How to Adjust Mechanical Disc Brakes...4 Fast Ways!, by DIY Mountain Bike on YouTube. 2 min 2 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 2 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Squeeze the brake lever and watch how far it pulls toward the bar. If it nearly touches, the cable is too loose and needs tightening.
Turn the barrel adjuster on the brake lever or handlebar housing anticlockwise to take up cable slack. This is the quickest fix for a spongy lever.
Find the barrel adjuster where the cable meets the brake caliper. Turn it out to add tension, then lock it with the small nut if it has one.
If the adjusters are maxed out, loosen the cable pinch bolt on the caliper with a hex wrench, pull the cable snug and retighten the bolt.
Check the hidden stationary pad on the inboard side of the caliper. Turn its adjuster clockwise with a hex wrench until the pad sits close to the rotor.
Spin the wheel and listen for rubbing. If the rotor scrapes, back the stationary pad off a quarter turn at a time until it clears.
Squeeze the lever hard several times to seat the pads, then check that the rotor still spins freely and the lever feels firm.
Test the brakes at walking pace in a safe spot before you ride on the road or trail.
Tips and common mistakes
Adjust one point at a time and test after each change so you know what fixed the problem.
Never let the lever pull all the way to the bar. That means the cable or pads are worn and need attention.
If the pads are worn thin or the rotor is bent, adjustment will not fix it. Replace the worn parts.
Keep oil and grease off the rotor and pads, or braking power will drop.
Questions
Why does my brake lever pull all the way to the handlebar?
The cable has too much slack or the pads are worn. Turn out the barrel adjusters first, then retension the cable at the caliper pinch bolt if needed.
How do I stop the disc brake from rubbing?
Back off the stationary pad adjuster and check the caliper is centred over the rotor. Spin the wheel and fine-tune until it turns freely.
Do I need to remove the wheel to adjust mechanical disc brakes?
No. All four adjustment points can be reached with the wheel in place, which makes testing and fine-tuning much faster.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
