bikemeister

Found this piece of steel at a rummage sale. Cost me $1. What grabbed my eye was the ends look eerily similar to the unavailable Park brake bending tool. I thought maybe I could use it for that job?
The tool has no markings, is 11 1/4" long and 3/8" thick. The openings are 9mm on one end and a hair bigger than 5.5mm on the other. Is this close to the BT3 opening? I I don't have an old brake to test fit it on myself, so, if someone has the Park tool and can give me the measurement I'd appreciate it.

jccaclimber

I don't have a Park BT-3 to measure, but I did just measure the thickness of the pad mounting tab on 3 different pairs of rim caliper brakes. They varied from 4.5 mm to 6 mm in thickness, with the latter being a fairly inexpensive part.
1. IMO this was obsoleted by a crescent wrench in many cases.
2. If it fits your brakes (and it seems like it's about right), go for it. It's not an exact science.

HillRider

I do have a BT-3 and the gap measures 5.6 mm. As noted, a small adjustable wrench is a good substitute.

bikemeister

Thanks, gents!