Just a reminder, esteemed colleagues, that there is another real issue with our beloved Universal brakes: The caliper alloy is very brittle. Cold setting the arms to get the right toe-in is "Verbotten." They will snap off. I've even known this to embarrass experienced shops. I've busted one, but not in the last coupla decades. POSSIBLE work-arounds (that I haven't tried)? --> file the caliper arm flats. shouldn't take much. --> mount 'em with old Scott Matthauser ball-and-socket washer sets, if there is room with a narrow rim. That would be elegant indeed (but not with the Scott finned glued-on pads).
harvey sachs mcLean va
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Keith Kessel wrote: IMHO, the only problem with Univ. mod. 61 and mod 68 brakes are the brake levers themself. Take a close look at them. Are they cracked under the hoods? Do they look like they were designed with an inherent mechanical disadvantage? Try any other set of brake levers with either model calipers if you wish to test my hypothesis.