Can dual pivot brakes replace single pivot without mods

[BADGER.BRAD]

Can I directley replace single pivot brakes with dual pivot ? I have an old touring bike with brakes that after much fetaling are still naff compared to what I'm used to (modern mtb) The bike other than this and a small gear issue is really nice to ride.

 

[derrick]

Straight swap.
As long as the drop is the same.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Thanks I thought they looked as if they would but thought I'd ask.

 

[TheDoctor]

You *may* need brakes with nuts, rather then the recessed bolt, modern sort.
And I'd advise Shimano rather than Tektro, with pink pads fitted on the front.

 

[raleighnut]

You *may* need brakes with nuts, rather then the recessed bolt, modern sort.
And I'd advise Shimano rather than Tektro, with pink pads fitted on the front.

If you need to the front fork can be drilled at the back only to accept the sleeve nut (8mm) but do not drill the rear brake bridge, instead fit a 'front' brake caliper to the rear, the only difference is a slightly longer retaining bolt which will then accept a (nyloc) nut (I've done this several times)

 

[TheDoctor]

^^Good point well made!

 

[Elybazza61]

Also pull ratio may come in to effect depending on the lever/caliper combo.

 

[TheDoctor]

Unless it's the very new Shimano brakes (SLR-EV or the sort where the shift cables go under the bar tape) then all non-V brake levers are compatible with all road brakes.
Source - http://blog.artscyclery.com/ask-a-m...c-brake-lever-and-caliper-cross-compatibility

 

[tyred]

It still won't compare with an MTB for stopping power.

 

[S-Express]

It still won't compare with an MTB for stopping power.

It won't compare with an F1 car with vented carbon discs either, what's your point..??

 

[Ajax Bay]

what's your point..?

Read the OP and answer that yourself. @tyred is seeking to manage OP's expectations.

 

[smutchin]

It still won't compare with an MTB for stopping power.

Once you've got enough stopping power, anything more is superfluous and irrelevant.

 

[TheDoctor]

True. There's no real point in a terribly good back brake for road use.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm a bit late to this thread but ... I replaced some Weinmann sidepulls with some modern dual pivots with no problem. It took some faffing around to make sure I had the right drop - I was a bit unsure what exactly 2 points I needed to measure between. And some searching to get nut fit rather than recessed bolt brakes. The end result? I don't know that the braking efficiency was noticeably different but the old ones were a bit knackered, kept sticking, and were the very devil to get centred right, and the new ones were much better in that respect.

Actually if I'd just taken the old ones off, disassembled them, cleaned off corrosion from the main bolt, greased and reassembled them (which I later did, and re-homed them) then that would possibly have had a similar effect.

If your old tourer has steel rims then I think that will be the key difference between it and other bikes. My memory of brakes on steel rims is that they were really just gentle speed modulators

 

[smutchin]

My memory of brakes on steel rims is that they were really just gentle speed modulators

Except in the wet, when they're purely decorative.