mattinkansas

I realize these are "fussy" questions, so apologies in advance. I started working on an old Fuji and to be clear the brakes work fine the way you see them in the photos. But I have never encountered this particular cable hanger system and now I'm wondering about three things: 1. Do I have the hanger facing the right way, meaning the bolt head is what you can see, while the nut and the base of the link become the back side? 2. Should there be a plastic sheath of some sort around the section of the cable that goes from the hanger to the pinch bolt? And, 3. Is it strange that the on the rear brakes the pinch bolt is on the non-drive side of the bike but on the front brakes the pinch bolt is on the drive side? Just something about this set up that doesn't look right to me! Thanks, Matt

Andrew R Stewart 

1- Bolt head is fine. I do like to place a crimp or bend in the primart cable right at the yoke's edges. less cable/spring action when pulling the lever.

2- As long as the lengths of both sides of the "straddle" cable are about the same no outer sheath is needed. The sometimes-provided sheath is to ensure the lengths are the same.

3- The brakes are made to be the same, WRT side to side features. When installed they face opposite ways, thus one looks "reversed" compared to the other.

If you move the pads further inwards on the eyebolts, that hold them to the canti arms, the yoke will drop down the primary cable and you'll end up with more leverage (some call this "power") at the loss of lever rigidness. Andy.

Jeff Neese

What doesn't look right to me is the length of the straddle cable. I can't imagine the stopping power would be very good with that setup.

The Geometry of Cantilever Brakes