Improving Brakes

[Guest]

I was wondering are there ways to improve your brakes without having to fish out money? For example washing all the mud out, or using WD-40 somewhere.

Thanks

[Davetrials]

washing your rim with WD 40?

yer do that thatll improve them no end.

[Guest]

this may sound stupied, but wont it make them slip

[1337 Trials]

Well I put water on my rim then ride around with brakes on and off then clean the rim. (amazed me at first how much dirt came on )Also if you don't want to grind your rim use a sharp knife (I use a stanely knife) and put a line down your rim. (I usually do it every centimeter or so). Hope this helps.

~Matty

[Guest]

Well I put water on my rim then ride around with brakes on and off then clean the rim. (amazed me at first how much dirt came on )Also if you don't want to grind your rim use a sharp knife (I use a stanely knife) and put a line down your rim. (I usually do it every centimeter or so). Hope this helps.

~Matty

yer i will try that. any other suggestions?

[Waddy]

put a grind on?....

[Muel]

Tar. My bro is using it and it improves braking a lot. It's still shit compared to getting a decent set of pads and a grind, but it improves it a lot.

What Rim/Brake/Bike combo are you running?

[Davetrials]

this may sound stupied, but wont it make them slip

Yes i was taking the piss

grind your rim, give a stupidly harsh grind and it wil improve your brake 100%

[Guest]

Tar. My bro is using it and it improves braking a lot. It's still shit compared to getting a decent set of pads and a grind, but it improves it a lot.

What Rim/Brake/Bike combo are you running?

Well i got a onza t-vee and all i have done is added CNCed Heatsink Vee Pads and backings on the rear wheel. its not a problem on the back its just the front ad it keeps on slipping but i dont really want to buy new pads on the front

[2sixstreet]

Give your rim a good wash and then use tar or coca cola (wait for the coke to dry)

[blaze_]

You can wash your rim with petrol(works outstanding) then put some tar on it. If it doesn't work good with tar than just make a grind it is just the best thing to do.

You can also try to readjust the pads so that they are adjusted perfectly you can improve it a lot this way.

[Ash-Kennard]

ffs, angle grind yer rim

[br3n]

hahaha i love useless anoying threads like this... what a suprise, ash is here

[Tony Harrison]

If it's a disk, face the mount properly. Everyone should do this.

[ConnorPowell]

Wd-40! No!!

Get some sort of oven cleaner that takes away the grease a dirt, spray it on your rim and leave for about 5mins, get a wet cloth and rub it all off, then with a dry rag wipe the rim dry, and then after that do the same on the pads.

[Ash-Kennard]

hahaha i love useless anoying threads like this... what a suprise, ash is here

shut up bad feedback boy

[1337 Trials]

yer i will try that. any other suggestions?

My mate had his hope M4 re-bled yesterday and the bike mechanic got the fluid on the rotor. I told him to use the method I just told you and he was amazed

~Matty

[RobinJI]

I assume (read hope) you told your mate to thoroughly clean the rotor first with disc cleaner?

As for improving the original guys front break, Some new pads would probably do the trick, don't need to be fancy trials specific ones in the front, just some koolstops or fibrax or something.

[Gavyn.]

Anyone who says wd-40 is a bad thing for cleaning rims is lying. It turns the tar to a black runny liquid which just wipes off. Remember to clean all the wd-40 off your rim though or you'll be on your arse and use it sparingly

[lil Jsy Chris]

A decent set of pads and a grind is amazing if your brake is set up well. But another option is to use tar, just put a bit on the rim and it makes your brakes alot sharper.

[BenLeacock™]

1. Tar

2. Save up get a desent set of pads

Or

1. Get the wheel grinded

2. Save up and get a desent set of pads

[philking]

if you don't want to grind your rim use a sharp knife (I use a stanely knife) and put a line down your rim. (I usually do it every centimeter or so). Hope this helps.

~Matty

Don't do that - it won't help at all. There are three things i would suggest:

1. Clean the rim really well. There are a few good ideas in this thread on how to do it, but what i would say it put clean water on the rim and ride around dragging the brake, so that pads are rubbing on the rim. Then wipe off all the excess crap that comes off. After doing that get some meths and use it as a cleaning agent, on a clean rag really scrubbing all around the rim with it. The do the same with clean water just to get rid of the residue.

2. Set the brake up. 90% of bikes that come built from the shop have a poor brake set up. What you need to do is make sure the pads hit the rim exactly parallel so that the maximum amount of compound is toucing at once (loosen the pad off slightly, pull the brake quite hard, and look at the pads - they should naturally hit the rim square on, then tighten them up in this position). The other thing i would say is either get a new brake cable, or as you have asken not to spend money, just clean and grease the cable you have. You should take the whole cable out of the cable outer and grease it. Grease the brake mounts, which is where the pivoting takes place.

At this stage i would try the brake out, you might just find that doing that has helped enough, if not then move onto step 3:

3. Grind the rim. Take the wheel and tyre off and use an ange grinder to roughen the side walls of the rim. If you are new to the sport this may not sound like an attractive option, but done well it is amazing! Have a search for rim grinding or something and there is plenty of information on how to do it.

[Token]

If it's a disk, face the mount properly. Everyone should do this.

You reckon you could give us a little guide to doing it properly? Maybe even write it in here: http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/wiki/Brake_overview

I tend to undo the bolts on the mount so the caliper can move freely, pull the brake lever so the pads touch the disc evenly both sides and the caliper re-alligns itself then I just do the bolts up.

[mods]

Give your rim a good wash and then use tar or coca cola (wait for the coke to dry)

don't do the coke thing. Your best bet is using tar.

[Richard jersey]

Either give your rim a good gring or just put a little put of tar on and brakes shouldn't slip at all.