Situating brakes

[User]

 

[Smokin Joe]

If they are dual pivot brakes the front of the bridge is recessed to take the nut. If they are not, no reason you can't.

 

[steve50]

Is your luggage rack mounted on the caliper bolt or just clamped to the frame?
If mounted on the caliper bolt why not make an extended bracket long enough to clear the brake caliper, one end fitted to the caliper bolt the other bolted to the existing rack bracket, if the rack is just clamped to the frame move it up an inch or so.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

If you can fit them in front and want to do so, do it. There's no mechanical reason why not. However, with horizontal drop-outs and a cantilever fit, they may be too long for fitting in front. Just try, if it works, it works.

 

[screenman]

Front brakes are not always fitted on the front.

If you turn the caliper make sure the blocks are facing the right way.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

[QUOTE 4481799, member: 9609"]are dual pivot calipers designed for front and rear or can they just be turned round (providing as @screenman has just said the blocks are rotated)[/QUOTE]
There is no difference other than the length of the mounting bolt. But remember, as they are turned around, the cable enters from the other side.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Front brakes are not always fitted on the front.

Not quite clear what you mean here (and this is not (just) being pedantic). I assume you are not talking about brakes (eg on some TT frames) designed to operate behind the forks. If you fitted the front brake behind the fork crown on a normally proportioned bike, it would foul the down tube. Or are you saying that front brakes are sometimes fitted on the rear (with a longer mounting bolt).

 

[raleighnut]

Not quite clear what you mean here (and this is not (just) being pedantic). I assume you are not talking about brakes (eg on some TT frames) designed to operate behind the forks. If you fitted the front brake behind the fork crown on a normally proportioned bike, it would foul the down tube. Or are you saying that front brakes are sometimes fitted on the rear (with a longer mounting bolt).

It's a dodge I've used on older frames to avoid having to drill a thin brake bridge out to accept the sleeve nut. The longer bolt of a front caliper means you can just use a normal (nylock) nut to fit them.