What have I done to my brakes?

[clutterydrawer]

Hello all,

after several months without a bike related fiasco I am back with more daft questions.

I replaced my brake pads today, I have done this 50+ times before with no problems. But this time one of them doesn't remotely align with the wheel, as you can see here:

I appreciate that they are meant to be slightly angled relative to the wheel, but not this much - when the front of the pad is touching the rim, the back is 8mm away. What have I done? It was fine before.


Oh and if anyone recalls the horrible pickle I got into before, I no longer live in the pig farm in the middle of nowhere and my new housemate can drive, so things are a lot easier now.

 

[SimonRoberts0204]

youre not too far off about right, 3-4mm angle is ok. Have you tried backing the pad right off, and setting it straight before tightening at all? Are the brake cartridges you have bought designed to fit with the calipers? e,g -shimano brakes+shimano pads?

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Are the washers in the correct order? I haven't touched mine, but if you have them in a different order it changes the distance and angle of the pad. Try comparing the angle and order of the washers to the ones on the other side.

I'm just a newbie so this may not be the case :S

 

[Bigtwin]

Washers is indeed the key. There is a cup one, and a convex one each side of the pad. The latter swivels in the former. Have a look at the other wheel.

This enables you to change the angle and tighten up.

 

[clutterydrawer]

interesting, I will have a look at the washers, thanks.

I don't know what pads they are but the one on the left is fine and the one on the right is not, so I don't think its an issue with them being wrong for the bike.

 

[HLaB]

If the washers are the same on both sides, I'd guess that you put the wheel back on slightly of skew or the brakes need cleaned and re balancing.