Why does my brake lever go all way to grip

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shawninvan

New Member
ya.. its probably generic cable housing.. and could have kinks and jams in it.. you think i should get new housing and a new cable?? does a longer run make it feel like its stretching when you pull the lever>? is that why on some bike runs down the frame without housing then back to housing??? does that make it firmer?
 

Paulus

Started young, and still going.
Location
Barnet,
As an aside, you keep saying that it looks like the frame is being pushed outwards, Have you checked the seatstays for any cracks or damage?
 
Location
Loch side.
ya.. its probably generic cable housing.. and could have kinks and jams in it.. you think i should get new housing and a new cable?? does a longer run make it feel like its stretching when you pull the lever>? is that why on some bike runs down the frame without housing then back to housing??? does that make it firmer?
How can you say "could" have kinks in jams in it"? Just look and you'll see!

Stretching is not what you feel.
Generic housing has nothing to do with travel.
Pad shape has nothing to do with the approach angle.
Different pads won't change faulty travel.
Bolt offset cannot possibly by any law of geometry cause a travel issue.

I'll be kind and suggest you get someone competent to solve the problem.
 
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shawninvan

New Member
lol... i have 2 kids and like 7 bikes.. i have always solved this problem until now.... its just a weird one... all the parts look good.. new pads... pads hit flat but slide down the rim as in video at top of this posting... go look at video in post #1 ...
 
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shawninvan

New Member
about the front brake.. it seems to work pretty good nice firm grip and hard pull about half way to the grip.,. it does not go in nearly as far as the rar.. thats why i am stumped here..... could it be the cable? or cable length?? WHY do the pads slide down the rim?? why not a firm pull on the rear? could it be cable routing? old cable?? can i have the pads on backward or have some spacers in wrong??? any diagrams on that???
 
Location
Loch side.
about the front brake.. it seems to work pretty good nice firm grip and hard pull about half way to the grip.,. it does not go in nearly as far as the rar.. thats why i am stumped here..... could it be the cable? or cable length?? WHY do the pads slide down the rim?? why not a firm pull on the rear? could it be cable routing? old cable?? can i have the pads on backward or have some spacers in wrong??? any diagrams on that???

Stop pretending is is a paranormal event. Get competent help.
 
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shawninvan

New Member
maybe a different set of brake pads? for the third time? that the bolt is in the middle ? is old cable stretch possible? are old parts possibly the cause?
 

silva

Über Member
Location
Belgium
At some point in the video (25-29 sec) it's like the welded frame joint faced to the camera moves separately from the frame tube, alike up and down relative to it. Maybe the weld has cracked completely all around its edge, but didn't fall out due to some material on the inside with a bigger surface than the hole.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
As ColinJ mentions it's a pity the video is shot in portrait and is so wobbly. A longish shot of the brake (not the lever) operating, in landscape for a bigger screen, from a non-moving camera position, straight behind the bike, would allow the experienced eyes on here to see the problem more easily.

As YS says, best to take the bike to a mechanic and let them look at it.
 
The right hand pad is lower on the rim than the left, which is also a bit low. Your right hand arm is moving more than the left, you need to use the v brake adjustment screw at the bottom to even this out, so they both move the same amount. You might need to slightly change that after the end step.

Next move those brake blocks so that they're contacting near the top of the rim at the same point on both sides. Now, adjust the brake lever cable adjuster so it's about half way out and you can move it in. Set the brake cable tension at the brake so the blocks are on the rim and the wheel won't move without effort. Lock it off and release the cable tension at the handlebar so the wheel moves freely. If any part of the wheel is not straight and touches the blocks, use the tensioner screws to move the arms slightly or alternatively, use a spoke spanner to straighten the wheel. This step might need repeating until you get the cable tension correct.

Cheap brakes only need to go out slightly not to work and once the spring tension in the V brakes alters, it all goes a bit squiffy, you might never quite get it right again without replacing the brakes and levers.
 
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shawninvan

New Member
OH.. would some wd40 on the rim cause them to slide and not grip very firm? maybe some wd40 got on rim when spraying the chain??
is that bad?
 
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