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From: eirik@tekchips.UUCP (Eirik Fuller)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Squeaking and Aztec Power Pads
Message-ID: <232@tekchips.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 10:47:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekchips.232
Posted: Tue Sep 24 10:47:53 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 03:07:17 EDT
References: <4300007@absolut.UUCP>
Reply-To: eirik@tekchips.UUCP (Eirik Fuller)
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 36

In article <4300007@absolut.UUCP> matt@absolut.UUCP writes:
>
>	One of the recommended techniques for stopping brake squeaks
>is toeing in the brake pad.  I used to do this by removing the pads and
>twisting the calipers with a 15" crescent wrench.

Are you sure you used a big enough wrench? I like to leave the pads
on, so I can see what I'm doing. Get (or borrow) the tool Park makes
for this; it goes on perpendicular to the wheel, so you have room to
twist.

>	This has two drawbacks: On cheap OEM brakes (such as Diacompe and
>Mafac) you are asking for hairline cracks to develop; on expensive brakes,
>not only do you risk cracking a $100 brakeset, it is alse HARD to twist 
>those suckers (you wouldn't beleive the difference in strength between
>a Modolo and a Diacompe set).

How HARD can it be with a 15" moment arm? A toe-in is a one-time
adjustment, preferably by the mechanic who installs the brake in
the first place (though I wonder about a lot of shops).

>	The Aztec brake pads (made by Kool-Stop) remedy this by having concave/
>convex washers between the pad and caliper arm which alows toe-in adjustment
>during installation. This is how I cured the sqeaking on my Modolos. 
>	The Aztecs will squeak a bit before they lay down a little rubber; 
>after that they're fine.
>	Unfortunately, they don't have wheel guides, so racers probably won't
>be interested. They are available in standard and cantilever versions.

Warning: be VERY careful before buying Aztec cantilever pads; the ones
I bought were standard pads, with aluminum rods threaded over the top
of the studs. Threaded rods are weak enough when it comes to bending;
the aluminum didn't help. The rod simply cracked during installation.
Luckily, the shop where I bought them was nice enough to take them 
back and pass on my complaints to the distributor. I don't know if
Aztec has fixed this problem.