Shimano 600 caliper brake spring?

[Joerg]

It smelled like somebody did a tire burnout at the end of a ride,
stopped, bike won't roll well anymore. The return spring of the front
caliper brake had gone kaploink and the right brake was worn down. It's
a Shimano 600 EX set but doesn't say EX on the caliper. Looks almost
like this:

https://benscycle.vtexassets.com/arquivos/ids/313207-800-auto?v=637322141400300000&width=800&height=auto&aspect=true

Is there a modern and available spring that will fit this? If not, what
kind of reasonably priced caliper brake would be a good replacement?
They are mounted with a center screw through the crown of the fork.

Of course, I could use a hose clamp and ... :-)

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

[Tom Kunich]

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bop/d/oakland-shimano-br-1050-brakes/7621841204.html

[AMuzi]

Simple sidepull, for which many similar springs ( Weinmann,
Campagnolo, DiaCompe) will fit.

Alternately a new caliper is also cheap. The size is stamped
on the back of the arm (either 39-49 or 47-57 most probably)

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[Joerg]

On 5/22/23 4:04 PM, AMuzi wrote:
> On 5/22/2023 4:20 PM, Joerg wrote:
>> It smelled like somebody did a tire burnout at the end of a
>> ride, stopped, bike won't roll well anymore. The return
>> spring of the front caliper brake had gone kaploink and the
>> right brake was worn down. It's a Shimano 600 EX set but
>> doesn't say EX on the caliper. Looks almost like this:
>>
>> https://benscycle.vtexassets.com/arquivos/ids/313207-800-auto?v=637322141400300000&width=800&height=auto&aspect=true
>>
>>
>>
>> Is there a modern and available spring that will fit this?
>> If not, what kind of reasonably priced caliper brake would
>> be a good replacement? They are mounted with a center screw
>> through the crown of the fork.
>>
>> Of course, I could use a hose clamp and ... :-)
>>
>
> Simple sidepull, for which many similar springs ( Weinmann, Campagnolo,
> DiaCompe) will fit.
>

Haven't been able to find any, other than used which will probably break
quickly.

> Alternately a new caliper is also cheap. The size is stamped on the back
> of the arm (either 39-49 or 47-57 most probably)
>

It's hard to read but it seems to say 43 max and 39 min. Which would be
an awfully small range. When I measure the reach from center of mounting
bolt to center of pads it's more like 50mm. So technically they
shouldn't even fit but they do (pads almost at the bottom of the slots
though). Very confusing.

For the Thursday trip I'll have to jerry-rig some sort of other spring
between right arm and fork, so I can ride.

[Joerg]

Craigslist folks usually don't mail and Oakland would be an all day
ride. with a dragging front pad probably longer. Each way :-)

[Tom Kunich]

If you wanted as brand new in the box set of short brakes plus levers and the extras that came with it shipped to you, you could look at
https://www.ebay.com/itm/275552201762?hash=item402830ec22:g:fbAAAOSw3aFjfsrT&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0L96KrPJZLBmcnBozAuYUE3dVtA9cLyiqSSHAtO9Gs5IovhRk2IVORXjWk4ZwfJwdYvWyYlCiwU7q0f6Bn1LKyx8pOhFL6p%2B8kkWJVUveKO%2BfeCA2tIWh%2BhWC11XCTdR49my4qZqchlZ2mB9lpXeVCDIJ54O9g2ee6W35OpGl7XTp%2BKmbUEI8CicqR1XyaizX%2FELE1KSn4bhMwwVoYyqniLI06tgFhSjpIXY45sYyOScmQvNAT2j2Ycg0HFovsgu1TlNedEP0AxGtR2gxFkmmO8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_i2q6yJYg

These ARE expensive, but they have the stuff missing from most of these things these days such at the sliders on the brake stops.

[Frank Krygowski]

On 5/23/2023 3:58 PM, Joerg wrote:
> On 5/22/23 4:04 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>> On 5/22/2023 4:20 PM, Joerg wrote:
>>> It smelled like somebody did a tire burnout at the end of a
>>> ride, stopped, bike won't roll well anymore. The return
>>> spring of the front caliper brake had gone kaploink and the
>>> right brake was worn down. It's a Shimano 600 EX set but
>>> doesn't say EX on the caliper. Looks almost like this:
>>>
>>> https://benscycle.vtexassets.com/arquivos/ids/313207-800-auto?v=637322141400300000&width=800&height=auto&aspect=true
>>>
>>>
>>> Is there a modern and available spring that will fit this?
>>> If not, what kind of reasonably priced caliper brake would
>>> be a good replacement? They are mounted with a center screw
>>> through the crown of the fork.
>>>
>>> Of course, I could use a hose clamp and ... :-)
>>>
>>
>> Simple sidepull, for which many similar springs ( Weinmann,
>> Campagnolo, DiaCompe) will fit.
>>
>
> Haven't been able to find any, other than used which will probably break
> quickly.

