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Technical & Reference Section => Tech and Restoration => Topic started by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:03 PM

Title: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:03 PM: When I tighten up the allen bolt on Dia-Tech AD999 they don't spring back out.

And when i slacken it off enough to spring the adjuster slides back to it's unsprung position.

Wot can I do with that??
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: dodger on March 22, 2009, 03:13 PM: i no really stupid question but u are using a spanner to tenion thespring cap before tightening the allen bolt?
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:18 PM: your right, it is a stupid question. lol

So annoyed, thought I was gonna get out on it today with new brakes fitted and now this!
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: harris on March 22, 2009, 03:19 PM: grease everything up , dont tighten the cable to much ,before adjusting the tension and nut.
they dont need to have the cable ubber tight ,like back in the old days .
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:25 PM: cable aint even on yet, need to get these to work first or they wont spring out!
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:27 PM: wouldn't it help if the lugs were longer then the brake wouldn't lock up with the rest?
Doesn't solve anything right now but an idea I thought
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: harris on March 22, 2009, 03:28 PM: clean up the lugs then they might have crap on them
also have you got handed springs?????? one spring is tighter than the other ..
one arm will move before the other ,so one spring will have more tention than the other so having one on
the wrong side wont help it pull ,but thats not in this case strange

plus how much tention have you put on the springs with your spanner
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 03:32 PM: I put a 1/4 turn on each spring, their brand new...everything is new including lugs
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 04:50 PM: Think between me and grant we've sussed it, lugs aren't long enough. They should be slightly larger than brass insert.
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: harris on March 22, 2009, 04:52 PM: only ever had that once a bloody pain
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Biggeorge on March 22, 2009, 09:55 PM: I've had this a couple of times, there was too much paint on the base of the part of the lug that the brake sits on. clean all the paint off the base of the lug and try again.
(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/ee309/biggeorgebike/lug.jpg)
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: teamsano on March 22, 2009, 10:31 PM: common problem bitd.

file a tiny bit off the brass part on the brake, hardly rocket scienece.
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: Stella Dave on March 22, 2009, 11:17 PM: Quote from: teamsano on March 22, 2009, 10:31 PM
file a tiny bit off the brass part on the brake, hardly rocket scienece.

bitd? Are you old school?
Did think of that but don't wanna file my new brakes, that's rough as fek! Not gonna be perfectly square either.

Grant's sorting me out with the longer lugs tomorrow.
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: harris on March 23, 2009, 07:22 AM: gogo was about before the wheel was made round.
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: subversion on March 23, 2009, 10:53 AM: Quote from: teamsano on March 22, 2009, 10:31 PM
common problem bitd.

file a tiny bit off the brass part on the brake, hardly rocket scienece.

Look at it as an opportunity to get your brakes uber-dialled :daumenhoch: File a very small amount off the brass & keep refitting until you have as close a fit as you can get without the brake arm having any resistance on the lug once the top spring cap is tightened down...
Title: Re: U brakes wont spring out once tightened
Post by: teamsano on March 23, 2009, 05:26 PM: correct subversion!

i had to do this to a few s+m's in the nineties and even without a laser aligned file, i managed to make it work.