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Urgent: bike caliper come loose...can't screw it back in!

kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
edited September 2012 in MTB workshop & tech
I've had some XT 785 brakes installed. Rear brake is perfect! Front brake caliper has come loose on one screw! I've tried screwing it back in but it won't thread through and just spins in place! If a move the adapter out the way, it threads through to the shocks so nothing wrong there!

Need help with technique and can't find anything online! I know I have to hold the brake applied while I do it but it still won't thread through!!!

Stuck in the middle of nowhere!
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Posts

  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    So what fork mounts and adaptors? Which screw exactly?
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

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  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    Front xt 785 with 180 discs

    The fork is a marvel expert air with 29" wheels

    It has a standard shimano adapter. It's one of the two bolts that thread through the adapter and onto the fork, basically the two that attach to the bike.

    It uses an Allen key to screw in
  • nicklousenicklouse Posts: 50,675 Lives Here
    stripped threads?

    back to the shop and complain as it could be expensive.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    It threads through without the adapter. I think I'm just wonky with the Allen key :-(
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    Could be the threads at the start of the fork, not the deeper ones.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • nicklousenicklouse Posts: 50,675 Lives Here
    kammybear wrote:
    It threads through without the adapter. I think I'm just wonky with the Allen key :-(

    sounds more like the threads have been stripped. and/or the bolts are too short.

    back to the shop for sorting.

    or it will get expensive.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Doesn't really help, but post mount is a stupid idea.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • Chunkers1980Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Love it, rear IS, front PM (prob), get it back to the shop like Nick says. Rubbish 'standard' hate it and should be burnt.
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    All sorted.

    I removed one of the washers and it thread fine! Even got rid of the disk rub it was getting!

    Any problems with having three washers in one thread and two in the other?
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Chances are now it's hanging by half a thread, and will get worse. Have it checked out properly or it's new forks time.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • nicklousenicklouse Posts: 50,675 Lives Here
    kammybear wrote:
    All sorted.

    I removed one of the washers and it thread fine! Even got rid of the disk rub it was getting!

    Any problems with having three washers in one thread and two in the other?
    why would you need more than one washer?

    pics of your set up.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Chunkers1980Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Man, take it back, if they fitted it it should be correct. Washers are just covering up having the correct length bolt. Done threads mean new lowers.
  • benpinnickbenpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Id be worried that removing a washer fixed it. Unless the washer was literally in the way (in which case you should not give up the day job), or 5mm thick, then it means your running on basically a washer's worth of thread, which is about a turn. Back to the shop... New forks time I think (well, a longer bolt would also work ;)).
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    Hanging by a thread is a bit of melodramatic?

    It all seems pretty secure and not wonky at all... I'm getting new pedals installed tomorrow so I'll have them double check it.... :shock:
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    nicklouse wrote:
    kammybear wrote:
    It threads through without the adapter. I think I'm just wonky with the Allen key :-(

    sounds more like the threads have been stripped. and/or the bolts are too short.

    back to the shop for sorting.

    or it will get expensive.

    I had a visual look and the threads on the fork seemed fine. No residue of metal anyway... :?
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    not really.. the bolt should screw well into the fork to ensure it doesn't 'tear' out. If it does, you'll need new fork lowers.

    Spacers are what.. a few mm thick? Which means it is therefore screwed into the fork by a few mm.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    The washer I took out was pretty strange looking. It wasn't flat, it was about 3mm thick and rounded, I think it was spinning and stopping the screw from threading in or something!
  • benpinnickbenpinnick Posts: 4,148
    Lol. Sounds like your LBS used the Tri align washers off some Avids.... Bin them. All of them. Shoot your LBS.
    A Flock of Birds
    + some other bikes.
  • nicklousenicklouse Posts: 50,675 Lives Here
    again pics of your set up.


    or it will get expensive.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    Had a read of what tri align was and the washer I took out sounds like one of those. It was concave but the other two are flat standard type washers!
  • Chunkers1980Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Should have just taken it back. They do not belong with that setup
  • nicklousenicklouse Posts: 50,675 Lives Here
    so again for the THIRD time PICTURES or take the censored back to the idiots who set it up.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    Calm down dude! I've got the pix! Uploading now, just done so more examining and the same washer on the other bolt was making the other washers wobble so I've taken it off, I'll be taking the bike back tomorrow and ask whats been going on!
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    This is the offending washer... AE13421E-C04C-46B8-9B15-01A660FBCD41-426-00000011BB540FED.jpg

    This is what it looked like

    B4B8067B-B48A-47B9-A51C-4EFFFCC0AF9B-426-00000011B73924E7.jpg

    This is what the bottom one looks like right now

    63AF5584-2F02-4DD7-A322-1C32163CB2C6-426-00000011B117C5BD.jpg

    One of the bolts is too long. I'm not sure how its got to this as all they had to do was remove the bog standard Shimano Caliper and stick the almost identical looking Xt one in its place.

    The top bolt is too long without that weird washer and there is a 3mm gap as the bolt won't go in any further so I'm taking it back tomorrow for rectification!
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    For info, the bottom was the one that wouldnt thread
  • cooldadcooldad Posts: 32,599
    Assume the bottom one still has the other half of the tri align set (concave)? I'd get rid of those too.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    The black one is from the black Shimano setup I think. The grey one is one they've added by the looks of it...just strange that the washers were added...
  • The Northern MonkeyThe Northern Monkey Posts: 19,174
    ok.. go to bike shop.

    Fish_Slap_by_KyuubiDaGatorGirl.gif

    then find a better bike shop.

    Bodge jobs annoy me, basically they either can't be arsed to do thing properly or don't know how.
    Santa Cruz Butcher
  • kammybearkammybear Posts: 500
    They did a really half job. The disc was rubbing and everything! The shop is okay for a quick fix but maybe XT type censored is out of their league. It's just a small shop. Cheap but I guess it shows!

    I've sorted it all now.

    This is what it looks like now:

    9E764A48-01CA-4B21-9F75-41E5EAEED5AE-426-000000191E993CEF.jpg

    B5A2514F-407D-4075-BAF4-90C8503E3288-426-0000001916D34A9F.jpg

    Learned a lot tonight. I think I could have easily installed the brakes myself in hindsight. Would have taken longer but they're set perfectly. No rub on the discs, no play in the washers. I know you guys said washers are bad but that bolt is probably about 2-3cm inside that fork! It was one long censored bolt!

    Everything is smooth and silent! :D
  • sigorman85sigorman85 Posts: 2,536
    Re tap it with the rite tap and wrench or go to ya lbs
    When i die I just hope the wife doesn't sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it other wise someone will be getting a mega deal!!!


    De rosa superking 888 di2
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