V-brake balancing screws.

"AMuzi" wrote in message
...
On 3/30/2015 10:47 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 3/30/2015 8:56 AM, Ralph Barone wrote:
Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 3/29/2015 6:11 PM, James wrote:
On 29/03/15 21:46, Lou Holtman wrote:


Stupid concept. Slotted headscrews are or should be
extinct for decades.
Why keep them alive. I would not mind if they would use
torx screws
for all
the fasteners on a bike.


I agree. I carry a multi tool for road side repairs.
To be useful it
has to have bits appropriate for multiple styles of
fastener head. All
of one kind would make bike maintenance much simpler.
I'd be happy with
Torx bits.

Well, you'd be happy until the day you realized you you
needed to make an
adjustment and you'd left your Torx tool on your
workbench. Your
pocketknife won't work with a Torx screw.

Can we compromise? A Torx head with a slot for emergency
non-Torx use?
Remember, it's just an adjustment screw.


Hold on a second Frank. Didn't you just say in a nearby post?

More seriously, brakes don't have to be adjusted very often.
It's reasonable to require a tool for that operation.

So where do you sit on this? :-)

I'm in the "almost any tool should do it" camp. Same as the
guys who put in the slotted philips screw heads.

It occurs to me, I've never carried a Torx driver in my tool
pouches. I'd be ticked off if _anything_ on my bike
absolutely required one.


Doesn't affect you, but some relatively inexpensive folding tools now
include the disc brake Torx driver.

We sell them, but I can't imagine a use for it while on a ride.

With motorcycles; I've been known to lay the machine on its side to avoid
losing the oil while I take covers off to work on the engine.

The one I particularly remember, the nut that holds the drive gear on the
end of the crankshaft came off. With no drive, it was either push it home or
fix it.

Obviously no spanner that big in the toolkit, but I managed to tighten the
nut using a reversible screwdriver as a punch - it was good enough to get
home where the right tools were.

wrote in message
...

*))))))))))))))))))))))


It occurs to me, I've never carried a Torx driver in my tool pouches.
I'd be ticked off if _anything_ on my bike absolutely required one.

modern assemby lines use Torx on thinner sheet metal.

3 sets here n 4-5 special purchases....in the onboard tool box.

I like lawyers lips. LL are cool like airbags.

My tool pouch includes an assortment of socket set type driver bits which
include popular Torx sizes - but they tend to be a bit wobbly for setting
adjustment screws.

On Mon, 30 Mar 2015 07:12:47 +0200, Tosspot
wrote:

On 29/03/15 22:29, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 21:23:49 +0200, Lou Holtman
wrote:

Collecting dirt? Over torque a limit screw or a balacing screw? Give me a
break.

Sure... take a break.

By coincidence, a friend just called asking for help removing some
deck screws. His vision is marginal, so he didn't see or clean the
dirt out of the screw head. Paper clip and paint brush cleared the
hole and out came the screw.

And he didn't reach for the impact driver!? I think I'm in the wrong
place here :-(

Actually, he did. He was once a professional tower climber and
installer. He's now about 72 years old, and had to quit because of
poor health and overpriced insurance. Before he retired, he was using
an impact drill and impact driver to compensate for his lack of
strength. I build him a set of "torque amplifier" handles for socket
wrenches. Before attacking the deck screws, he phoned me asking if I
had some square drive bits for the impact drill. A stripped screw
head would have been guaranteed.
http://shop.marshfasteners.com/images/SQUAREDRIVEMOM.JPG

After a few minutes interrogation, I determined that the problem was
that his last remaining square drive bit would not fit in the screw
hole. He thought the problem was the driver bit, not the accumulated
crud in the hole. So, I suggested he clean out the hole with a paper
clip and brush. Then pound the driver bit into the hole. Once
seated, use a non-powered tool to break it loose. After that, spin it
out with the impact drill. I haven't heard back if it worked, but
will surely find out today.

Incidentally, he's looking for a cheap tricycle to get some exercise.
He has balance problems and can't handle a conventional bicycle. I
just started looking, but am rather discouraged at the high cost of
tricycle conversion kits and ready to ride machines. If anyone has
any leads to a *CHEAP* kit or machine, I'm interested.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Frank Krygowski" wrote in message
...
On 3/29/2015 2:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:27:50 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

No reason not to. 4mm allen cap screws might be nice and
they are readily available. Nothing will break or slip with
the screws out.

If there's room, you might look into adding a plastic knob onto the
cap screw:
http://www.shear-loc.com/knobs.htm

But think of the air resistance!

More seriously, brakes don't have to be adjusted very often. It's
reasonable to require a tool for that operation.

Brake blocks wear rapidly while the slotted bit of the contact face remains.

Recently I've noticed that new brake blocks are too short to wear any
further than that!

I've had to pinch the short spacers of old blocks to jack the brakes up a
bit. If I don't do that, the cable stirrup hits the opposite calliper by the
time the blocks are only half worn.

On 30/03/2015 17:22, Ian Field wrote:

As yet I haven't seen any multi-tools with Torx bits, they would
probably start to appear on the market if cycle manufacturers started
using them.

