# Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my brake setup?



## 302w (Jul 19, 2021)

I have a five speed Stingray that I assmebled from parts as a teenager and rode throughout the years. I dug it out and realized why the brakes are so lousy!






The shoes, as installed, are offset. See images.

Do I need a specific offset brake shoe? It currently has 10 year old generic Walmart replacements. Or is this installer error?

Thanks!


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## GTs58 (Jul 19, 2021)

The brake pads are all the same, no such thing as offset pads. Looks like you're missing some hardware on your calipers and they may be loose or bent or both. Here's a parts diagram.


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## 302w (Jul 19, 2021)

Thank you for the quick response! I was a dumb teenager when I assembled this, so god only knows what I used. The chain side is the forward brake pad, so I'm leaning towards it being bent. Any amount of spacers would only exacerbate the situation.

Either way, I'll keep an eye out on Ebay for a cheap set of brakes since this only gets ridden a few days a year on vacation. Thanks again for the help!


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## 3-speeder (Jul 19, 2021)

Some extra parts on the shoes too.  Should be shoe, flat of the caliper, then washer and nut.  Don't think you need the extra washers.


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## GTs58 (Jul 19, 2021)

3-speeder said:


> Some extra parts on the shoes too.  Should be shoe, flat of the caliper, then washer and nut.  Don't think you need the extra washers.






302w said:


> Thank you for the quick response! I was a dumb teenager when I assembled this, so god only knows what I used. The chain side is the forward brake pad, so I'm leaning towards it being bent. Any amount of spacers would only exacerbate the situation.
> 
> Either way, I'll keep an eye out on Ebay for a cheap set of brakes since this only gets ridden a few days a year on vacation. Thanks again for the help!




Not sure what rim you are using but it looks narrower than an S-2. That brake caliper has a wide reach and you might get by with a middleweight caliper that's easier to find with that rim and tire set up. The calipers come in many different sizes so don't grab one that was off a lightweight.


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## 302w (Jul 19, 2021)

I'm using a 20" MTB rim. Can you suggest a caliper?


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## GTs58 (Jul 19, 2021)

If you're not going for some kind of resto or a correct parts attempt there's countless different calipers that will work, as long as the pivot bolt fits. If it's larger drilling out the hole is no big deal. Something new would be less hassle IMO.


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## 100bikes (Jul 20, 2021)

Hard to really tell, but IMO, it appears that the toe in is wrong on your set up. 
The front edge of the brake shoe should touch before the rear. 
A credit card  is a good spacer and a "third hand" is very helpful when setting up the shoes.
Also, the shoes you have are prone to slipping out of alignment if not tightened down properly.
rusty


(This is still my favorite third hand.)


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