Re: [CR] Toeing Brakes - Help!

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Falck)

From: "Peter Brueggeman" <4peebee@peterbrueggeman.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:02:45 -0700
Subject: Re: [CR] Toeing Brakes - Help!


Stephan Andranian asks "... The issue is how to toe the brakes. ...I don't want to try and bend the calipers, and can't see how the pads will allow for toeing, so before I use any muscle on the brakes,..."

To avoid twisting vintage brake arms to achieve toe-in (and possibly breaking tthem -- famously, Universal brakes), cut a small piece of thin brass sheet stock to function as a wedge, fitting between the front of the brake block and the front of the brake arm.

1) Cut thin brass sheet stock into a small rectangle with the shorter dimension being the height of the brake shoe.

2) Cut a notch or hole for the brake shoe bolt on one end of this oblong rectangle. You can round off the edges of the rectangle on this end if you wish.

3) On the other end of this oblong rectangle, bend the sheet stock once or twice over on itself to make that end of the rectangle thicker. This thicker end will be in front of the brake shoe bolt, and functions as a wedge so that the brake shoe bolts down with a toe-in angle against the brake arm.

If you take your time, you can cut the brass piece so that it will hide behind the brake arm, and few will notice that it is there.

Peter
..........
Peter Brueggeman
La Jolla California USA
4peebee(at)peterbrueggeman.com