Sidepull Caliper brakes problem

[oddjobkebab]

Hi, I'm having troubles with the brakes on my back wheel of my Huffy Blades bike. The calipers will not not press hard enough (or barely even at all) to stop the bike. I don't think i can just manage on the front tire brakes, unless they are reliable enough to stop me, so does anyone have any idea how to fix this?

[DaveM]

The front brake should always be more powerful than the rear. But did the rear brake get worse recently or has it always been weak?

First question is if the caliper is moving freely and hitting the rim square on. Is the cable so loose that you can pin the lever to the handlebar? Do the arms of the caliper itself have a lot of side to side play? You can also try sanding the surface of the brake pads or replace pads completely. A lot of variables here so you need to start identifying the problem better before we can suggest a fix.

[oddjobkebab]

(06-18-2010, 05:13 PM)DaveM Wrote:  The front brake should always be more powerful than the rear. But did the rear brake get worse recently or has it always been weak?

First question is if the caliper is moving freely and hitting the rim square on. Is the cable so loose that you can pin the lever to the handlebar? Do the arms of the caliper itself have a lot of side to side play? You can also try sanding the surface of the brake pads or replace pads completely. A lot of variables here so you need to start identifying the problem better before we can suggest a fix.

Sorry i will include what you have asked,
I believe the brakes worked fine when I first got it, but i haven't used it in a long time and the last time I used it they worked fine, The calipers do not even move, The lever is very stiff(only on the back wheel lever) and i cannot pin it to the handlebar, The caliper themselves do not have a lot of side to side play.

[Bill]

Just for my own future reference is there anyway you can upload a picture of the brake caliper and lever?

[Joe_W]

Can you move the calipers by hand? Or by pulling the cable that runs free along the top tube? Try diagnosing the culprit from one direction of the mechanics. I'd start at the brake. Sometimes you just have to take them apart and clean and grease the pivoting points.