# brake pad rub can't figure it out



## francoaa (Mar 19, 2008)

Ok not bike mech, but willing to learn. I got a new bike and one side of the front brake pad is rubbing on the rim how to adjust. What screw or barrel adjust needs to be made or push assembly? annoying.


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## SilverStar (Jan 21, 2008)

Well, it depends on what kind of brakes you have. Can you tell us what you've got (single-pivot sidepull, dual pivot sidepull, cantilever, V brake, etc.)?

Brake centering is generally handled by the mounting bolt or a small setscrew on one side of the brake "body". Without specifics as to what kind of brake you have, though, it's a shot in the dark.


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## francoaa (Mar 19, 2008)

OO sorry, they are sidepull for road bike. Also I went to look again and took front wheel off and tired to center front wheel better. I think I see that screw you are talking about.

Also on another note. The clip on the sidepull brake that I guess you release to remove or help in taking off front tire, i think up for removal, down for close. what would happen if once you put the front tire back on and the clip stayed in the upposition? I notice when it was up that my brakepads still contacted the front rim. Is there anyharm in it being in the up position? I hope I named the parts right.


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Your right, the up position on the brakes is used as a release so that the wheel can be removed. If your brakes rub the rim in the up position then the brakes are probably out of alignment. Moving the clip to the down position is intended to put your brake pads closer to the rim for use. 
On newer bikes, usually the wheel is not centered properly if the brake is rubbing. Sometimes I'll pull the top of the wheel a little to the right or left, then close the quick release. This will give the brakes more clearance. Were talking millimeters here.


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## SilverStar (Jan 21, 2008)

That clip (actually a lever) is indeed the quick-release for the brake so that one can remove the wheel easier. There's nothing inherently wrong with leaving it "open"...the lever has to pull a lot more cable to actuate the brake arms, though. Sometimes folks have to leave the QR open in order to get home with an out-of-true wheel.

In your case, though, you're not addressing the centering problem using the open QR method. 

First, check that the wheel is centered in the fork. Next, loosen the brake mounting bolt, center the brake pads on either side of the rim and hold that position while you torque the mounting bolt down. Finally, with the small setscrew on one side of the brake "body" (usually near one of the pivots), turn it in or out to do final pad centering...you should see the pads getting closer to or farther away from the rim as you turn that screw.


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## lemonlime (Sep 24, 2003)

Here's a good place to start.


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## francoaa (Mar 19, 2008)

lemonlime said:


> Here's a good place to start.


Ok thanks everyone for your comments very helpful. This is why I like this site. O yea I forgot about parktool. I will remember this for future use. What I did was take the wheel off again and then centered it better and made sure quik release was tighter, it seems to work for now. If I have future problem I will look to tighten the brake bolt. Thanks for infor on the lever, now I know. Appreciated!


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