0ld skool MTB 'v' brakes' - are they the same,front and back?

[Widge]

I'm currently rebuilding the old knackered rigid mtb from the back of our shed (don't ask!) into what I hope will be a tasty and useful light(ish)weight multi-purpose do-it-all day bike. I'm replacing everything from the frame up with new bargain basement parts and (kind of) having some fun doing it.

I ordered some nice quality Tektro v brakes from Planet X but they forgot to send one of the brake arms ( a 'master' arm with the cradle attachment)..

Nice man at planet x said he would send on the missing arm if I would tell him whether it was for the front or back?

Well...........I offered the one I had up to the bike and it it seemed it would fit either position correctly, and there was no indication on the packaging or the arms themselves to say whether any of the arms where front or back specific. Also...the crusty old arms I removed from the bike are identical front and and back.

Is this commonly the case?

I can see no reason why they wouldn't work both ways round? So how am I know which one I'm short of?

Confused now.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks

w

 

[lukesdad]

The way the pads mount.

 

[Widge]

Thanks Lukesdad......

The pads mount correctly whether I put the one complete set I have on the front or the back.

What I don't understand is why the planet x man insists the actual brake arms are front and back specific when fitting seems to work either way? The noodle comes from the right side cradle on the front and the left side on the back as with all other v brakes I have encountered. Nothing appears odd about them compared to my other bikes 'v's.

I have fitted a few pairs of v brakes in my time, and don't recall specific front and back brake variants on any of them - but am prepared to be proved wrong.

 

[lukesdad]

Thanks Lukesdad......

The pads mount correctly whether I put the one complete set I have on the front or the back.

What I don't understand is why the planet x man insists the actual brake arms are front and back specific when fitting seems to work either way? The noodle comes from the right side cradle on the front and the left side on the back as with all other v brakes I have encountered. Nothing appears odd about them compared to my other bikes 'v's.

I have fitted a few pairs of v brakes in my time, and don't recall specific front and back brake variants on any of them - but am prepared to be proved wrong.

Did they not come witht the pads attatched ? its quite simple to work out which is which if they did.

 

[I like Skol]

I think the arms are not F/R specific (IME) but the noodles often are as the rear is typically about 90deg while the front is often 110-120deg.

 

[lukesdad]

Ah Ive just looked at the tektro's they're not cartridges are they ?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

There is no difference between front or back regarding arms or pads. But if one of the arms or pads is missing you do need to be sure they send the other one because "left" and "right" are not the same in both cases.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

the easiest way of knowing which one you are short of is to look at the top of the brake callipers. One will have a screw (adjuster) for clamping down on the brake cable, and the other will have that clip thingie (sorry lack of terminology again - can't think but is the one of the left of the image I have uploaded) for holding onto the end of the brake cable outer...

Currently sitting looking at 2 pairs that I know I took off the front & rear of my OH mtb when I upgraded his brake callipers and there is no left/right or front/back markings on any of them, and there are 2 different models here

 

[soonmaiton]

pads is missing you do need to be sure they send the other one because "left" and "right" are not the same in both cases.