In the meantime, my plans for the day look a bit scuppered, regardless of the above fettling success. I think I'll look into replacing QRs with Ye Olde Axles. Bingo! A wheel that turns and a brake that brakes! Then, my stroke of genius: I loosened the QR and jiggled the wheel until it turned freely.
Instead, I used the brake cable clamp (primarily - I may have fiddled with other things too but, IME, these don't have much effect anyway) to get the brake working albeit without much in the way of wheel turning. This time I studiously ignored all the internet instructions.
Or at least not with millimetric accuracy. I think the problem is the wheel placement - it's one of those newfangled quick release skewers which means the wheel's never in precisely the same place twice. Don't really want to risk brakelessness as it's the South Downs Way. Unless sleeping on things works, looks like my ride is cancelled. Instructions don't really help as I don't understand the terminology. The gap on the other side seems impossible to change - unless I change the brake cable clamp between the wheel turning OR brakes working positions. If I turn it enough, I think can see the gap between rotor and other bit changing. The red knob seems to do something - but not much. A combination of brakes working and wheel turning is impossible. I can set this to either wheel barely turning OR wheel turning freely but lever hits handlebar before braking happens. The only thing that seems to actually do anything is the brake cable clamp.
Avid bb5 adjustment trial#
How does loosening and then tightening the mechanism clamp bolts change anything? The bolts just screw into holes that don't move? So undoing and doing up does what? Well, trial and error suggests nothing. Worse, I can't even understand how they're supposed to work. I've been playing for nearly 5 hours and simply cannot get a brake that works. Fortunately you can replace the crappy alu washers with steel versions as found on cheapo V-pads, and these don't mark up or break so often.ī) if the brake pads are worn or ridged you won't get a good brake adjustmentĬ) if the pads can't slide in the bore of the caliper freely, or the springs are in bad shape, then the brakes won't retain a good adjustmentĭ) if the disc doesn't run true then the brake also won't adjust up correctly.Į) if the pads are too worn the caliper may not be able to slide far enough to the right (the post-bolt slots are not very long)į) if you can't tell which pad is touching the disc then you have little chance of setting the brake up properly. They break on BB5 brakes because they need to be moved and retightened on two or three times per set of brake pads. Avid supply aluminium washers and these are shite they often break on BB5 and (less often) BB7 brakes. You should now (give or take a little further adjustment of the fixed pad and the barrel adjuster) have a working brake.Ī) if the curvy washers on the post-bolts are misplaced, missing or damaged (ridged) then the caliper won't settle in the right place and stay there during steps 5 and 6. Remove the card from the other side of the disc
Avid bb5 adjustment how to#
Here is how to do it if you want to adjust a BB5 brake.ġ) Back the cable barrel adjusters out until the brake arm is fully back and the cable is just about to go slack.Ģ) Put a business card (or three or four thicknesses of paper) between the LH (moving) pad and the discģ) Wind the RH (fixed) pad into the disc so that the disc is clamped.Ĥ) slacken the caliper mounting 'post' screws (being sure that the washers on these bolts are correctly installed and in good condition)ĥ) Nip both caliper mount bolts up lightly, making sure that the caliper doesn't move.Ħ) tighten both caliper mounting bolts to the specified torque, again making sure that the caliper doesn't moveħ) Back out the RH (fixed) pad adjuster about 1/3 of a turn Repeat with minor variations and notice rubbing. Repeat above without releasing brake lever.ġ0.99. Tighten bolts holding BB5 brake mechanism thing.Ĥ.
Loosen bolts holding BB5 brake mechanism thing.Ģ. What I've tried (as per various internet instructions):ġ.
Tell me what to do in slow and simple terms. Unless I can fix it within the next hour I'll be stuck at home tomorrow. I've tweaked and tightened, tweaked and loosened, turned barrel things, pulled cables, loosened cables, etc etc and I'm a bit pissed off. I've spent two hours twiddling and tweaking and now I can't stop the rear brake from rubbing. And, noticing the brake lever is a bit close to the handlebar, I thought, "oh, I'll tweak that". My only chance to get out for a long ride and I've been really looking forward to it. Grrr.Īnyway, I've got a ride planned tomorrow.