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What kind of brakes do I have?
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The easiest way to differentiate between a caliper brake and its counterpart, the cantilever brake, is to look where the brake is attached to the frame of your bicycle. If the brake is attached at two points, you have a cantilever brake. If the brake is attached by a single, centered bolt, you have a caliper brake. This article will discuss adjustments of the caliper brake.
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When do I need to adjust my caliper brakes?
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If you notice that brake pads barely touch the rim with the brake lever fully engaged, if the brakes shift back and forth when engaged with the wheel, if they hesitate to open, or if they squeal, it is time to adjust your caliper brakes.
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How do I adjust my caliper brake?
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There are two components of caliper brakes that need to be considered independently in order to arrive at a proper adjustment. We will discuss the adjustment of brake pads first, followed by caliper arms.
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- Always consider using a bike stand to work on your bicycle
- Open-ended wrenchess
- Cone wrenches
- Pliers
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The first thing you should do before attempting to adjust your caliper brakes is make sure that the wheel is properly centered in the frame or fork (depending on which brake you need to adjust). Beginning mechanics often overcompensate with fruitless brake adjustments when the problem can be remedied by a simple readjustment of the wheel position.
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At the ends of your brake caliper arms you will find the brake pads. Each of these pads is attached by a single nut. Squeeze the brake lever to make sure that the pads touch the rim at as high a point as possible without rubbing against the tire.
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If the pad position needs to be adjusted, simply loosen the fastening nut and retighten it in the proper position. Make sure the pad is running parallel to the rim, not at a diagonal angle in either direction.
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Where the brake cable meets the brake you will find a knob called a barrel adjuster. The barrel adjuster will add or decrease tension in the brake cable, which adjusts the distance of the brake pads from the rim.
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- Turning the barrel adjuster clockwise decreases brake cable tension, moving the pads away from the rim
- Turning the barrel adjuster counterclockwise increases brake cable tension, moving the pads closer to the rim
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If the barrel adjuster is already as far out as it will go, you will need to pull slack out of the cable manually. To do so, start by turning the barrel adjuster clockwise until it stops.
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Find the place where the brake cable is attached to the brake (past the barrel adjuster). This is called a pinch bolt. Loosen the pinch bolt
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This part can be tricky, but a few tries and some cursing will probably be enough to see you through. While clamping the brakes closed with one hand, pull the cable taut with a pair of pliers and then retighten the pinch bolt with the other hand.
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The brake pads will probably be a few millimeters from the rim. Turn the barrel adjuster counterclockwise to tighten the brake cable if the pads need to be closer.
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Engage and disengage the brakes a few times to make sure everything is properly secure.
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If the arms of your caliper brakes are rubbing on the rim (and you are sure the rim is straight and centered), a simple adjustment is in order.
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There should be two nuts at the outward-facing area of your brake where it attaches to the frame or fork. Grab the outside of these two nuts with an open-ended wrench.
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If there is a flat square of metal between the brake and the frame or fork, grab this with a cone wrench. If there is no such square, insert an allen wrench into the back of the bolt, located on the inward facing area of the frame or fork.
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Turn both wrenches in the same direction, left or right depending on the necessary adjustment.
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Check the tightness of the caliper arms by holding them in your hands and moving them forward and backward.
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If the arms have any play, loosen the outermost locknut a quarter turn using an open-ended wrench.
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Tighten the nut located closest to the frame so that the caliper arms have no free back and forth movement but are not too tight to hinder brake function.
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Retighten the outermost locknut.
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It is OK if one brake pad makes contact before the other. As long as neither pad drags on the rim when the brake is disengaged, there is no need for an adjustment.
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Brake noise can be irritating. Sometimes it gets so loud the noise is downright embarrassing. If your brake pads are old, simply replacing them is often the proper solution. Here are a few suggestions to try before you rush off to the local bike shop for new parts.
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Grab your brake with your hands and wiggle it forward and back. If there is more than the tiniest bit of play, loosen the outer locknut a quarter turn and tighten the nut which secures the brake to the frame or fork. Don’t tighten the securing nut so much that brake function is hindered, and don’t forget to retighten the locknut!
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“Toeing in” your brake pads often silences the squeals; this means adjusting the pads so the front portion makes contact before the rear. One way to toe in your brake pads is to carefully bend the brake calipers with a pair of pliers. Do this only if the calipers are made of steel, and do so only in tiny increments, testing after each bend.
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If your caliper arms are made of aluminum, removing the brake pads and filing them to an angle so the front will make contact before the rear is a viable option.
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