Weissman brakes

[afl2]

Rebuilding a bike with bits off everything. Have come up with a couple of issues. 1. have three sets of brakes likely twenty plus yrs old. Yet neither have both sides pulling. Is that common for age of w brakes?? 2. got old thumb shifters but they also perform poor,friction type. Do these parts have a shelf life as such in terms of performance?
Should i forget salvaging the parts, get new replacements?
Thanks for looking.
Afl2

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Rebuilding a bike with bits off everything. Have come up with a couple of issues. 1. have three sets of brakes likely twenty plus yrs old. Yet neither have both sides pulling. Is that common for age of w brakes?? 2. got old thumb shifters but they also perform poor,friction type. Do these parts have a shelf life as such in terms of performance?
Should i forget salvaging the parts, get new replacements?
Thanks for looking.
Afl2

I think the answers to your questions depend on the quality of the components. Numerous vintage components, far older than yours, are in fully operational condition and in use today, requiring no more than strip, clean and lubricate from time to time. If you can provide more detailed make/model/photos perhaps would help.

 

[afl2]

Thanks for getting back.
Attached are pic

 

[afl2]

The blue brake is the only one that operates both sides.

 

[yello]

I had a similar problem my Weissmans. From memory, there's a nut (like a lock nut?) that sits between the callipers on the calliper bolt. Once you've cleaned and oiled the brakes, play with the tension on that bolt. I found with mine that loosening it off just a tad enabled both callipers to move evenly.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I think they are Weinmann caliper brakes, extremely common as stock brakes on bikes in the 80s and earlier. Sheldon provided some ideas as to how to centre them.

The photos are a bit blurred but I think a thumb shifter says SIS on it, which means it is made by Shimano and can be indexed (and usually, in those days, also switchable into friction mode). If you can look up the model code (it could be stamped on the underside of the lever arms, probably something like SL-xxx) it might be possible to dig up schematic and other info. on them.

 

[afl2]

Thanks for your replies. Yes I stripped and wiped down so would be interested in what oil you are using for cleaning.
will look up the gear levers as well
Thanks

 

[yello]

I think they are Weinmann caliper brakes,

I knew what afl2 meant! I just copied the spelling

 

[afl2]

here is the brake broken down.
Wiping clean and reassemble should do it but that does not.
Is there a time limit to the spring that operates the brake?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I knew what afl2 meant! I just copied the spelling

Understood.

here is the brake broken down.
Wiping clean and reassemble should do it but that does not.
Is there a time limit to the spring that operates the brake?

In case there is any misunderstanding, if you are saying that the two pads don't hit the rim at the same time, then the answer is that they don't need to.

If on the other hand you are saying that you can't get the brake to centre, then from the photo I think, although hard to be 100% sure, that you have what they call a double nut type, which requires the brake spindle to be rotated just so and fixed in relation to the frame to give you the same pad/rim clearance both sides. The reason is that the spindle has a ridge that fits the recess in the black plastic spacer, which in turn determines the orientation of the spring, which in turn determines the position of each arm. If you can check and see that is the case then you can look up the instruction just above the orange frame here - I think you can improvise without the OBW-3 spanner if you get the gist of what needs to be done.

 

[afl2]

The problem I get is one arm is moving and the other does not.

 

[mrandmrspoves]

This may be improved by altering the brake cable position. Sometimes if the cable outer is too short or too long it tethers the brake calliper or pushes it over.

 

[sidevalve]

This may be improved by altering the brake cable position. Sometimes if the cable outer is too short or too long it tethers the brake calliper or pushes it over.

+1 for that. The outer can seriously affect the "centering" of caliper brakes if it's too short or long [or if it catches when turning the bars].

 

[yello]

you have what they call a double nut type, which requires the brake spindle to be rotated just so and fixed in relation to the frame to give you the same pad/rim clearance both sides.

That's the chappie I meant when I said 'lock nut' (though I did wrongly think it was between the callipers). I found that just loosening the inner one just a tadge, that it freed up the callipers sufficiently for them to move evenly. But maybe I got lucky or my problem was different, the nut being too tight in the first place!

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

The problem I get is one arm is moving and the other does not.

Without the cable what happens if you install without the spring pushing on its catches at the calipers? Do the arms move freely? If not you might be able to identify some clash/rub and/or washers mix up, or the inside nut of the double nut is too right against the calipers (as yello probably had).