GT re-build going wonky

[Proflex]

Hello, this is my first post on here so please be nice.
I am in the middle of trying to put together a 1998 Zaskar. I bought the frame from the bay for £80, and am trying to fit XT parts and i have a Race Face Ride crankset.
I am struggling to get the parralax V brakes to work. I have V's on my 656, and Maguras HS on my OZ, Ive never had parralax motion ones to compare. In order to get the arms perpendicular to the wheel i have to take out out the camber/ toe spacer, but iknow this isnt right. It looks all wrong if i use the uppermost hole in the frame for the spring pin( arms pointing out too much), but thats the only way to get any spring tension . Yes I have tried screwing the lttle screw all the way in , and all the way out.
Am I missing a part? looking at then it looks like there might be another backplate with a hole in it for the pin thats on the end of the spring arm. It would sort of sit opposite the 3 holes on the frame, outboard.

I posted this on STW but got no answer, I am getting fed up and might give the whole thing to the LBS , as sort of a kit and just say "bolt this all together properly". I know this will lead to a feeling of failure and cost into 3 figures, possibly, although the headset is in , forks, bars, seat and saddle, mechs are on , BB is in , crankset is on..... just waiting for some trick kevlar fully encased cables, as i run these on my other bike and they keep almost all of the mud out got some cheapo wheels from woolly hat shop, just need some rubber, and the brakes re - engineering

Thanks alot Rob.

 

[cce]

paralell motion v's are a pain in the chuff. sack them off for some avid's

 

[Corduroyboy]

Post a pic of the brakes from behind and I'm sure a few will be able to ascertain if there's anything dodgy going on!

 

[kanerdog1x1]

use the middle holes for locating the brake on the frame/fork, and to get more spring tension gently bend the long linear spring outwards, i never use the adjusters on the arm but prefer to set the spring tension by hand!

 

[Huntso]

Are they Shimano brakes like the old LX ones? I always had problems with them myself, never got enough tension no matter what I did.
Never have a problem with the newer XTR's though and use them now

Reckon you would be better off with some simple Avid's like the SD5 or similar. Arch Rivals are also excellent and simple to set up.

 

[Proflex]

OK, these are 2006 XT V brakes, Not the Lx which dont have the extra rocker arm , which keeps the pad perpendicular to the rim.
I am sure there must be a locater disc, like a 2p peice, which the pin at the end of the long arm drops into
If i use the middle hole, the arms stick out at 25 -30 degress outboard, with no tension on them .
I can make them work with no pads in at all, with the spring in the top most hole, nice spring tension , arms in straight up position

 

[cce]

how broad are the rims? i know that a paralell motion V just does not work on a project 2 fork with a mavic F519 for example. skinnier rims might have more mileage though

 

[Huntso]

The old LX were of the parallel type and gave exactly the same problems you mention. If I put them in the middle hole couldn't get any tension, never found out why and gave up trying.

 

[Proflex]

Got them to work with a bodge , which might the work of a genius. I swapped the fat and thin grey spacers/washers that sit either side of the cones that allow toe in / out. This means the pad sits nearer the rim , and having bent the spring arms to give suficient tension they now ' look ' correct.
As for rim width ,they are only 21mm wide.
Will try to post some piccys, although the MX Pro 120mm forks in Magnesium grey already look too long

Cheers Rob

 

[terryhfs]

That's not a bodge - that's how you adjust them! There's something in the installation instructions about achieveing a specific distance across the bit that's hidden under the boot and it shows re-arranging the spacers to do that. That said, it took me bloody ages to get it right first time and the 1mm pad/rm gap can be hard to maintain after a few rides.

It's really important to get the toe-ing in right with these brakes or you'll eat a set of blocks in a few rides.