Brake lever problem: repairable?

[PhilD]

(I'm finding this a little difficult to describe, so please bear with
me).

I use "drop" bars; the brake levers do not have built-in shifters (I
have bar-ends). I do not know what named brand the levers are.

Yesterday evening, out on a ride, I pulled the brakes to slow for a
junction, when *ping*, "something" in the rear brake system broke,
leaving the left lever hanging loose. Cautiously I continued to my
destination (I was nearly there anyway). At first I thought the cable
had snapped, but a little investigation found that the rear brakes
still pull on and are thus still usable. I can apply the brakes but
need to push the lever forward again after use. Maybe the cable
slipped? No evidence of that.

Puzzled I pulled the lever and looked down inside, in case there was
something wrong with the cable there. That's when I noticed that
there is what appears to be a little spring to return the lever to its
"at rest" position, and it had broken (it appears rather like a
clothes peg spring, only pushing in the opposite direction). Thus the
brakes pull on, and the spring in the arms pull the brakes off by
themselves with no help from the lever.

Can that spring be replaced? It seems silly getting a full set of
levers for the sake of one spring. Have I interpreted all the
internal gubbins correctly? It's very hard to be sure without tools
and when stood in someone elses driveway.

Any thoughts, anyone, please?

With thanks.

PhilD

--
<><

[Brian Goldsmith]

PhilD wrote:
> (I'm finding this a little difficult to describe, so please bear with
> me).
>
> I use "drop" bars; the brake levers do not have built-in shifters (I
> have bar-ends). I do not know what named brand the levers are.
>
> Yesterday evening, out on a ride, I pulled the brakes to slow for a
> junction, when *ping*, "something" in the rear brake system broke,
> leaving the left lever hanging loose. Cautiously I continued to my
> destination (I was nearly there anyway). At first I thought the cable
> had snapped, but a little investigation found that the rear brakes
> still pull on and are thus still usable. I can apply the brakes but
> need to push the lever forward again after use. Maybe the cable
> slipped? No evidence of that.
>
> Puzzled I pulled the lever and looked down inside, in case there was
> something wrong with the cable there. That's when I noticed that
> there is what appears to be a little spring to return the lever to its
> "at rest" position, and it had broken (it appears rather like a
> clothes peg spring, only pushing in the opposite direction). Thus the
> brakes pull on, and the spring in the arms pull the brakes off by
> themselves with no help from the lever.
>
> Can that spring be replaced? It seems silly getting a full set of
> levers for the sake of one spring. Have I interpreted all the
> internal gubbins correctly? It's very hard to be sure without tools
> and when stood in someone elses driveway.
>
> Any thoughts, anyone, please?
>
> With thanks.
>
> PhilD
>
> --
> <><

Sounds like you diagnosed the fault accurately, doubt you will find a
suitable spring easily but maybe on e-bay you will pick up levers quite
cheaply and you will get a picture to identify yours maybe.. but if you
get a pair they don't have to be the same as your existing levers..
pretty much any brake for dropped bars will do.
Brian

[Bill]

"Brian Goldsmith" > wrote in message
>
> Sounds like you diagnosed the fault accurately, doubt you will find a
> suitable spring easily but maybe on e-bay you will pick up levers quite
> cheaply and you will get a picture to identify yours maybe.. but if you
> get a pair they don't have to be the same as your existing levers.. pretty
> much any brake for dropped bars will do.
> Brian


I recently bought a pair of Shimano 105's off Ebay, but now find I do not
need them. Yours for the postage.

Bill

[Paul - xxx[_3_]]

PhilD wrote:

> Can that spring be replaced? It seems silly getting a full set of
> levers for the sake of one spring. Have I interpreted all the
> internal gubbins correctly? It's very hard to be sure without tools
> and when stood in someone elses driveway.

Unfortunately it's probably only by taking the brake to a LBS (Local
Bike Shop), preferably an old, established place, and having them look
to see what they have. I can't recall seeing any for sale anywhere,
other than from sponsored teams suppliers at race meetings ... and even
then they weren't really 'for sale', IYSWIM. ;)

Or try and bid for a set of brakes on ebay of the same type ... Beware,
however, although the brakes look similar, different group sets
sometimes use different ways to achieve the same thing.

If you're happy enough to do so, take the brake off and take a photo of
the good spring (and/or the broken spring) with a ruler/measure next to
it and post it somewhere. Someone on the NG might be able to help. I
know I've got a few older/different brakesets lying about in the shed
.... ;)

--
Paul - xxx

'96/'97 Landrover Discovery 300 Tdi 'Big and Butch'
Dyna Tech Cro-Mo comp "When I feel fit enough'

[Rob Morley]

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:43:14 -0700 (PDT)
PhilD > wrote:

> Puzzled I pulled the lever and looked down inside, in case there was
> something wrong with the cable there. That's when I noticed that
> there is what appears to be a little spring to return the lever to its
> "at rest" position, and it had broken (it appears rather like a
> clothes peg spring, only pushing in the opposite direction). Thus the
> brakes pull on, and the spring in the arms pull the brakes off by
> themselves with no help from the lever.
>
> Can that spring be replaced? It seems silly getting a full set of
> levers for the sake of one spring. Have I interpreted all the
> internal gubbins correctly? It's very hard to be sure without tools
> and when stood in someone elses driveway.
>
That spring is only to /assist/ the return of the lever. the spring in
the caliper should manage OK on it's own, so you probably need to clean
and lube or replace your cable (first check that it's cleanly routed
and not trapped anywhere) - if you do that you might find you don't
miss the spring anyway. Alternatively there might be a problem with the
lever itself - remove the cable and make sure the lever pivots freely
throughout its range of movement.

[PhilD]

On Jul 31, 1:58*pm, Rob Morley > wrote:
> Alternatively there might be a problem with the
> lever itself - remove the cable and make sure the lever pivots freely
> throughout its range of movement.

Thanks for that. In this particular case, the lever pivots fine: it
(seems to) flaps about all over the place.

After some initial concern (when I hadn't worked out exactly what
happened), it appears that the bike is still just as ridable and still
stops me safely. It's just annoying and feels, well, "wrong" somehow.

Perhaps the answer is to break the other spring so both levers feel
the same!

PhilD

--
<><

[[email protected]]

On Jul 31, 2:43*am, PhilD > wrote:

> Can that spring be replaced? *It seems silly getting a full set of
> levers for the sake of one spring. *Have I interpreted all the
> internal gubbins correctly?

It is very possible to replace the spring, but how much is
your time worth? The levers should be less than 10GBP
to replace.

As with another poster: check your cables. I would probably
just pull it out, expecting to find it frayed at one of the bends,
and likely replace it. If it is badly frayed, the housing is probably
also in terrible shape. Note that these are rather unsafe conditions
to blithely ignore.

[Rob Morley]

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:58:53 -0700 (PDT)
PhilD > wrote:

> On Jul 31, 1:58Â*pm, Rob Morley > wrote:
> > Alternatively there might be a problem with the
> > lever itself - remove the cable and make sure the lever pivots
> > freely throughout its range of movement.
>
> Thanks for that. In this particular case, the lever pivots fine: it
> (seems to) flaps about all over the place.
>
In that case I wonder if the pivot is knackered, and that's what let
the spring escape in the first place.