If your bike has disc brakes, it is important that you refer to a copy of the owner's manual for info about servicing and adjusting your brakes You can look up the phone number on our "bike phone numbers" page and request a copy of the instructions if you don't have them from the manufacturer of the bike. There are several discs on the market, but the designs change frequently and models are updated regularly, so you need the updated info from the manufacturer to best work on your brakes. Most discs, when properly set up, require little or no maintenance. Usually all that is necessary is to replace the pads, a simple matter! If your disc starts to make noise, then it may be bent or pads worn out... if you examine the disc and see it is bent, it is possible to bend it back using a large crescent wrench to fully engage the disc and then apply controlled force to bend it back into position - then spin the wheel and see that it does not hit the pads and re-center if necessary. Please be careful not to squeeze the brake levers with the wheel removed as this may dislodge the brake pads & cause a problem. On cable actuated disc brakes, the tension can be adjusted the same way as a cantilever brake. On these brakes, only the caliper is hydraulic... the rest is the same as a cantilever system to adjust. The pads can be moved closer to the disc by turning a bolt that reduces the fluid volume in the caliper. On the fully hydraulic system, volume in the entire system is adjusted at either the lever or the caliper. If the brake feels spongy, you may need to bleed some air out of the system. Please refer to the manual for your system. Here's a simple hydraulic disc brake adjustment procedure for the savvy mechanic. Squeeze the brake lever with one hand and push the brake rotor side-to-side first toward the spokes and then toward the fork leg by grasping the rotor with a clean hand at or near the caliper. This forces both brake pads to follow the moving rotor and relocate in the caliper. Where you let off the brake lever is where the pads will newly reside. This is an easy way to make subtle adjustments in order to stop errant pad rubbing and noises. |
