Help with Shimano XT V Brake setup

I am rebuilding a 1994 Kona Kilauea and using the Shimano XT V Brakes (M750) but I can not seem to get any spring tension on the calipers.

I have installed as per instructions. The stopper pin for the caliper arm is in the middle hole so pads are square on to the rim. The pads have been installed so that the 3mm spacer is between the rim and the support on the caliper arm. There is 45mm + distance between the noodle holder and the cable clamp. But there is no tension on the brake cable.
The springs on the back of the caliper arms are not making contact with the stops so there is no tension on the brake and when the lever is squeezed there is no “snap” back when the lever is release.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Ken

Have you got the spring the right side of the little stops?

The springs are on the inside of the little stops so that they would forece the arms outwards away from the rim

and yet they’re still not touching? Bizarre. Photos would help diagnose the problem.

Here is the image of the brake – The cable is not fully tight as there is no resistance on the caliper arms.

Here is an image ofthe back of the one of the caliper arms showing the spring not engaged.

Other images here:
More pictures[/url]

You may be able to swap the position of some of the spacers on the pad so the arms are closer in. Otherwise do what I did – set of pliers holding the top end of the spring and bend it outwards carefully. After q couple of goes they will contact and you will get some spring tension.

take a look here,

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/EV/bikecomponents/BR/EV-BR-M750-1792_v1_m56577569830611889.pdf

but you can bend the spring arms back to create the tension,
put your thumb at the bottom of the spring arm and gently bend the arm back a bit.

i’ve got these on my touring bike and they needed a good clean strip and service to get working again,
there is a little screw that the tech doc doesn’t show , but its opposite screw 3, i can’t remember what exactly i did but adjusting this screw and gt85 did the trick

can be fairly common this, if brakes haven’t been used for while.
I see your spring tension screws are pretty much all the way in (which creates max tension).
let these screws out a bit, then bend the spring-attached rods out (can be bent easily/gently by hand), this should give the tension you need. if it needs tweaking, just turn the adjust screws whichever way..

Also try installing the brakes on the top hole, this should create more tension as well.

I’d do as schmiken says and try the outer position for the spring end, the other holes are specifically there to adjust the tension if you have too much or too little tension.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I have tried it with the pins in the upper hole. I can get the spring tension but the pad holders are not square on to the rims and there doesn’t seem to be enough adjustment with domed washers on the pads to get the pads to make good contact with the rim.

Looking here,
http://www.konaretro.com/articles/catalogues/1994/13.jpg
This model year should have canti brakes,not V’s,which is probably not helping.
Ian

Some older bikes have problems converting from cantis to v brakes. The distance between the posts needs to be a bit wider!

Resorted to bending the tension wire. now working fine.

Thanks for the advice.