Author Topic: Brake/Chain Clearance (Read 751 times)

Wayne Ryder · « **on:** February 25, 2008, 01:08 PM »

I think there's an expensive goof happened at Chez Moi. Finally, all the pieces were in place, so the 13t freewheel went on, the 36t sprocket (complete with homemade solution to the lack of top-hat spacer) went onto the crank and the tyre was moved to the new wheel. The chain was shortened to the appropriate length...
And only then did the problem of the chainstay-mounted rear brake let itself be known: It rubs.
The brake's a Dia-Compe X-CE or something, and the only spare I have is a Hombre. There's no significant height difference to speak of.

So what (decent) brake's got the lowest height so that the chain can run freely? It's only a couple of millimetres, if the chain's kept tight, they'll never clash again.
Anyone had any experience of grinding down the 'nut' and bolt on a 990/Hombre slightly?

motomagII · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2008, 01:40 PM »

mine was just and only just catching on my evolver i stuck a puncture rubber patch on the brake so it didnt do any damnage when rudding every now qnd then is was okay for ages

TwoBobRob · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:12 PM »

Hombre's are only a cheap thing anyway, and Billy's will sell you any spares you might need..... so.....

Get grinding!!!

It'll be fine as long as you can still get the allen key in for adjustments and stuff.

Wayne Ryder · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:44 PM »

I suspected it'd be OK, but wanted to make sure no-one came out of the woodwork with a shocked expression and some horror-story about what would happen. Or, 'You don't wanna do that, you wanna buy one of those £50 CNC brakes."
At the moment, that's not really what I wanna do -at all.

evamedia · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2008, 04:05 PM »

Never understand why they put the brakes on the chainstay's , my old HAF was a nightmare, for brake clearence, chain length etc.

Seatstays FTW, unless of course you wanna do a cherrypicker

perry · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2008, 04:10 PM »

from memory im sure you could grind the bottom of the adjuster part so that its no longer round just flat so you dont lose any spanner height , but overall its shorter

or grind off the round edges from the side so again your left with a strange shaped piece but also grind the top to lose the height and change the cap head bolt to a normal hardened bolt ( skimming the top will lose the recess but if you dont take the useless curves off the sides the spanner sits on you will need a 14mm cone spanner )

i had tight clearance years ago and although it misses while sat once the bikes moving about the chain will flap and rub , in itself not a problem , just a little noisy but after a short while itl wear away at the top of the cap head bolt and make it difficult to get a hex head wrench in ( and its hard enough getting it in as the chains directly above it

)

another idea could be using a short nut , hacksaw out a notch for the spring bit to sit in ( thats now the tension adjuster ) a very thin washer to ease friction and then a hardened bolt

or just run it without a spring on that side , the other side will still be there for balance , as long as the lug protrudes past the hole in the brake itl be fine , only a problem if you like your brake to be tight , but why would anyone want to be pulling against a spring anyway lol

gary4130 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:30 PM »

Quote from: Wayne Ryder on February 25, 2008, 01:08 PM

I think there's an expensive goof happened at Chez Moi. Finally, all the pieces were in place, so the 13t freewheel went on, the 36t sprocket (complete with homemade solution to the lack of top-hat spacer) went onto the crank and the tyre was moved to the new wheel. The chain was shortened to the appropriate length...
And only then did the problem of the chainstay-mounted rear brake let itself be known: It rubs.
The brake's a Dia-Compe X-CE or something, and the only spare I have is a Hombre. There's no significant height difference to speak of.

So what (decent) brake's got the lowest height so that the chain can run freely? It's only a couple of millimetres, if the chain's kept tight, they'll never clash again.
Anyone had any experience of grinding down the 'nut' and bolt on a 990/Hombre slightly?

the homre should be ok mate, (does it have the green alloy caps and brake pads 'cause they sit lower )
the x-ce angles slightly forward by the brake block slot - the hombre does not it's more flat.
i had the same hassle swapped to the hombre an all ok

Wayne Ryder · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2008, 10:02 PM »

Quote from: gary4130 on February 25, 2008, 06:30 PM

the homre should be ok mate, (does it have the green alloy caps and brake pads 'cause they sit lower )
the x-ce angles slightly forward by the brake block slot - the hombre does not it's more flat.
i had the same hassle swapped to the hombre an all ok

Nope, it's the old style. It's been languishing in sort of retirement since proving itself to be a piece of flexing cack. However, needs must and I think the grinder beckons.