shawnin van

I have a beach cruiser with v brakes.. bike is a giant simple 7 and about 7 years old.. original parts.. i just put new pads on but when i pull the rear brake it goes almost to the hand grip.. pads are on correct. when i pull the lever i can see the pads sliding down the rim and not pushing side to side and making it a nice firm brake pull.. why is it doing this? why are they sliding down the rim??? i am looking at my neighbours bike., .also v brakes and it s a new bike.. brakes are rock solid.. and very firk.. do i need a new cable and housing? am i doing something wrong?? i tried with the tension screw on the brake lever in and out.. i tried with the cable tight at the cable lock are... what do i do to get a rock solid brake feel?

Lemond1985

V brakes need special levers that are compatible. I believe they are called "short pull" levers.

Same thing happened to me when I used V brakes with some brifters, and discovered all brifters are "long pull", and won't ever work with V brakes.

shawnin van

well.... i assume they are the correct levers.. i think they came on the bike but i did not buy it new..... how can i tell if they are v brake levers...???

Lemond1985

Are you saying they're just not making good contact with the rim? If that's the case, I believe the brake pads can be adjusted up or down and angled a bit. Have not worked on any in a while.

shawnin van

Hi.. they make perfect contact smooth on the rimm then the harder you pull the lever they just slide down the side of the rim.. instead of pushing together,, very weird if ya ask me..the harder you pull they farther they slide down the rim until lever hits the hand grip... is this a case of wrong lever or not???

Lemond1985

Probably not the lever, but I'm having a hard time picturing exactly what the brake is doing. What's the exact model V brake?

shawnin van

i should take a video and post it... its bizzare..... hang tight

shawnin van

here is a video tell me what you think

it wont let me show a video
go to youtube
shawninyaletown you can see it

rseeker

vid assist:

Eggman84

I can't say for sure but I think you have the washers on wrong. When you removed the old pads, there would have been some curved (dished) washers that fit between the brake pad and the brake arm, and the nut and the brake arm. Here is one video telling you how to install new v-brake pads (https://www.google.com/search?q=inst...TF-8#kpvalbx=1). Also, if you know the manufacturer of the v-brake itself, you might be able to go to there web site and find a drawing showing the proper order.

Jicafold

Sometimes if your brake pads are at too much of an angle in comparison to the surface of the rim, they can feel spongy. They should always toe in just a tiny bit to prevent squealing, however, if the angle is too much, they feel spongy when you squeeze the lever.

tFUnK

Are the two pads centered so that they contact the rim simultaneously when lever is pulled? Is there play on the wheel or hub such that the wheel isn't laterally stiff enough when the pads contact the rim?

FiftySix

It's as if the pads are too narrow and can't bite the rim early enough in the brake arm travel.

@Eggman84 may be onto the problem with the washer suggestion.

fietsbob

a 2 finger long pull lever will feel firmer than a 3~4 finger lever, and mini (8 cm) V brakes will feel firmer
than long (11 cm) arm brakes .

then there is the rim clearance adjustment tightness.. pad to rim ..






...

Lemond1985

I always adjust my brake pads as close as possible to the rim (without rubbing). I'm seeing lots of what seems like excessive brake caliper movement in the video, maybe the pads just need to be adjusted closer to the rim.

2cam16

It looks like the angle of the pads are off.

Wilfred Laurier

Close, but you actually have it backwards. V brakes require Long pull levers, and brifters are all short pull levers. Cantilever brakes and caliper brakes require 'short pull' levers.

OP's description of the problem does sound a lot like what happens when you try to use 'short pull' levers on V brakes, but since the levers came stock on the bike and were not changed, the answer likely lies elsewhere.

Kapusta

Seeing as the OP replaced only the pads, and did not have the issue before pad replacement, this clearly has nothing to do with the levers he is using. He has the right levers for his brakes.

To the OP: Take another video that better shows the brake pad on the rim, and also shows how the pads are mounted to the brake arm. It is so dark in your vid I can’t really see anything. Also, take the vid from the back, not the side.

However, from your initial description, it sounds like there may need to be an extra spacer between the brake pads and the brake arm.

fietsbob

OK .. the old pads were hard as a brick, the new ones are not , but will age that way over time.

you just are experiencing the age difference in the rubber of the pads..


My guess .

Gresp15C

My own thought is that the surface of the pad swings along an arc whose center is the post, and intersects with the rim. The dimensions of the rim and post haven't changed over time. The force between the pad and the rim has two components, one is perpendicular to the rim, and the other points downward towards the axle. The ratio of these forces hasn't changed over time because it's dictated by the dimensions. What could have changed? If the brake pad has become less effective (hardened rubber or a "lip" due to wear), it will take more pull on the cable to get the same stopping force, but the downward force will have increased as well. So, switching to newer, higher quality pads, that are adjusted to press flat against the rim, might do the trick.

I've seen it where the pads are not set up equally, and one pad deflects the whole rim, leaving more space for the pad to slip downward. This is a setup issue that can be addressed at the time as the overall adjustment process. The two sides have to pivot symmetrically, and if they are not centered, then it has to be taken up with the centering screws. In the video, it looks like the brake is leaning to one side of the bike. If that's not enough to get it centered, lubrication of the posts and/or where the springs contact the arms, would be beneficial. In fact, I'd make sure the brake arms are both running freely, with some oil or grease where the string touches the post, before any further diagnosis.

I hate vee brakes, but have found that patience and attention to what's actually happening, they can be gotten to work.

mitchmellow62

IMOH, this is an adjustment issue. The pads naturally move in an arc of motion and that is what you are seeing. The V brake arms appear to be moving through too big an arc. You mention the rear brake only. Did you change pads on the front? If so, are they ok? Be sure that all washers and spacers went on in the correct order and then make some adjustments. The pad orientation should be adjusted when they meet the rim wall so they are relatively square with it. You also need to adjust the cable attachment so that there is not so much free play before the pad meets the rim wall. Adjustment of spring tension may also be needed so that the brake arms are "centered". If the brake worked satisfactorily before you should be able to get it to work again.