important: Nuts and bolts on your bike should always be tightened to the manufacturer's specifications.

How to Adjust Sidepull Caliper Brakes

Learn how to adjust brake pads, cable tension and centering on road-style caliper brakes.

Video updates

00:13 - Correction: 9 or 10mm open end wrenches.
00:25 - Correction: It's called a 4th Hand Tool.
00:31 - Watch How to Tape Drop Handlebars at about 00:30 for lever alignment tips.
00:52 - Remove the wheels if your pad adjustment is good and you don't want to mess with it. Otherwise you can simply remove the pads for resurfacing.

In this week’s tutorial, we’ll learn how to adjust sidepull caliper brakes, found on most road bikes. For this job, depending on your bike, you’ll need a set of 5 or 6mm allen wrenches, a set of open-end metric wrenches sized 9 or 10mm, a 14mm offset brake wrench for centering, some rough sandpaper for re-surfacing the brake pads, a light lubricant like TriFlow, and an optional 4th hand tool for adjusting the cable tension.

Lever Adjustment

First you’ll want to make sure that your brake levers are properly positioned. Check the handlebar wrapping tutorial for a more detailed procedure. It’s also a good idea to make sure your wheels are properly centered in the frame.

Many road brake systems have a quick release mechanism that loosens the brake enough so that you can remove the wheels. If not you’ll have to loosen the pinch bolt enough to give the cable some slack.

Brake Pads

Now remove your wheel and resurface the pads with your sandpaper to remove road grime. Then reinstall the wheel and check to make sure the pads are lined up with the rim. Some pads have a curved washer that allows you to set the toe-in adjustment. To avoid squealing noises while your ride, try to set the rear of the pad so there is about a 1 or 2mm gap when the front of the pad contacts the rim.

Cable Tension

To set the cable tension, first make sure your barrel adjuster is threaded all the way down. If you have a cable quick release system, make sure it is set to the tightest setting, where the brake arms are closest together. If you don’t have a quick release, you can always back off the barrel adjuster a few turns so that it can be easily loosened later.

Now set the cable tension with the cable pinch bolt. The 4th hand tool makes it easier by pulling the cable for you while you tighten the bolt. This is a personal preference, as it sets how far you’ll have to pull the lever before the brakes contact the rim. Some people prefer very responsive brakes and set them really tight, while others prefer a bit more slack. I like to have the brake contact the rim when I’ve pulled the lever about 1/4 of the way.

Pivot Adjustment

If your brake unit is really stiff or too loose, you’ll have to adjust the main center bolt. Some brakes have two nuts on the front side that turn against each other, while other systems like this one are adjusted by loosening off the back bolt, adjusting the front bolt, and then tightening it against the back bolt. The adjustment is correct when the brakes are tight but function easily.

Centering

Now check the brake centering. Both pads should contact the rim at the same time. If not, you can adjust this by loosening off the main back bolt and placing the centering wrench on the flats of the thick washer on the other side. Center the brakes with the wrench and then tighten the bolt. This sometimes takes a few tries because the brake will move a little bit while you’re tightening.

Once the brake is set up, drop a tiny bit of light oil on the pivot points. Wipe off any excess and be careful not to get any oil on the rim surface or brake pads.

Related Tools

Discuss this topic in the Brake Forums

Brake boss sizes???

Lastest post 2 months ago

I replaced a cheapo suspension fork with a Nashbar chromoly rigid fork and really like the way it feels. Continuing with the upgrades I thought I'd replace the C-Star V brakes with some quality Shimano Deore V brakes BUT this wasn't as easy as I suspected. While my brake bosses are apparently the correct diameter the shouldered portion near the attachment point on the fork is too long or perhaps m...

Brake constantly touching on one side

Lastest post 10 months ago

I have this case where a front brake reopens itself only to one side, which causes the pad on the other side to rub against the wheel. I made sure it's properly screwed to the frame and the pads are at equal distance before braking, but as soon as I brake, the problem is back. By the way, I have a doubt about this brake, because there's another problem which may explain the first: I can't pull t...

Strange Brake Wear?

Lastest post 1 year ago

It's been a while since I've looked at my 1981 Free Spirit Pinnacle (27" road bike), but I can recall the last time I rode it I almost had some "close calls" because the brakes were gone. However, on closer inspection, it looks like (to me) that there is plenty of "padding" on the brake pad. The only issue is there is a groove wore into the pads. None of the brakes stop. Front brakes Link (for ...

