thook

hi there, i'd been working on my ross mt hood and had to take the rear brake loose because i broke the stud on the lever reach adjuster came. perhaps i left the pinch bolt loose on the brake cam and so it fell it off somewhere transporting the bike from the area i had been working down to the workshop to finish things up. i don't know. all i know is now i can't find the cam. there's a replacement on ebay with no pinch bolt, but it's the narrower cam as is on the front. the rear had a wide body cam like this one.....



question is can i use the narrower style came on the rear like this one?...


also, can i use a pinch bolt for it like any ol' thing from a center pull or cantilever yoke?

thanks. i'm gonna keep looking for the cam i lost, though

ps. i should add i'm working on suntour xc roller cams....not xcd. don't know if that makes any difference

randyjawa 

Were it me. and considering that the cam appears to be nothing more that a flat piece of steel, I would simply make another one...

Get a piece of stainless steel that is the same thickness as the one you lost. I am assuming that you have one from the other brake to compare to. A piece of stainless steel might be readily available at a pawn shop or used items store in the form of a metal cooking pot. Trace the shape you need, based on the one cam that you do have. It will take some time and require the use of a drill, hacksaw and half round file. It should not be too hard to do. Perhaps needless to say, your home made one will not be imbued with the Suntour name but it should work just fine.

SJX426 

After you make it, you will find the one you lost. That's the way it rolls with me.

thook

there's not such a place like that in my area, anymore. the "bike city" closed years ago and now it's just the big shops and they don't usually retain old parts like that. i wish there was a co-op here

thook

that'll be a last resort. i mean, i had thought of that immediately, but the question remains will a narrow style cam work the same for the rear in terms of pull/actuation? if so, tracing the front cam and making a copy is a grand solution. otoh, the one on ebay is going for $12 and change...sans the hardware. and, of course, making a copy would be a lot easier with a band saw...that i don't have

thook

lol....yeah, same here

John E

I have a RollerCam front brake, but a U-brake in back, so no direct experience w/ the front-back difference.

However, for under-the-chainstay orientation, the brake arms/shoes cannot be allowed to swing outward too far, because of interference with the cranks, chainrings, etc. This is where it would make sense to go with a wider cam plate in back. If you use the narrower one, make sure you don't have a mechanical interfrence problem. The other difference you might notice would be in modulation of the brakes, which would be a function of the respective curvatures of the wide and narrow cam plates.

The Golden Boy 

There was a site with a store in Louisiana (IIRC) that had roller cam parts (I ordered a 3rd hand tool years ago)- along with a bunch of other NOS Suntour (lower end) parts.

thook

oh boy....that's what i have, too. <<<scream!!>>> i hate that i lost this thing.
i suppose i'll have to try the front brake's cam plate on the rear as onyerleft suggested and see what happens. i did have to trim the kool stop salmon pad on the non drive side when i installed them in order that the crank would clear the brake. the arm kept swiping the end of the pad post.

thook

there was....lol! well, if you ever remember the name of it or run across it at some point, please let me know. at some point, i think i'd like to stock a few spare parts for these brakes. i'm really liking them...antiquated as they are. they feel nice and solid and stop like beasts

thook

so, i just tried this out and works just fine. thanks! i should'a thought of that myself, but i don't always think straight in the midst of panic and despair...haha

thook

upon the suggestion, i tried the front cam plate on the rear and there's no interference. i actually gained a bit more clearance! and, the actuation doesn't feel any different, either. so, i'm just gonna order the cam plate on ebay. maybe the one i lost will turn up in a week afterward...hahaha

CroMo Mike 

Drag a magnet on the ground along the route you traveled taking the bike inside - maybe it will pick up the missing plate. Unless it is aluminum or stainless.

thook

i've got one, too. a nice strong one on an extendable handle. from harbor freight. i plan to do this today...as soon as i can find the magnet...lol. wife left it somewhere

CroMo Mike 

I guess you'll have to drag some metal to find the magnet first?

thook

hahahaha.....good one!

i did eventually find the magnet tool. wife used it and left it the feed shed

also, embarrassingly, i just found the cam plate a few minutes ago!! i searched everywhere for days and all through laundry i was sure i'd worn that week. (i tend to stick stuff in my pockets since i frequently wear cargo shorts = handy.) anyway, i just happened to put on the pair of shorts i'd actually worn that day.(vs the ones i thought i wore) and there's the plate in the front pocket...pffth. oh well. now i have a spare cam plate on the way