Installingч brakes
After you’ve reattached the brake pads, you’re ready to reinstall the brakes. To install cantilever brakes, follow these steps:
1. Apply a small amount of grease to the bosses, the frame post that the brake arms mount to.
2. Slide each brake arm onto a boss, inserting the small pin at the end of the brakes’ coiled spring into the middle hole.
3. Insert the pivot bolt into the boss and tighten it with an Allen wrench.
4. Run the end of the cable through the cable clamp and, while squeezing the brakes against the rim with one hand, tighten the cable clamp bolt with the other.
Bike shops often use a fourth-hand tool to help tighten the brake cable (see Figure 8-11).
To install V-brakes, follow these steps:
1. Apply a small amount of grease to the pivots.
2. Slide each brake onto a pivot, inserting the small pin at the end of the brakes’ coiled spring into the middle hole.
The top hole will give that side of the brake more recoil tension and the lower hole will give that side less recoil tension. These are used if the fine-tuning spring adjustment is not enough (see “Adjusting Brakes,” later in this chapter).
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3. Insert the pivot bolt into the boss and tighten with an Allen wrench.
4. Pass the cable wire through the metal curved tube (called the noodle) that comes with the brakes.
5. Insert the metal tube with cable wire into the slot in the cable holder until the tip is poking out through the other end and is firmly in place.
6. Insert the cable wire into the rubber sleeve and slide the sleeve onto the tip of the metal tube.
7. Run the end of the cable through the cable clamp and, while holding and squeezing the brakes against the rim with one hand, tighten the cable clamp bolt with the other.
Bike shops often use a fourth-hand tool, which eliminates the need to hold the brakes together (refer to Figure 8-11).
To install center-mount brakes, follow these steps:
1. Examine and make note of the spacers and washers on the front and rear center mounting bolts.
Sometimes they have moon-shaped spacers that need to go next to the front and/or back part of the frame or fork. Other times, they use a recessed mounting nut with the lock washer on the side closest to the
brake caliper, or just a standard nut with the lock washer on the back side next to the nut. The front brake will usually have the longer center mounting bolt.
2. Remove the nut, spacers, and washers that will be on the inside of the frame or fork, and insert the center mounting bolt through the hole either in the fork or the rear brake bridge.
3. Install the remaining spacers and washer.
4. While holding the brakes so that they’re centered over the rim, tighten with the nut.
5. Run the end of the cable through the cable housing stop, and then through the cable clamp and, while squeezing the brakes against the rim with one hand, tighten the cable clamp bolt with the other hand.
6. Set your pads and make your final adjustments (see “Adjusting Brakes,” next).
7. Trim the excess cable to about 2 inches, and put a cable end cap on it so it doesn’t fray.