setting up dual pivot brakes

[robsy]

i am trying to fit a pair of dual pivot Tektro brakes. They have old style nut and bolt fixing. The problem i have is that the brake pads are toed into the rim in such a way that the rear of the pad touches the rim first. There doesn't seem to be a way of toeing them any differently. Is there something obviously wrong here?
Thanks
Rob

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Generally the 4 specially shaped washers on each side you can see below allow you to tighten the pads at an angle (so that the front of the pad touches the rim first) when the brake arm is between the 2nd and 3rd. You can try wedging a bit of cardboard at the back of the pad against the rim while you pull the lever with one hand and tighten the allen screw with another.

 

[PpPete]

There should be either:
asymnetric washers on the pad fixing bolt that can be rotated to change the degree of toeing in.
or a washer with a concave face/convex face on the caliper with ability to rotate the pad w.r.t. the caliper.

On really old-fahioned calipers (long before days of dual pivot) the above features were lacking and it was sometimes necessary to grip the end of the caliper in an adjustable spanner and physically twist the end.

 

[robsy]

Its a road bike. There's no washers on the shoe which allows angle adjustment. The only concave/convex washers on the brake unit are where the threaded pin is fitted through the fork and rear stays. Maybe these washers allow adjustment however to the shoe somehow, but if so, then fitting the damn things isn't so straight forward as i thought it would be.

 

[HLaB]

This youtube video tutorial may be of help.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

There's no washers on the shoe which allows angle adjustment. The only concave/convex washers on the brake unit are where the threaded pin is fitted through the fork and rear stays. Maybe these washers allow adjustment however to the shoe somehow, but if so, then fitting the damn things isn't so straight forward as i thought it would be.

The concave/convex washers at the fork/stays are for different purposes. Many pads come with the washers, including Tektro ones such as this. You can buy the shoe fixing washers/nuts too but I don't know if they cost a lot less.

 

[jimboalee]

To adjust the toe-in on road brakes like the Tektro calipers in that video, you need to remove the blocks and front wheel ( rear can be done with wheel in ), grip the brake's arm ( where the block fixes on ) with an adjustable spanner and give it a tweak.

Not too strong at first. You can test your 'mechanical adjustment' by sliding a ciggie packet between the brake's arms and eye-ing up the alignment.

They should end up so there is about 2mm more width at the rear of the blocks.

Park tools sell a special tool for this.

If you haven't got the bottle to do this yourself, take the bike to your LBS. If they snap the brake in two, they replace it FOC.

 

[jimboalee]

Furthermore.

When you have the toe-in set and are using CARTRIDGE brake blocks, when the blocks are worn, simply take out the little security screw, slide the worn cartridge blocks out and slide new cartridge blocks in. Replace the little security screw.

Easy peasy. Can be done half way through a mountain Audax.

 

[jimboalee]

A further furthermore.

The most important parts of any road going vehicle are its brakes.

After setting up new brakes or tweaking used brakes, take the bike out to a quiet hill and test their effectiveness.

Try to stop on the down gradient with ONE brake only, each in turn.

A rider with some experience should quickly feel whether the brakes are capable or not.

Don't listen to anyone who tells you you don't need to brake on the rear brake only. When a misshap befalls the front brake, what else do you have?

In a real emergency, slide your bum off the back of the saddle, put your weigh on the saddle using your belly and use the soles of your shoes on the tarmac as brakes.
It will cost you the price of a pair of shoes, but save your kids the price of a funeral.

Another 'shaggy dog ' story from Jimbo.

 

[robsy]

i see, but surely i shouldn't need those, afterall what is supplied in the brake kit should be enough to set the system up? Having said that, picking up a couple of washers from my LBS may be the answer. thanks

 

[robsy]

thanks for the replies guys although this thread leads me to another question.

Which side is best for brake levers? Is it just personal preference?
I ask because i have in the past always had the left brake lever on the right hand side of the bar. Here in Germany it is often vice versa.

When setting up these Tektro brakes i noticed for the first time that the orientation of the cable tension bolts (i.e where the cable goes through the calliper) is on the right hand side.
It means that if the right hand lever is for the front brake then the cable housing doesn't run as straight down to the calliper as it would if the lever were on the left hand side of the bar. Should i swap the levers over and learn get used to the new setup or simply make the cable housing linger, for as it stands at the moment it is too short.

Does that make sense?!

 

[Origamist]

A further furthermore.

The most important parts of any road going vehicle are its brakes.

After setting up new brakes or tweaking used brakes, take the bike out to a quiet hill and test their effectiveness.

Try to stop on the down gradient with ONE brake only, each in turn.

A rider with some experience should quickly feel whether the brakes are capable or not.

Don't listen to anyone who tells you you don't need to brake on the rear brake only. When a misshap befalls the front brake, what else do you have?

In a real emergency, slide your bum off the back of the saddle, put your weigh on the saddle using your belly and use the soles of your shoes on the tarmac as brakes.
It will cost you the price of a pair of shoes, but save your kids the price of a funeral.

Another 'shaggy dog ' story from Jimbo.

A much more considered post, Jim - you see, you can still learn at your age.

A couple of other things, make sure you cover the brakes when descending and can stop within the distance you can see ahead (useful if a sheep is lurking behind a tight bend).

 

[robsy]

A much more considered post, Jim - you see, you can still learn at your age.

A couple of other things, make sure you cover the brakes when descending and can stop within the distance you can see ahead (useful if a sheep is lurking behind a tight bend).

And should i keep my eyes open or are they better closed?

 

[MartinC]

thanks for the replies guys although this thread leads me to another question.

Which side is best for brake levers? Is it just personal preference?
I ask because i have in the past always had the left brake lever on the right hand side of the bar. Here in Germany it is often vice versa.

When setting up these Tektro brakes i noticed for the first time that the orientation of the cable tension bolts (i.e where the cable goes through the calliper) is on the right hand side.
It means that if the right hand lever is for the front brake then the cable housing doesn't run as straight down to the calliper as it would if the lever were on the left hand side of the bar. Should i swap the levers over and learn get used to the new setup or simply make the cable housing linger, for as it stands at the moment it is too short.

Does that make sense?!

To recap on the original answers. Cheap, non-cartridge brake blocks often don't have any alignment washers and you need to adjust the toe in by twisting the brake caliper arms as others have described.

Which side you have the brake levers is purely personal preference - and it's best to have all your bikes the same way. The global convention is that the front brake lever is on the left hand - as you've noticed most brake calipers are manufactured to conform with this.

In the UK there seem to be strange but common beliefs that it's something to do with the side of the road you drive on or having the front brake on the "strongest hand" and that they should be the other way round. My preference is for normal (LH front). My understanding is that this convention arose in racing 'cos most people are right handed and change gear (especially in the days of DT gear levers), blow their nose, scratch their arse, etc, with their right hand. Thus their left hand was always available immediately for braking - important if you riding in a group.

 

[jimboalee]

A much more considered post, Jim - you see, you can still learn at your age.

A couple of other things, make sure you cover the brakes when descending and can stop within the distance you can see ahead (useful if a sheep is lurking behind a tight bend).

I frightened the life out of a woman motorist once on my Moulton Mini.

I descended Churchill Road in Solihull ( 10% for about 100 yds ) with both arms held out as if I was trying to take off into the wild blue yonder.

The bike has a Sachs Torpedo coaster rear hub brake and I was standing on the rear pedal gliding slowly down the hill.
Pesky kids