matt@absolut.UUCP (09/20/85)
One of the recommended techniques for stopping brake squeaks is toeing in the brake pad. I used to do this by removing the pads and twisting the calipers with a 15" crescent wrench. This has two drawbacks: On cheap OEM brakes (such as Diacompe and Mafac) you are asking for hairline cracks to develop; on expensive brakes, not only do you risk cracking a $100 brakeset, it is alse HARD to twist those suckers (you wouldn't beleive the difference in strength between a Modolo and a Diacompe set). The Aztec brake pads (made by Kool-Stop) remedy this by having concave/ convex washers between the pad and caliper arm which alows toe-in adjustment during installation. This is how I cured the sqeaking on my Modolos. The Aztecs will squeak a bit before they lay down a little rubber; after that they're fine. Unfortunately, they don't have wheel guides, so racers probably won't be interested. They are available in standard and cantilever versions.
eirik@tekchips.UUCP (Eirik Fuller) (09/24/85)
In article <4300007@absolut.UUCP> matt@absolut.UUCP writes: > > One of the recommended techniques for stopping brake squeaks >is toeing in the brake pad. I used to do this by removing the pads and >twisting the calipers with a 15" crescent wrench. Are you sure you used a big enough wrench? I like to leave the pads on, so I can see what I'm doing. Get (or borrow) the tool Park makes for this; it goes on perpendicular to the wheel, so you have room to twist. > This has two drawbacks: On cheap OEM brakes (such as Diacompe and >Mafac) you are asking for hairline cracks to develop; on expensive brakes, >not only do you risk cracking a $100 brakeset, it is alse HARD to twist >those suckers (you wouldn't beleive the difference in strength between >a Modolo and a Diacompe set). How HARD can it be with a 15" moment arm? A toe-in is a one-time adjustment, preferably by the mechanic who installs the brake in the first place (though I wonder about a lot of shops). > The Aztec brake pads (made by Kool-Stop) remedy this by having concave/ >convex washers between the pad and caliper arm which alows toe-in adjustment >during installation. This is how I cured the sqeaking on my Modolos. > The Aztecs will squeak a bit before they lay down a little rubber; >after that they're fine. > Unfortunately, they don't have wheel guides, so racers probably won't >be interested. They are available in standard and cantilever versions. Warning: be VERY careful before buying Aztec cantilever pads; the ones I bought were standard pads, with aluminum rods threaded over the top of the studs. Threaded rods are weak enough when it comes to bending; the aluminum didn't help. The rod simply cracked during installation. Luckily, the shop where I bought them was nice enough to take them back and pass on my complaints to the distributor. I don't know if Aztec has fixed this problem.