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    Left brake stops immediately while right brake is like soft and it berly brakes

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    8 Comments

    1. PuzzledActuator1 on

      You need to adjust your cable. Looks like it’s too long. You can try using the barrel adjustor on the end of the brake lever where the cable goes in, but it might need a bit more than that and you’ll need to adjust it on the caliper. Also, need to play with the spring tension on either side of your caliper, both sides should be closing at about the same rate one side has more tension than the other. There is a screw on each spring to adjust them.

    3. BarkleEngine on

      Typically the front has a good bit better stopping power than the rear but they each should be operative. You need to adjust that rear cable. Probably loosen the pinch bolt and move it a few mm tighter. Also adjust the balance of between the left and right springs so both arms move together. Over time the cables will stretch and you will need to make adjustments again. Also pads will wear out. Search for videos on adjusting V-Brakes.

    4. DomCraggoo on

      Back off the Allen key bolt for the lever ever so slightly, they’re too tight sometimes and it causes the lever to stick.

    7. damplamb on

      Watch the housing move in and out of the barrel adjuster as you move the lever. The cable needs more tension. loosen the bolt on the brake arm and pull the cable snug, then you can slightly increase the tension with the barrel adjuster to get it perfect.

    8. Mental_Contest_3687 on

      Good video overview of the problem! This looks like a common problem where the brake cable (the small braided wire wire leading from your brake lever to the rear brake) is having a hard time slipping thru the brake housing (the black colored flexible tube that the cable runs thru).

      A few suggestions:

      1. Get some lubricant into the housing. A good way to do this is to disconnect the rear brake cable at the rear (creates some slack at all the brake housing ends) and blast something like WD-40 or automotive brake cleaner down the brake housing lengths… this helps clear any “gunk” buildup. Then, drip some lubricant (bike-specific lubes are best, but any thin oil would be fine) onto the cable and let it run down into the housing. Then, reconnect. Should make a big difference!

      2. Check for anything adding “drag” along the cable. Like, a sharp bend in the housing could be a problem: try to straighten out any kinks in the housing. I noticed there is a thin black plastic sheath around the brake cable where it runs between the front of the bike and the rear.. these often get pulled into the housing on one end and can cause this problem. You don’t need the sheath: if it looks like it’s bunching up on the cable, just cut it off with a box knife (the brake cable is a metal wire and won’t be damaged).

      3. Check to see that the brake arms move freely on their pivots. In your video, it looks like the right rear brake arm might be sticking a bit. When the brake is disconnected, you can drip some lubricant around the pivot bolts and manually move the brakes around to work the lube into the pivot. If that doesn’t work, you can take the bolts out and drop some lube directly on the pivot, too.

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