adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

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janeonabike
Posts: 20
Joined: 27 Sep 2009, 10:49am

adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by janeonabike »

Hello,

I have Weinmann 610 vainqueur brakes on my claud butler mixte frame... I have just changed the levers which also necessitated changing the cable for 'road' cable and now I am having trouble getting enough tension in the new cables. I'm quite new to doing stuff to my bike so this is probably something very basic - apologies!

Thus far, I have been adjusting the tension using the bolt clamp for the straddle cable. This seems quite effective to a point, but it's really quite difficult to hold the cable under enough tension to hold the pads actually on the rim, and trying to tighten the bolt with one hand whilst holding it in place with the other is pretty difficult and it never seems to end up quite tight enough. However, I seem to recall in the past having been able to slacken the whole brake setup so the pads were no longer under spring tension, then tightening the cables with it like that, and *then* doing it up again to remove the slack, and fine tuning it using the cable barrel. I am also reading about doing this in various instructions online for newer cantilever brakes... however, on these brakes, I can't seem to find any bolt for slackening the brakes. I'm fairly sure it's there since I think I've seen someone do it to my bike before, but I really can't find it - to the point where I'm wondering if it really existed! I have not been able to find any information online about the actual how-to of adjusting these brakes, at least not at such a basic level!

If anyone has this type of brake or knows how to adjust them I'd be very grateful! I've got almost enough tension in the cables from doing it the way I have been so far, but not quite, so I need to figure this out before I can ride.

thanks !
bikeaway
Posts: 40
Joined: 3 Feb 2007, 6:55pm
Location: Monmouthshire

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by bikeaway »

You could remove one brake block thereby tightening it up a bit more? Alternatively using a third hand tool would be very useful if you can get hold of one. These brakes are not the easiest to adjust. I hope this helps and best of luck.
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anniesboy
Posts: 789
Joined: 16 Feb 2007, 10:16pm
Location: South Oxon

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by anniesboy »

If you dont have a third hand tool,use just a toeclip strap ,or a cable tie.
janeonabike
Posts: 20
Joined: 27 Sep 2009, 10:49am

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by janeonabike »

A third hand tool? what a great idea! This sort of thing? I can't actually find any third hand tools available in stock anywhere but I've just found this fourth hand tool! it looks like it's supposed to help do the trick, but I'm not really sure exactly what you're meant to do with it - I can't see where they mean you to clamp it to...
whoops
Posts: 813
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:01pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by whoops »

Adjust the cable barrel to halfway, slacken cable off and tie brake blocks tightly onto the rim with a strap or string.
Now tighten cable into the centre-pull cable yoke tightly, then remove strap/string from rim.
This should leave the brake blocks binding on the rims which in this instance can be slackened off with the cable adjuster barrel/screw.
Provided the wheels are true there should be no binding.
If you feel there's not enough slack in the cable, just repeat the process again but this time adjust the cable barrel adjustment screw upwards a bit more in order to slacken it off after you've tightened the cable yoke bolt again.
This of course applies to any brake provided there are cable adjusters either in the brake levers or stirrups.
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asinus
Posts: 123
Joined: 3 Sep 2008, 11:50pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by asinus »

I've sometimes used a small g-cramp to hold the blocks together onto the rim while adjusting the cable.
cjchambers
Posts: 855
Joined: 29 Jun 2008, 9:55pm
Location: Hartlepool

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by cjchambers »

Or an actual third hand, of course! :D

Husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, civil partners, children, neighbours and innocent passers-by can all be pressed into service for these sorts of things!

The 'slackening off' method you refer to may have involved quick release brake levers - these have little tabs at the top of the lever which can be swung out of the way so the lever goes further up than normal and the blocks move away from the rim. They're intended to allow quick wheel removal without having to unclip the straddle wire. However, they also provide a bit of 'give' for making adjustments.
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by thirdcrank »

This is one area where the MAFAC Racer was superior or at least less inferior, because the shoes could be adjusted individually to get them nearer to the rim.

My own probably jaundiced way of adjusting that type of brake of whatever make would be

1. Unhook the straddle wire.
2. Unfasten the securing bolt which goes through the fork crown / seatstay bridge.
3. Remove the brakes.
4. Place in bin.
5. Replace with modern dual-pivots.
6. Enjoy your newly discovered ability to stop efficiently.