How many years old is yours? If you find one lightly used, which
shouldn't be hard, it should last nearly as long as yours.

But it should be no great trick to find a complete replacement brake for
$20 or less.

--
- Frank Krygowski

[bob prohaska]

Joerg <ne...@analogconsultants.com> wrote:
>
> https://benscycle.vtexassets.com/arquivos/ids/313207-800-auto?v=637322141400300000&width=800&height=auto&aspect=true
>
> Is there a modern and available spring that will fit this? If not, what
> kind of reasonably priced caliper brake would be a good replacement?
> They are mounted with a center screw through the crown of the fork.
>
> Of course, I could use a hose clamp and ... :-)

Ace Hardware outlets sell hardened steel wire (music wire, IIRC)
that makes decent springs. Same thing happened on my old Cannondale,
the spring I made is still working, some years later. The curlicue
loops are nice, but not required.

hth,

bob prohaska
>

[Joerg]

> These ARE expensive, ...


Yikes! They sure are. Maybe I can sell my busted 600EX caliper for more
than the Tektro replacemebnt cost :-)

but they have the stuff missing from most of these things these days
such at the sliders on the brake stops.
>

[Joerg]

Yeah, that's what I just did. Found A Tektro R313 for around $20 plus
tax, free ship. It's black but, oh well, that bike is pretty butchered
already.

[Joerg]

Thanks, good idea. I just ordered a new caliper brake but maybe I can
use the spring steel trick to tide me over for the Thursday ride. Or
maybe a small coil spring hose-clamped to the fork on the right (the
side that broke). Or some foam :-)

[John B.]

Years ago I even made a "bending jig" and we made quite a number of
"music wire" which were used on airplanes (:-)

The theory was the "home made" springs would only be used until Supply
could furnish factory made replacements but I saw one about a year
later and asked the Crew Chief about changing it and he said, "Well...
that one works." (:-)

By the way, there is quite a bit of "spring back" so be prepared to
bend a few before you get "just right".
--
Cheers,

John B.

[John B.]

On Wed, 24 May 2023 16:45:30 +0700, John B. <sloc...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Yup, the spelling checker missed a beat there. It should have read
"made quite a number of "music wire" springs which were used on
airplanes (:-)
--
Cheers,

John B.

[Sir Ridesalot]

Did t he spring actually break? If it didn't why not just bend the weaker side of the spring to increase the tension?

Cheers

[AMuzi]

I have used things like this as material for various
applications:
https://www.toolsid.com/dorman/0-030-0-090-extension-spring-set-4-pieces-mpn-29016.html

Also sold singly, any auto parts store.

[Joerg]

Thanks, Andrew. I did it with a bungee cord over the handlebar. The
brake now actually works better than before, less force needed. So I
could just leave it ... nah, won't do that. One of the other riders said
then they won't ride with me anymore, looks too much like a hobo bike
now :-)

And the new caliper will arrive next week anyhow.

[Joerg]

Actually a 3/4" long piece of the return spring fell off.

[AMuzi]

On 5/27/2023 12:18 PM, Joerg wrote:
> On 5/24/23 6:11 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:

>> On Monday, May 22, 2023 at 4:23:24 p.m. UTC-5, Joerg wrote:
>>> It smelled like somebody did a tire burnout at the end of
>>> a ride,
>>> stopped, bike won't roll well anymore. The return spring
>>> of the front
>>> caliper brake had gone kaploink and the right brake was
>>> worn down. It's
>>> a Shimano 600 EX set but doesn't say EX on the caliper.
>>> Looks almost
>>> like this:
>>>
>>> https://benscycle.vtexassets.com/arquivos/ids/313207-800-auto?v=637322141400300000&width=800&height=auto&aspect=true
>>>
>>>
>>> Is there a modern and available spring that will fit
>>> this? If not, what
>>> kind of reasonably priced caliper brake would be a good
>>> replacement?
>>> They are mounted with a center screw through the crown of
>>> the fork.
>>>
>>> Of course, I could use a hose clamp and ... :-)
>>>
>>> --
>>> Regards, Joerg
>>>
>>> http://www.analogconsultants.com/
>>
>> Did t he spring actually break? If it didn't why not just
>> bend the weaker side of the spring to increase the tension?
>>
>
> Actually a 3/4" long piece of the return spring fell off.
>

Which means it actually broke. Rare failure especially on a
Shimano product.

[William Crowell]

Joerg, I'll look in my extensive junk box. I think I may have something for you.

[Tom Kunich]

Ah, thank heavens, I would hate the next story of how you broke a bungee cord.

[Joerg]

On 5/27/23 11:52 AM, William Crowell wrote:
> Joerg, I'll look in my extensive junk box. I think I may have something for you.
>

Thanks, Bill, but now I've got a new Tektro caliper coming.