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Cantilever brakes resting on one side
#1
Hi, all.
I have a problem where my brakes always lean to the left against the rim. I have tried every adjustment in the cantilever brake tutorial video except the pad adjustment (because I can't find a 10mm open wrench anywhere), but to no avail. The right side always go back against the rim when I let go.
When the transverse cable is disconnected, the right side seems to stay more or less in place when I rotate it. I did notice that the plastic spring housing on the right side was broken. I can even see the spring through the housing.
My guess is that the housing is no longer retaining the screw so that the right side isn't being pushed back into its position away from the rim. Does this theory have any chance of being true? If so, is there a cheaper way to fix my brakes than to replace the whole assembly?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
-AJ

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#2
Try unscrewing the bolt that hold the cantilever onto the frame/fork. It may be that the spring has slipped out of the hole it is supposed to go into and is not giving any back pressure now. Many bikes have 3 holes here as well to give you ability to adjust how much tension is on the spring.

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#3
Thanks for the advice. I finally found time to take it apart and found the three holes you were talking about. The problem was actually that the other end of the spring had come out of the hole when the housing cracked. It's kind of fixed now... but I should look a more permanent solution when I find the time and money.

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