(I'm now going to hide :oops: )
richards
Posts: 149
Joined: 10 Jul 2007, 10:18am
Location: London

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by richards »

thirdcrank wrote:3. Remove the brakes.
4. Place in bin.
5. Replace with modern dual-pivots.
6. Enjoy your newly discovered ability to stop efficiently.


Sacrilege. Takes all the excitement out of riding.

For what it's worth I do this by

1) judge how far brake blocks need to be moved. Dingus attaching straddle wire to brake cable will have to be moved by the same amount.
2) mark brake cable at point dingus will have to move to. (sellotape, masking tape etc)
3) take straddle wire off dingus attaching it to brake cable
4)move dingus up or down (usually up) brake cable (no tension)
5) put straddle wire back on dingus (screwdriver makes useful lever)
6) ride away without spending £X on new brakes, whose disadvantages will become notorious 6 months after you bought them
7) have a well deserved pint with a friend and some of the money served.



Hard to explain stuff isn't it?
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Velorum
Posts: 92
Joined: 25 May 2009, 12:04am
Location: Ruscombe, Berkshire

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by Velorum »

I find a stilson wrench works well for compressing the calliper. Mine was £3.50 form Homebase.
PW
Posts: 4519
Joined: 23 Jan 2007, 10:50am
Location: N. Derbys.

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by PW »

I used to use the Whoops method, then acquired an old G clamp which does the same job.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
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boxerman
Posts: 4
Joined: 23 Nov 2016, 10:58am

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by boxerman »

Thanks one and all; I'm attempting to adjust my Weinemann centre-pulls, after fitting new blocks, tyres and mudguards onto my venerable Raleigh Clubman.

None of my 'clamp' possibilities are skinny enough, or shallow enough to fit without bending spokes, which of course is a no-no. Despite replacing the Campag double clanger decades back with Shimano Deore kit, so I could have a granny gear on the front mech for my ageing legs, I'm still trying to keep what's left as standard as possible.

Having read all of the above, I think I'm going to have to press my better half into service, especially as I'll have to do the same job on her Clubman Lady eventually!

Cheers one and all.
Brucey
Posts: 44522
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by Brucey »

janeonabike wrote:A third hand tool? what a great idea! This sort of thing? I can't actually find any third hand tools available in stock anywhere but I've just found this fourth hand tool! it looks like it's supposed to help do the trick, but I'm not really sure exactly what you're meant to do with it - I can't see where they mean you to clamp it to...


use a fourth hand tool like this
Image

I would usually say that such tools are a lot of faffy nonsense but I will grudgingly admit that a fourth hand tool makes a neat job of setting up centre-pulls.

If you don't have such a tool, unhook the yoke, squeeze the caliper onto the rim by hand, and mark the main cable at the straddle height, using a marker pen. Then adjust the yoke height, half-tighten the pinch bolt, and re-hook the straddle to the yoke. Then fully tighten the pinch bolt. Sometimes it is easiest if you unhook one end of the straddle from the brake arm and refit this last. Fine tune using the barrel adjuster.

The advantage of the latter method is that later, you should be able to unhook the straddle as the need arises, whereas with a fourth hand tool, this is often not possible, not until the brake blocks have worn a bit, anyway.

A Brucey top-tip; if you can't be bothered to let the tyre down or unhook the straddle, and need to get the wheel out with a fat tyre on, it is quick enough to remove one brake block.

BTW if you fit 'V' blocks (with larger diameter washers each side of the brake arms, preferably) and set them up properly, using decent cables, they are very good brakes.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bertgrower
Posts: 173
Joined: 2 Jun 2017, 6:47pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by bertgrower »

janeonabike wrote:A third hand tool? what a great idea! This sort of thing? I can't actually find any third hand tools available in stock anywhere but I've just found this fourth hand tool! it looks like it's supposed to help do the trick, but I'm not really sure exactly what you're meant to do with it - I can't see where they mean you to clamp it to...


Third hand tool is here

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tools/third-hand-braketool/

these tools are also good for adjusting brompton brakes
9494arnold
Posts: 1208
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 3:13pm

Re: adjusting weinmann centrepull brakes

Post by 9494arnold »

Try either a zip tie or a toestrap to hold the brake blocks on to the rim (same idea as a third hand tool, over the tyre, round the outside of the blocks (or even better through the bottom of the brake block eyes)be careful if you have mudguards(go under them)), then pull the cable up with pliers,and tighten. I find there's generally enough flex in the cabling to get it nice and close without binding . If you think you'll want a bit more lever movement,turn the adjuster up before you do the above and then turn it back down after you have done it.
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