years ago)
two months pass...
Yay it's me with another dumb question. Having hella trouble fitting new disc brake pads, can't seem to push the calipers far back enough. There's just enough room to replace the wheel once the pads are in but the disc rubs against the pads like crazy. Have tried riding a bit (200m) to see if the pads bed down but no luck. Any tips? Brakes are Hope Mini.
― ledge, Friday, 18 April 2008 14:46 (seventeen years ago)
Disc brakes look so complicated. Makes me glad I don't have a mountain bike.
― Alex in SF, Friday, 18 April 2008 19:03 (seventeen years ago)