hotbike

Bike Brakes by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Bike Brakes by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Went shopping for spare parts on Wednesday the 25th , Having some brake problems, wanted to have spare parts "On Hand" before disassembling anything...
Got a bag of Cables at the Hicksville Sears store. $8.00 eight dollars for a pack of cables, I count at least three cables w/o opening the bag, seems like a bargain...

A set of VEE style calipers though, was Not present, I went across Broadway to the Target store, they had even less, no they had nothing...

I went along Jericho turnpike, but could not find a bike shop in Syosset . (they moved)
So I went to the LBS in Oyster Bay, and got some Vee brake calipers there, for $17.00.
I also bought a small jar of red grease
https://pedros.com/products/clean-and...n-grease-plus/
apparently, the jar I bought was NOS...
Bike Brakes by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

On closer examination, I was able to pull my brake caliper away from the rim, and bend the spring back a little, which gave it more tension, so I might not need all this stuff, but it's good to have on hand as spares...

I need to pull the right rear caliper off, grease the stud, and re-assemble...

Mauriceloridans

The tiny dark colored phillips head screw at the bottom of the V brake arm adjusts the tension on the spring. Tighten the one nearest the rim a turn or two and loosen the opposite one the same amount. But first be sure the wheel is centered in the dropouts.

Retro Grouch 

To be a V Brake it has to be Shimano. The copies are properly called linear pull brakes.

JanMM

Are you an agent for the Shimano lawyers?

V-brake has crossed over to the land of common usage for all linear pull brakes.

hotbike

Okay, the Vee™ Brakes I am using are NOT Shimano... the ones from Tektro are crap...

Soooo, I'm going to try these cheap knock-offs under the name "Origin8", which , if you examine closely, actually have bubbles in the aluminum...

https://www.origin8.bike/product-desc..._model_uid=447
Product Details

• Forged aluminum construction
• Dual hex screw tension adjustment
• 101mm length
• 195g each
• SHIMANO Equivalent BR-M422

Classic


Origin-8 Classic direct-pull cantilever brake is a great upgrade for, the weekend warrior. Available in both front and rear, They are forged aluminum construction with a dual hex screw tension adjustment. Available in black or silver.

hotbike

The LBS Chief said I should rub the studs with fine sandpaper, that the stud actually gets fatter as the screw is turned, (putting it under compression), then lube it.
OR use blue Loctite™ , and NOT put much torque on the screws, so the caliper can pivot freely...

LesterOfPuppets

Brake bolts should be hit with some blue loctite. Only tighten 'til there's no play in arm.

Hopefully arms aren't too bubbly. In other words I hope you're seeing sand casting texture, not actual voids.

Andrew R Stewart 

I would be careful about using Loctite on boss bolts if the bike had thread in bosses. Most steel frames have the boss shaft and it's base a single piece of steel which in turn is brazed/welded to the blade/stay. The shaft won't come loose from the base unless something really bad happens (like a huge impact). However most AL frames have the base in AL and welded to the blade/stay BUT the shaft (made of steel) is threaded into this base. It is not uncommon to have the shaft come loose from the base. Making the boss bolt's retention in the shaft REALLY strong makes it FAR more likely that when the brake is needed to be removed (say for cleaning and service) that the shaft will spin with the bolt and only unthread from the base.

Now using Loctite on the base/shaft threads IS a good idea. Andy.

hotbike

It's a 4130 chrome.molybd, frame , YES , now I am going to buy a new tube of blue Loctite™, the last tube ran out after several years...

dabac

Supposedly there are brakes that pivot directly against the brake bosses, but I've never seen any. A far more common design is where the brake arms turn around a bushing set into the brake arm and clamped in place by the screw.
A thin sheen of lube is good insurance against future disassembly issues, but won't do anything for the performance of a brake with bushings.

Dan Burkhart 

Blue comes in two versions, 242 and 243. Same holding strength but the 243 will tolerate a small amount of oil or grease on the fasteners. It's the one I use.
LOCTITE 243 - Threadlocker medium strength - Loctite

hotbike

Yes , Brass Bushings, that's what these brakes have. Brass has a lower Coefficient of Friction than Steel.