Disc brakes: adjust the disc brake

Disc brakes: adjust the disc brake

Disc brakes: adjust the disc brake

When you have a bicycle with disc brakes it is possible that the brakes start to squeak. On this moment the caliper is probably crooked. This ensures that one of the pads wears out harder than the other during cycling. But, it is possible to solve this yourself easily.

How to adjust a disc brake?

You don’t want to cycle any further when your wheel is not spinning right anymore. It is possible that the caliper is crooked due to a crash or the transportation of the bike. To adjust the brake again you only have to follow the following steps:

Necessities

  • BBB Hex Tool (4 of 5mm) / BTL-45
  • BBB MultiTool / (for when you want to adjust your drive on the go)


    1. Loosen both bolts on the caliper.

    To start you need to turn your your bicycle upside down or (even better) hang your bicycle in a bike stand. Now loosen both bolts on the caliper a little bit so you can move it with your hand.

    2. Pinch the brake

    Pinch the front or rear brake to center the caliper. The caliper will center itself.

    3. Now tighten the bolts again.

    Now tighten the bolts on the caliper while you pinch the brake. It is important to hold tight to the brake handle when tighten the bolts. Otherwise it will fall out of position again.

    4. Check if the wheel runs smoothly again

    Turn the wheel a few times to check if it runs smoothly. Check the position of the disc by looking through the caliper. If it is adjusted correctly you will see the same space on the left and right of the disc.



    Disc brakes need to be replaced as well
    Not only the pads in a disc brake, but also the disc itself asks your attention. Discs are parts that wear out one day. But, when do you need to change them and how do you do this? Read all about it in the blog: How to change a disc brake, disc? It is possible that you have to replace the disc brake pads instead of the discs. You can read here how to replace this part. How to replace your disc brake pads?