Front Brake Shuddering

Wallyboy Brown
Wallyboy Brown Posts: 8
edited January 2011 in Workshop
... on my Pina FP2 Ult. Any advice welcome.

Thank you
Pina FP2 '10
Felt B2 Pro '10
Girlfriend

Comments

  • darren H
    darren H Posts: 122
    Assumin everything is tight you could try toeing in a new set of brake pads.
  • Wallyboy Brown
    Wallyboy Brown Posts: 8
    ....should have mentioned the pads have done 700 reasonable miles from new - a few sportives, a few Sunday rides - the usual.
    Pina FP2 '10
    Felt B2 Pro '10
    Girlfriend
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Stand over bike, apply front brake and rock bike back and forth to detect movement:

    Headset tightness / bearing wear / alignment?

    Security of brake caliper / loose/ worn bushing?

    Contaminated brake pads / brake tracks?

    Buckled rim?

    Worn wheel bearings
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    Assuming that none of the above^^^^^^^ apply then it may be worth running a file over the brake-blocks in case they are glazed in some way. Again, cleaning the rim surfaces with meths may help also.
  • Berk Bonebonce
    Berk Bonebonce Posts: 1,245
    Pads have worn flat over time so need re-adjusting to 'toe' them in.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    With decent quality stiff brake toe in is not necessary or even desirable. The blocks soon wear smooth so toeing in again will just wear them out faster. Monty has covered the main reasons for judder.
    My Fleet.
  • Wallyboy Brown
    Wallyboy Brown Posts: 8
    Many thanks all. I'll work through these. I have my preferences as to which of the above I'd like it to be!
    Pina FP2 '10
    Felt B2 Pro '10
    Girlfriend
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    John.T wrote:
    With decent quality stiff brake toe in is not necessary or even desirable. The blocks soon wear smooth so toeing in again will just wear them out faster. Monty has covered the main reasons for judder.

    This is not true in my experience although sometimes toeing-in is not to be recommended on V brakes. The degree of toeing-in does vary and certainly a stiff, solid brake does ease this problem but your statement does not hold.
    I'm not sure what you would regard as a good quality brake, but with my Tektro 720's with Koolstop ceramic pads on ceramic rims I was experiencing judder. Toeing-in fixed the problem.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    I have used or am currently using Shimano 600, Ultegra, Avid Vs and Tektro dual pivot (not sure of model). I have never used toe in for years and have only had judder when the rims or blocks are contaminated, usually from my over enthusiastic lubeing. I stopped toeing in because the effect lasted so short a time until it wore down. It also tended to give a spongy brake at first. A waste of time and effort.
    I can not speak for ceramic blocks but as they are rather harder than standard ones they may benefit from it. I have only used them on V brakes and did not toe in.
    My Fleet.
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    John.T wrote:
    I have used or am currently using Shimano 600, Ultegra, Avid Vs and Tektro dual pivot (not sure of model). I have never used toe in for years and have only had judder when the rims or blocks are contaminated, usually from my over enthusiastic lubeing. I stopped toeing in because the effect lasted so short a time until it wore down. It also tended to give a spongy brake at first. A waste of time and effort.
    I can not speak for ceramic blocks but as they are rather harder than standard ones they may benefit from it. I have only used them on V brakes and did not toe in.

    Well, you must speak as you find I suppose, but working with a variety of bikes in a bike workshop and repairing these for paying customers, your findings are not in line with my experience.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    It can be a short term cure. 'It was all right when you left the shop' is the usual comment. I have had this many times during 40+ years in the motor trade. You make the problem go away but unless you remove the real cause you have not cured it.
    To go back to brake judder. Contamination of rim or block, poor quality blocks and incorrect headset adjustment are the main causes. I always use Koolstop Salmon blocks and have no trouble when set square.
    My Fleet.
  • onbike 1939
    onbike 1939 Posts: 708
    John.T wrote:
    It can be a short term cure. 'It was all right when you left the shop' is the usual comment. I have had this many times during 40+ years in the motor trade. You make the problem go away but unless you remove the real cause you have not cured it.
    To go back to brake judder. Contamination of rim or block, poor quality blocks and incorrect headset adjustment are the main causes. I always use Koolstop Salmon blocks and have no trouble when set square.

    The above can all contribute to the problem it's true, but it seems that I now have to bow to your experience on this subject.

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