Tyre clearance when changing brake callipers

[Kojak]

I have a Giant Defy 0 which came with BR-561 callipers as stock.
I changed m tyres from the stock 25mm's to 28mm's and it works but the clearance is tight. Not tight so that I have encountered any issues but as in no wiggle room.
I have been thinking of changing out the callipers for no other reason than extending the Ultegra components on the the bike. So I have a concern that the lack of wiggle room could be swallowed up making it impossible?

I have searched extensively on the internet and found a document that the BR-561's are recommended upto 25mm tyres and the Ultegras upto 28mm so it all sounds fine. But I have no idea if I understand the whole picture. Anyone?

[willcee]

Sram is what i would go for in your case, if you could beg or borrow one and install it fully with cable attached you should have maybe 3/4mm more clearance.Again perhaps a pic or 2 of the current clearance would assist us.. Sram IME have a different curve on the stirrup which does clear bigger rubber.. will

[Brucey]

the clearance between the tyre and the brake is (weakly) affected by the caliper model on any given frameset but the most important thing is that the frame is built with a given brake drop in mind. That is the thing that most greatly affects the clearance between the tyre and the brake.

IIRC the BR-R561 caliper has a reach up to 57mm. I don't think the current ultegra calipers do, so there is a chance that they won't fit at all. Which model of caliper were you thinking of?

If you can post pictures of your present brakes and their clearance this would be helpful

cheers

[Gattonero]

I have a Giant Defy 0 which came with BR-561 callipers as stock.
I changed m tyres from the stock 25mm's to 28mm's and it works but the clearance is tight. Not tight so that I have encountered any issues but as in no wiggle room.
I have been thinking of changing out the callipers for no other reason than extending the Ultegra components on the the bike. So I have a concern that the lack of wiggle room could be swallowed up making it impossible?

I have searched extensively on the internet and found a document that the BR-561's are recommended upto 25mm tyres and the Ultegras upto 28mm so it all sounds fine. But I have no idea if I understand the whole picture. Anyone?

You can fit bigger tyres between those brakes, both in height and width. It all depends on the height the brakes are in the frame and forks, on a frame well done for the purpose you could use up to (real) 30mm with mudguards.
My take is that you have limited clearance on the top of the tyre/brake caliper?

[Kojak]

Thanks all,
I will look at getting a good pic if I can but currently with my broken ankle, although I could attempt it all day I'm not that well balanced rght now
So yes 6800 Ultegra was the model I had in mind and yes the clearance is least at the top of the tyre against the calliper. Plenty of room in the forks (I spose thats always the case) and no trouble in the width of the calliper/outer circumference of the tyre. I think the current clearance is 1.5mm ish without trying to measure it.

[Brucey]

BR-6800 has a reach of 39-49mm, whereas BR-R561 has a reach that adjusts out to 57mm. Thus if your brake blocks are presently set in the lower 8mm of the slots, a BR-6800 caliper won't fit your bike at all, never mind the tyre clearance....

cheers

[Kojak]

BR-6800 has a reach of 39-49mm, whereas BR-R561 has a reach that adjusts out to 57mm. Thus if your brake blocks are presently set in the lower 8mm of the slots, a BR-6800 caliper won't fit your bike at all, never mind the tyre clearance....
cheers

Oh I see, thanks Brucey I'll look at that.

[Kojak]

I have a pic.
It doesn't really show the clearance but lets say 1mm top centre of tyre.

[Brucey]

the 'drop' of your brakes is nominally 47-57mm. Do check the exact drop, but your brake blocks look more than 2mm down from the top of the slot to me, so a -49mm caliper (like the Ultegra one) probably won't fit. Folk have filed ultegra calipers to get an extra mm of drop but it is better to get the right brakes that fit your bike from the start.

cheers

[Samuel D]

They’re more than 2 mm from the top of the slots, but judging from the picture they don’t need to be as low as they are and might benefit from being higher.

I’m surprised there’s so little clearance despite the pad location.