I went to chain reaction, tools, multi tools. The first two listed are
these :

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/t...l/rp-prod47016

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/c...19/rp-prod7455

and both have torx. I've not looked any further.

It's a few years since I first saw them.

On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 23:43:40 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/29/2015 6:11 PM, James wrote:
On 29/03/15 21:46, Lou Holtman wrote:


Stupid concept. Slotted headscrews are or should be extinct for decades.
Why keep them alive. I would not mind if they would use torx screws
for all
the fasteners on a bike.


I agree. I carry a multi tool for road side repairs. To be useful it
has to have bits appropriate for multiple styles of fastener head. All
of one kind would make bike maintenance much simpler. I'd be happy with
Torx bits.

Well, you'd be happy until the day you realized you you needed to make
an adjustment and you'd left your Torx tool on your workbench. Your
pocketknife won't work with a Torx screw.

Can we compromise? A Torx head with a slot for emergency non-Torx use?
Remember, it's just an adjustment screw.

Sigh. I have 3 different multiplex-tools that spend most of their
days in my bicycle junk bag. Plenty of problems with multi-tools. For
example, some operations require two tools and I don't like
disassembling the multi-tool. The tool arms are not long enough to
apply much torque. The folded tool also grinds holes in my pockets.

What I carry is a 1/4" drive swivel head wrench, adapters, and a
plastic bag full of driver bits and sockets. Also a few open end
wrenches, small crescent wrench, chain tool, tire levers, and double
ended screwdriver. My tool collection is bigger and heavier than a
multi-tool, but far more usable. Adding a few Torx driver bits to the
collection would be easy.

Incidentally, my handiest tool is a double ended pocket screwdriver:
http://photo.oempromo.com/Prod_149/Pocket-Screwdrivers---Double-Ended_73844756.jpg
The blade end is useful for prying, scraping, removing road crud,
turning a #2 Philips screw, starting Torx screws, stirring chemicals,
mixing drinks, and simulating a tooth pick. I also have it magnetized
to help start screws.

Yikes. I didn't realize that there were so many different styles of
bicycle specific multi-tools:
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=bicycle+multi+tool
That kinda suggests that it's a solution looking for a problem to
solve. Ummm... right:
http://news.toolbox.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/massive-multi-tool.jpg



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 30/03/2015 17:58, Ian Field wrote:

"Frank Krygowski" wrote in message
...
On 3/29/2015 2:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:27:50 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

No reason not to. 4mm allen cap screws might be nice and
they are readily available. Nothing will break or slip with
the screws out.

If there's room, you might look into adding a plastic knob onto the
cap screw:
http://www.shear-loc.com/knobs.htm

But think of the air resistance!

More seriously, brakes don't have to be adjusted very often. It's
reasonable to require a tool for that operation.

Brake blocks wear rapidly while the slotted bit of the contact face
remains.

The v-brake balancing screw isn't there to compensate for brake wear.

"Clive George" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 30/03/2015 17:58, Ian Field wrote:

"Frank Krygowski" wrote in message
...
On 3/29/2015 2:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:27:50 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

No reason not to. 4mm allen cap screws might be nice and
they are readily available. Nothing will break or slip with
the screws out.

If there's room, you might look into adding a plastic knob onto the
cap screw:
http://www.shear-loc.com/knobs.htm

But think of the air resistance!

More seriously, brakes don't have to be adjusted very often. It's
reasonable to require a tool for that operation.

Brake blocks wear rapidly while the slotted bit of the contact face
remains.

The v-brake balancing screw isn't there to compensate for brake wear.

Maybe you could point out the bit where I said it did!

On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 23:35:20 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/29/2015 2:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:27:50 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

No reason not to. 4mm allen cap screws might be nice and
they are readily available. Nothing will break or slip with
the screws out.

If there's room, you might look into adding a plastic knob onto the
cap screw:
http://www.shear-loc.com/knobs.htm

But think of the air resistance!

I'm sure I could design some CF aerodynamic knobs that will suffice.
Or, maybe just reduce the weight with some drillium or maybe make it
hollow with a 3D printer.

More seriously, brakes don't have to be adjusted very often. It's
reasonable to require a tool for that operation.

I beg to differ (as usual). Requiring a tool might be reasonable, but
more likely, it's just cheaper not to add an adjustment knob.

For some odd reason, I seem to have chronic problems with brake
adjustments. It's probably caused by my juggling wheels between
bicycles to see how they ride[1]. To get the brake pads to be
parallel to the rim, I need to do some major brake adjusting. If I
change the rear wheel, the rear derailleur shifter also needs
adjustment. I don't do this too often, but when I do, it's nice to
have a convenient knob for adjustments.

Also, I can use a knob while moving, but not a hand tool.


[1] I'm now down to 4 bicycles.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 29 Mar 2015 23:35:20 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 3/29/2015 2:39 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:27:50 -0500, AMuzi wrote:

No reason not to. 4mm allen cap screws might be nice and
they are readily available. Nothing will break or slip with
the screws out.

If there's room, you might look into adding a plastic knob onto the
cap screw:
http://www.shear-loc.com/knobs.htm

But think of the air resistance!

I'm sure I could design some CF aerodynamic knobs

If your knob isn't already aerodynamic - you're in big trouble!