New 3 speed hub with coaster brake: brake squeals and sticks

Lastest post 1 year ago

I recently purchased a used (nearly new) Sun Traditional adult Tricycle, 2016 model, and attempted to add on a brand new 3 speed conversion kit purchased through Amazon. The kit is made by Sturmey Archer, and intended for Sun trikes like mine from 2015 and newer. As far as I can tell, I've installed the hub correctly. It shifts smoothly and runs well. However, the coaster brake makes a weird...

Bike part identification help

Lastest post 2 years ago

Hi there, I need to source a replacement part for my Peugeot Carbolite 103 Ladies bike, but am having trouble knowing exactly what to search for. I have attached an image with the required part circled – this is just an image taken from online and are not the same breaks (but the part looks identical). Any help would be most appreciated! Thanks! ...

Adjusting Tektro R40 for wider tire

Lastest post 2 years ago

I have Tektro R40 dual pivot caliper brakes (as provided on my 2011 Trek) Recently I decided to use a slightly wider tire (going from 23 to 25) When I try to mount the wheel, the gap between the brake pads is not large enough to accommodate the larger tire I could deflate the tire a bit and get it to slide through, but I would like to adjust the brake to accommodate the wider tire without doin...

Magura Clara disc brake spongy after bleeding... Videos showing piston action

Lastest post 2 years ago

This bicycle bought 2nd hand, no idea of its history. This particular caliper is front brake (Magura Louise brake handle!) Managed to figure out how to bleed both brakes... One Clara brake handle, one Louise! Connect syringe with Magura oil on caliper. Open reservoir on handle, fill reservoir with syringe (if not already), slowly operate handle until reservoir near empty, then fill reservoir...

Disc Brake levers assembly onto a flat bar

Lastest post 2 years ago

The bike is a 2017 Motebecane Elite Aventure X5LTD with front suspension, which I bought online. At which side (left or right) of the flat bar is the front brake lever placed?...

Putting drop bars on Cannondale Badboy (2002) hybrid

Lastest post 2 years ago

Hi I want to put drop bars on this bike: http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2002&brand=Cannondale&model=Bad+Boy Need to change the brakes & want to put on combi brakes & shifters, but I'm a bit naive about how easily/well this can work. Have been looking at a few possibilities for levers on Amazon - e.g.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHIMANO-ST2300-BRAKE-SHIFTE...

Pairing dropbars levers with a flat-bar bike

Lastest post 3 years ago

Hello, I am interested in buying a fitness Canyon bike that can be seen at: https://www.canyon.com/en-ro/fitness/roadlite/2016/roadlite-al-7-0.html My primary goal with it is to use it with drop handlebars and I'm not interested in a regular road bike since this one supports wider tires (I'm about 95 kg weight), hydraulic disc brakes and I also want a big top tube to get a big seat post angle (...

setting up disc brakes on a frame not made for disc breaks

Lastest post 3 years ago

My bike was stolen and i recently got it back... but some of the parts where switched out. They replaced my 27.5 inch forks with 26 inch shocks(pretty nice ones though) and my 27.5 single gear wheel with a 26 inch mtb wheel with a disc break disc on it. Finding a 27.5 has not been easy. And my breaks wont reach the 26 inch rim. I was thinking about ringing up some kind of extension to mount the br...

Squeaky sound coming from brakes

Lastest post 3 years ago

Hi, there, first time poster here! I am a little desperate in my naive attempts to fix what is going on with my bike for years and it looks like I'm totally hitting the wall. Hope that someone might chime in and hint me on some way to fix the issue... So, I bought a KENT SHOGUN T1000 HYBRID - MENS Model # 22798 bike (http://www.kent.bike/22798/shogun-t1000-hybrid-mens) around 3 years ago from my...

Tektro brake leak

Lastest post 3 years ago

I recently bought a used gt a avalanche with auriga comp brakes. I managed to bleed the none working back brake, but it is squealing badly. Maybe the pads got contaminated or just need replacing. It struggles to brake as well... But that's not the problem. My front lever got dislodged and the washer that sits behind the reach pin ball is now located outside the 'catch washer', if I could call it ...

Shimano Disc Brakes Inefective

Lastest post 4 years ago

For a while my rear brake has been ineffective. I originally thought it was contaminated either the pads or the discs. Basically the lever has the be pulled all the way back to the bars to make anything work. But at the start of a ride they squeal a lot. Usually by the end of a long downhill if I have had the brake on all the way down it will start working effectively but then when I start my nex...

Weird noise on Coaster Breaks Cruiser Bike

Lastest post 4 years ago

When I pedal, there's no noise, when I brake there's no noise, but when I stop pedaling, there's this noise: I opened up the back hub and sprayed it with WD-40 and it already had a bunch of grease on it too....