Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

9

Time Required

                          30 - 45 minutes            

Sections

1

  • How to clean and adjust Direct-Pull Cantilever V Brakes
  • 9 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              How to clean and adjust Direct-Pull Cantilever V Brakes               
  • Squeeze the calipers together, and remove the brake cable.

Squeeze the calipers together, and remove the brake cable.

1024

Step 2

  • Loosen the brake caliper bolt, and remove the brake caliper.

Loosen the brake caliper bolt, and remove the brake caliper.

Step 3

  • Inspect the brake pad. If the pad has worn down past the “wear line”, then it needs to be replaced.

Inspect the brake pad. If the pad has worn down past the “wear line”, then it needs to be replaced.

Step 4

  • Clean and lubricate the parts as necessary before reattaching the caliper arms.
  • Bolt the caliper arms back on while making sure the the pin on the back side of the caliper arm lines back up with the one of the holes in the frame. Each side should be in the same hole.

Clean and lubricate the parts as necessary before reattaching the caliper arms.

Bolt the caliper arms back on while making sure the the pin on the back side of the caliper arm lines back up with the one of the holes in the frame. Each side should be in the same hole.

Step 5

  • Reattach the brake cable to the calipers.

Reattach the brake cable to the calipers.

Step 6

  • Loosen the brake pad bolt.

Loosen the brake pad bolt.

Step 7

  • Get an ordinary piece of paper, and fold it twice over.
  • Place the sheet of paper between the brake pad and the rim in the position shown.

Get an ordinary piece of paper, and fold it twice over.

Place the sheet of paper between the brake pad and the rim in the position shown.

Step 8

  • Align the brake pad so that it is flush with the rim, with no part touching the rubber of the tire.
  • Have somebody clamp down very tightly on the brakes.
  • Tighten the brake pad bolt in place.

Align the brake pad so that it is flush with the rim, with no part touching the rubber of the tire.

Have somebody clamp down very tightly on the brakes.

Tighten the brake pad bolt in place.

Step 9

  • Tighten/loosen the tension adjustment screws on each the caliper arm to adjust the resting distance of each brake pad, so that each pad is equally distant from the rim. Tightening the screw will shift the caliper outward from the bike, loosening it will shift it inward.
  • Tighten/loosen the brake adjuster on the handle bars such that when you clamp down on the brakes, the brake lever stops before hitting the handle bar. This will set the distance between the brake pads and the rim.
  • Tighten the lock nut on the brake adjuster to permanently set its position.

Tighten/loosen the tension adjustment screws on each the caliper arm to adjust the resting distance of each brake pad, so that each pad is equally distant from the rim. Tightening the screw will shift the caliper outward from the bike, loosening it will shift it inward.

Tighten/loosen the brake adjuster on the handle bars such that when you clamp down on the brakes, the brake lever stops before hitting the handle bar. This will set the distance between the brake pads and the rim.

Tighten the lock nut on the brake adjuster to permanently set its position.

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                                                                                      47 other people completed this guide.                                             

Author

                                      with 9 other contributors 

                    Travis Tonder                     

Member since: 10/05/2010

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                       Cal Poly, Team 5-13, Maness Fall 2010                        

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                                            17 Guides authored                     

Tony - Feb 12, 2018

Reply

“what does it mean if the point is red???? “

I believe that is indicating that this step corresponds to an image which highlights a specific step. I saw this two times, in step 4 and step 9. For step 4, it shows the highlight in the second image and for step 9, the highlight is in the first image. It seems that the red bullet point is just to make it easier to map the step to the image.

Hope this helps

Ahmed Varnham - Apr 6, 2021

Reply

where did you get the brake arms from?

I am looking for full metal ones like that,

timo_a - Aug 23, 2022

Reply

In Deutschland werden diese Bremsen nicht als Cantilever Bremsen bezeichnet, sondern als V-Brakes.