The way people set up their brake calipers before tightening the bolts is a real problem

I saw a customer bring in a bike with a rubbing disc brake, and they had just squeezed the lever while tightening the mounting bolts. This forces the caliper into a bad spot. I had to loosen the bolts, recenter the caliper by hand, and then tighten it down without touching the lever. Why do so many folks think squeezing the lever helps? Has anyone else had to fix this same mistake a bunch of times?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy6925d ago

Maybe they think it helps the pads find their natural spot. But all it does is lock the caliper in a crooked position. Where did that idea even come from?

evannelson5d ago

Honestly, it reminds me of the old "seat the bead" trick with truck tires. People would do wild stuff with ether, thinking it was the right way. Maybe this caliper thing is the same deal, some garage hack that got passed around until folks believed it was proper procedure. You see a lot of that in mechanical work, where a bad fix just becomes tradition.