How the hell do I adjust the pad on this brake?

http://209.208.180.5/upload/stupidbrake.jpg
It's a Dia Compe XCE on a 1989 GT Tequesta (or 35lb "Tank-questa") mtb. The
nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm socket
wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should do, short of
dumping the whole brake? TIA.

how in the hell did the damn thing get in there in the first place?

Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 wrote:
http://209.208.180.5/upload/stupidbrake.jpg
It's a Dia Compe XCE on a 1989 GT Tequesta (or 35lb "Tank-questa") mtb. The
nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm socket
wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should do, short of
dumping the whole brake? TIA.

Thinner socket. A regular Snap On socket or a Wiha nut driver fits
swimmingly. An impact socket or something off the hardware store's $1
table will be too thick.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

"Bellsouth Ijit 2.0" wrote:

The nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm
socket wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should
do, short of dumping the whole brake?

Use a table grinder to grind down the outside of the 10mm socket.
That's what I had to do to get my performance spd pedals apart.

Then go get yourself a set of pads that use an allen nut instead of
a hex nut. Kool Stop is a good choice:

http://www.koolstop.com/brakes/index.php
--
terry morse - Undiscovered Country Tours - http://www.udctours.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
how in the hell did the damn thing get in there in the first place?



I dunno. But if you lend me your time machine, I can go back to 1989 and
try to find out.

and try to find out.
good idea!
but seriously, consider an inablility to access as part of a greater
problem
possibly affecting brake performance
as access is often designed in
that inability of access strongly suggests the operator or
investigator's incorrect approach
not a screwup by the designer, who who who operated as committee
component not individual who is now about to destroy an expensive and
unobtainable piece of equipment ( as in NW Madagascar ) by prying it
with a large screwdriver when a blunt needle pushed into hole Y opens
the case elegantly to a chorus of ahhhhhhhh from the assembled
onlookers.
right?

On Mar 15, 7:42 pm, Terry Morse wrote:
"Bellsouth Ijit 2.0" wrote:

The nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm
socket wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should
do, short of dumping the whole brake?

Use a table grinder to grind down the outside of the 10mm socket.
That's what I had to do to get my performance spd pedals apart.


Me too. Took just a couple of minutes, and the socket wasn't anything
fancy, just some $3 Autozone number. Auto parts stores are great for
other things like chain lube and bearing lube by the tubful. $5 for a
lifetime supply of bike grease, anyone?

Then go get yourself a set of pads that use an allen nut instead of
a hex nut. Kool Stop is a good choice:

Most all are allen these days, but Kook-Stop is certainly my and the
groups consensus pad.

On Mar 15, 7:30 pm, A Muzi wrote:
Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 wrote:
http://209.208.180.5/upload/stupidbrake.jpg
It's a Dia Compe XCE on a 1989 GT Tequesta (or 35lb "Tank-questa") mtb. The
nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm socket
wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should do, short of
dumping the whole brake? TIA.

Thinner socket. A regular Snap On socket or a Wiha nut driver fits
swimmingly. An impact socket or something off the hardware store's $1
table will be too thick.

Are Snap-On sockets thinner than Sears Craftsman stuff? I went on a
short search for a 14mm thin wall socket a while back to get some
Suntour cranks off of a campy spindle, and even the nice Craftsman
stuff was way to thick. Used the same method I mentioned in another
post in this thread. Grabbed a 14mm socket for a couple bucks from the
soulless auto parts store, and spent a minute at the grinder making it
a thinwall. :-D

Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 wrote:
http://209.208.180.5/upload/stupidbrake.jpg
It's a Dia Compe XCE on a 1989 GT Tequesta (or 35lb "Tank-questa") mtb. The
nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm socket
wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should do, short of
dumping the whole brake? TIA.



With a socket wrench

http://www.pro.facom.fr/CatalogueGen...AG-CAT-02.aspx

Bellsouth Ijit 2.0 wrote:
http://209.208.180.5/upload/stupidbrake.jpg
It's a Dia Compe XCE on a 1989 GT Tequesta (or 35lb "Tank-questa") mtb. The
nut for the pad is in this recess in the brake arm, and my 10mm socket
wrench bit won't even engage. Sheesh. Any idea what I should do, short of
dumping the whole brake? TIA.



With a socket wrench

http://www.pro.facom.fr/CatalogueGen...AG-CAT-02.aspx