Are brake levers supposed to be loose?

ProBiker55

Hello everyone!

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum ; just joined recently. I bought a used hardtail bike for trail riding and xc riding. Keep in mind I barely have any experience in bikes but I do understand the mechanics behind most of the components. Getting to my point, the brake levers on the front are loose for some reason. I asked the owner and he said they were tight before he shipped it. Is there any way to tighten them back? When I say loose, I don't mean they are loose up/down but rather in the direction when you press the brake (hold it in). Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers, George

njee20

You mean they're too easy to pull?

Or you mean they have play in them?

Or something else altogether?

What brakes?

ProBiker55

njee20 wrote:

What brakes?

The front brakes that are controlled by each hand (levers that you pull). What I mean is they have play in them yes. They are not like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX8bC0n7zec Rather when pulling them. I can literally take a pinkie and wobble it a good cm inward (not vertically like the video shows). Sorry if it's confusing.

cooldad

njee20 wrote:

What brakes?

As someone who can't be bothered to watch random videos when a word will do, some info helps, like rim/disc, disc/V/canti, hydraulic/cable.
Perhaps even make and model.

The Rookie

And what the heck he actually means by loose!

Antm81

Do you mean you can pull the lever before the brakes bite?

kajjal

Compared to road bike and other similar brakes the levers on MTB disc brakes do have more play in them but no so much you would ntice it riding

ProBiker55

What I mean, is that I have to depress the lever to about a 1/2" from the bar before the brakes grip the tire. The brakes are from elixir.

bob6397

That's normal. That's the lever moving the pads towards the rotor - at that point the pads actually come into contact with the rotor - without that gap, your pads would be touching the rotor constantly..

ProBiker55

bob6397 wrote:

That's normal. That's the lever moving the pads towards the rotor - at that point the pads actually come into contact with the rotor - without that gap, your pads would be touching the rotor constantly..

Thank you very much and to everyone who helped!

Also, one more quick question (don't want to open a new topic). When I ride, I sometimes hear the wheel make a slight squeaky sound. The wheels are both quick release (front and rear). Could this be because I tightened them too tightly? or does tightening them too much not affect anything? The bike came disassembled when shipped so that's why I ask. I don't want to end up having a wheel fall off while riding.

Another question is about the brakes. When actually riding and applying the brakes,they squeak as well. Does that just mean that they need some brake lubricant? (These are disc brakes I'm talking about)

Cheers, George

veronese68

Do NOT under any circumstances lubricate your brakes. They may clean up themselves and stop after a while, I wouldn't touch them for a bit.

bob6397

Squeaking brakes is sort of normal.. mine do it fairly often, normally depending on ambient temp and how wet it is (as in how heavy the rain is) outside.. If they continue to stop you, leave them alone..

But (As Veronese68 said), do NOT lubricate them - lubricating things means that you are reducing the friction between moving parts - helpful for your chain etc. but not helpful for your brakes (friction is the whole reason that brakes work).

bob6397

ProBiker55

bob6397 wrote:

Squeaking brakes is sort of normal.. mine do it fairly often, normally depending on ambient temp and how wet it is (as in how heavy the rain is) outside.. If they continue to stop you, leave them alone..

But (As Veronese68 said), do NOT lubricate them - lubricating things means that you are reducing the friction between moving parts - helpful for your chain etc. but not helpful for your brakes (friction is the whole reason that brakes work).

bob6397

I understand thank you! What about the actual wheels making that slight noise? It's a faint noise when moving the tire back and forth. Is there such thing as tightening the quick release wheels too much?

cooldad

What does 'moving a tyre back and forth' actually mean?

ps I think 'Pro' does not mean what you think it means.

ProBiker55

cooldad wrote:

What does 'moving a tyre back and forth' actually mean?

ps I think 'Pro' does not mean what you think it means.

I'm pro at riding but not fixing bikes

By "moving a tire back and forth" I mean that when I'm on the ground standing and rocking the bike back and forth. Or just walking the bike. It makes a faint sound as though something is too tight (too much friction between something).

bob6397

That's the caliper not being lined up quite right to the disc (or the disc being slightly warped)

See this video (from bikeradar) on how to fix it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7I6qlSsGds

bob6397

The Rookie

ProBiker55 wrote:

I'm pro at riding but not fixing bikes

You get paid for riding bikes and yet ask on here about the free play in a brake lever - Wow! Giuess you didn't want to ask your sponsor/team in case they fired you?

Or maybe you don't understand what pro means!

cooldad

Could be just heavily ironic?

The Rookie

Well indeed, but I wouldn't discount it being by accident!