Homebrew01

I have never had brake pads with those screws and I am still alive.

Homebrew01

You want to rely on the screw to resist full braking forces ??

Soundtallica

Wow, looks like there's a lot of opposition to my idea. I thought I'd be feasible since all pads fit VERY tightly into my brake shoes and the screws are very long. And iI don't want to switch to pads that don't come with brake shoes since I switch to carbon rims on occasion and that'd preclude the use of those. Oh well, I guess I'll head to the hardware store to find set screws that suit flush with the brake shoe body.

Homebrew01

There are 2 ideas being tossed around

1. Remove the screws, with pad holders opening to the rear as they should be. No problem IMO, because none of my brakes have ever had pad screws and all are tight in the holder. Only an issue when going backwards and applying the brakes. Maybe some pads are loose in the holder and slip out easily ??

2. Mount the pad holders backwards, with the opening facing forwards, and rely on the screw & friction to keep the pad in place. No frikkin' way IMO.

Grand Bois

Like lawyer lips, the reason for the screws is idiot proofing. You have to decide for yourself if it's necessary on your own bike.

FBinNY 

Yes, but that's not the question here. The OP was considering reversing the pad, which would make him 100% dependent on the screws, vs. eliminating the screws or otherwise modifying the back end of the shoe for better fork clearance.

My opinion and that of many here, is that he's better off using the pads without the redundancy the screws offer, rather than relying on them as the only method to retain the pad.

Wilfred Laurier

One piece pads - pads without a holder - are generally thinner and can usually be purchased with the same pad compound as the inserts.

For instance:

Kool Stop Dura 2 Pads - 1 Pair, Severe, Salmon

and


Kool Stop BMX Brake Shoes, Nutted, Salmon

Edit: I don't know why the one-piece pads are called 'bmx' pads, but they are identical to the MTB/V brake version... I had trouble finding pads in the right category because I was searching by brand and Niagara has three different spellings of Kool Stop.

neil.dewhurst

Hi,

I have a Brompton folding bike, and it's brake shoes are fitted with screws. Actually I haven't used it much, and so have never yet changed the brake pads.

And so I discovered yesterday, a bit late, that a couple of screws had gone missing. One in front, one in back, rattled loose and vanished. The incident occurred while manoeuvring on a sloping parking area, I used the back brakes to stop whilst rolling backwards. There was a strange noise and the brake lever went slack. The brakes seemed to still work, but with a lot of slack in the cable. I supposed that something had finally dropped into place after having been not properly seated until then. I looked around but couldn't see anything out of place. Back on the road I used the back brakes a few minutes later, going down a hill, and I heard a terrible scraping sound! Then I finally understood what had happened: I had lost a brake pad.

It turns out that the Brompton brake shoes (pad holders) are only closed in front, open behind, and so without the retaining screws the pads are easily fitted/removed just by sliding them in/out. Braking when rolling forward forces the pad against the closed end, but braking in reverse spits the brake pads straight out again!

Fortunately, returning later by the same route, stopping at the same parking area, I quickly found the lost brake pad. Now I need to find replacement screws. In the mean time I think I will put both remaining screws on the front, with Lock-tite, so that at least will be safe...

Moral : Yes the retaining screws are absolutely essential if the brake shoes are open at one end. Otherwise, probably, not at all.

Note that my experience is with brake pads that dove-tail into the shoe, and the retaining screw blocks them via a large cross-wise groove on the underside. I have seen some images showing (apparently) 2 screws, and perhaps the pads in those cases are not dovetailed in: i.e. perhaps those blocks just "drop in" and so the screws actually screw into the blocks themselves. If that is the case then the block might possible rip out without the screws.

Neil Dewhurst - Lyon France

skoda2

+100 Bob

EthanStark

They are necessary. If you stop on a hill and use the brake to stop yourself rolling backwards, the pads can be ejected.

Don't ask me how I know :-[

Gordy, they're to stop the holders rubbing on the rim if the pads wear out (or fall out)

Ethan Stark
https://https://cloudappsportal.com/
Online Trader & Bike Lover

maxpowers

IMO one needs these installed as some pads fit loosely and can vibrate out.

I swap pads at least weekly for the carbon wheel rides.

But these lil screws can vibrate out as well. anyone have a good source for multiples of these?

fietsbob

No screws needed..

pesty

Don't listen to anything anyone says here. Those screws are completely unnecessary and are nothing but extra weight the mfg's put there to make it harder for you to work on your bike yourself and to make you slower than the pros. It's a racket they have going on with their sponsored riders and the LBSs. Removing the screws will not only save you time and money on maintenance but will also also make you faster due to your bike being grams lighter and more aero.

The only reason you would need those screws would be if you're riding your bike backwards. So as long as you're always going forwards, you're safe.


*disclaimer*
Everything I just posted here is sarcasm and satire. Do not listen to or follow any of this advice at risk of flaming death.

Dan Burkhart 

Another thread resurrection. I've had to work on some tri bikes with inside the chain stay brakes that had no room for the screw head. In those cases, the forward rotation of the wheel is relied on to keep the pad in place, and seems to work OK.

spectastic

i had my bike in the back of the car, in a weird position. i forgot to tighten the screws before putting the bike in the car, and one of them got lost. i was surprised how easily it was for the pad to just slip out. the pads were carbon wheel specific, and had a pretty lose fit inside the shoes. all i had to do to make them slip out was grab the brake, and move my bike backwards just a little bit. i'd do that just willy nilly at the starting line before a race, or when I do a head set tightness check. so now, I make sure the screws are in there.