brake problems

[emre_c]

hey i have some experience of bikes and am hugely stuck i am trying to fix my brakes ill go though how i do this i have side mount calipar brakes i grip them hard and press them to the rim then i tighten the cable with some pilers and then i screw the nut down fixing it in place but when i press the brake lever the cable instantly slackens and the lever jsut jams down and does not spring back i cant understand why this is happening can anyone help me

 

[Tynan]

the cable isn't staying taut after setting the nut at the brakes end?

then it surely must be slipping at one end or he other presuming it's not sticking someone where in between when you're setting the length initially.

I'd make sure it's moving nice and smoothly betweem brake lever and brakes initially, assuming the bolt is holding at the brakes end

 

[accountantpete]

I'd start by checking that the cable isn't slipping out of the locking nut. Repeat what you have done but put a bit of tape on the cable right above the nut - you can then tell if the cable is pulling through when you pull on the lever.

 

[emre_c]

ok ill try the tape and i just cant understand it i pull it as hard as i can , i know i could buy a gripping tool but i cant see how it wuld help i pull it tight lever seems tight everything good tension then i tighten the nut and press the press and about a inch of slack appears so much i can remove the cable from the brake lever and it has no spring back i am use to disc or v brakes so its a mystery to me

 

[emre_c]

you said make sure itsmoving nice and freely how would i do that as i dont want to make no more mistakes

 

[Tynan]

the cableslipping through the nut is the obvious thing, try that tip first, is the cable defo threaded correctly through whatever clamps down when the nut is screwed down tight to clamp the cable

as for the other loosen the nut and work the brake lever and see that the cable moves through the various guides etc nice and easily, to and fro

 

[emre_c]

ill have a double check soon but from what i can see yes its just a simple screw with a hole in cable goes though you put screw though and bolt other side , i know this sounds quite bad but the wire is a little frewed could this be causing the lack of tension i know it might effect braking but i did not think it would affect tension to much

 

[Tynan]

a strand or two won't hurt

 

[PpPete]

I suspect the outer somewhere is moving to give you that much slack when you think it's tight. And a frayed cable, whilst it'll work fine for while, makes adjusting a PITA.

£2.50 for a brand new teflon coated stainless inner?

TBH I had a similar prob the other day, turned out the nipple had come out at the lever end!