Anyone willing to guess the problem?

Mycroft H

Right, I've an old set of sidepull calipers on my miyata. Dia Compe 500.



I just can't seem to get the adjustment on the center bolt right. Too tight and the spring doesn't have the strenght to pull back the calipers when there engaged and too loose the caliper arms tend to screech when they vibrate under heavy braking as they are loose. Any tips on getting it right? It's driving me mad at this stage.

I've new pads and cables to the problem isn't there.

EDIT; I was thinking that a new spring would work, but I'm not sure how much tension they should have to start with. I've been a cantilever break user all my life so I'm sort of unfamillier with them.

bcmf

Trial and error with the adjustments.
Get them so they are either too loose or too tight and make very small increments.
The springs are fairly sensitive so just take your time and make the adjustments in very small turns.

07Lapierre

I suggest you dis-assemble the brake caliper, clean thoroughly and re-assemble.
The symptoms you describe are most likely "old age" combined with a build up of dirt/corrosion on the centre bolt.

Mycroft H

07Lapierre wrote: »

I suggest you dis-assemble the brake caliper, clean thoroughly and re-assemble.
The symptoms you describe are most likely "old age" combined with a build up of dirt/corrosion on the centre bolt.

Thats been done. They look like new now, as good as they do in the photo.

07Lapierre

BX 19 wrote: »

Thats been done. They look like new now, as good as they do in the photo.

Brake cables?

feck sake lads

did you try pulling the cable tight when you have the brake blocks squeezed tight against rims then using the adjusters to give you clearence there should be an adjuster nut behind the brakes .btw is there a slight gap from one caliper to other .

Mycroft H

Right got the torque right. Very small window between overdoing it and being too loose though. However my next problem is that the centre securing bolt keeps vibrating loose. It needs to be readjusted every third day or so. Little bit of threadlocker perhaps?

Crow92

BX 19 wrote: »

Right got the torque right. Very small window between overdoing it and being too loose though. However my next problem is that the centre securing bolt keeps vibrating loose. It needs to be readjusted every third day or so. Little bit of threadlocker perhaps?

Another option could be a sprung washer which would help.

coastwatch

BX 19 wrote: »

..Little bit of threadlocker perhaps?

or you could use a Locknut

Mycroft H

I used to have a stash of nylock nuts somewhere cut I cannot for the life of me find them. I have a tube of loctite threadlocker handy so I'm wondering if its bad to use that