Rusty parts on Tektro Brakes

iamtony · Oct 11, 2012

Picked up a bike and then noticed this after the fact

Seems to be the only problem so far and I want to get it taken care of ASAP!

Please help in identifying the parts rusted on the front brake (tektro r520) so that I can search/refer to them when speaking with people and how much do you think I'm looking at?

Thanks

Andy M-S · Oct 11, 2012

Was this a new bike? If so, talk to the shop. If not, well, steel rusts. It shouldn't be a big deal, so long as you treat threads with grease. You can get stainless steel parts in some cases, but (most) stainless is weaker that (most) other steel,FWIW.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it unless the bike was sold as brand new. I'd just ride.Oh, the parts are the return spring and the cable pinch bolt.

wim · Oct 11, 2012

It's just surface rust. If it really bothers you, you can get rid of it with a bit of elbow grease and a fine abrasive. Then spray with some sort of protectant, wipe off excess. Never degrease—sure way for rust-prone surfaces to start rusting.

Kestreljr · Oct 11, 2012

I had this same problem with mine. Plus the braking power sucked. I kept buying new softer brake pads for 2 seasons trying to get better braking. Then I just bought some lightly used DA off the bay. I almost went over my handlebars the first time I braked with them.

wim · Oct 11, 2012

Kestreljr said:
I almost went over my handlebars the first time I braked with them.

That's surprising. Usually, Dura-Ace brakes work very well. Did you get your money back?

AndrwSwitch · Oct 11, 2012

I agree with "don't worry about it." Especially the spring. I doubt that you can find the right spring in stainless steel, since it's a weird, brake-specific shape.

The pinch bolt is probably just a metric bolt. So if you want, you can go to most hardware stores and find a stainless steel replacement. You need to match the diameter and thread pitch. Matching the length would be a convenience. But bolts can be cut down to size.

iamtony · Oct 11, 2012

Thanks guys.

I may leave it for a little bit but since t he rest of my bike looks good it sure does bug me.

Definitely not a new bike. Looks like its time to learn about some brake anatomy so I can take it off and put it back correctly!

Kestreljr · Oct 11, 2012

iamtony said:
Thanks guys.

I may leave it for a little bit but since t he rest of my bike looks good it sure does bug me.

Definitely not a new bike. Looks like its time to learn about some brake anatomy so I can take it off and put it back correctly!

Ultegra Brakes, $20 bid

DrSmile · Oct 11, 2012

Take the brake apart, put the parts in some chelating rust remover (I use Evapo-rust). Grease on reassembly. My old brakes all look and feel brand new after doing this!

Glynis27 · Oct 12, 2012

Just hit them with some steel wool and oil. It will take all of 60 seconds per brake.

PlatyPius · Oct 12, 2012

iamtony said:
Picked up a bike and then noticed this after the fact

Seems to be the only problem so far and I want to get it taken care of ASAP!

Please help in identifying the parts rusted on the front brake (tektro r520) so that I can search/refer to them when speaking with people and how much do you think I'm looking at?

Thanks

Common with Tektro brake calipers. Especially in coastal areas or in the Midwest where the bike is ridden in winter. They also tend to just suck in general. They'll eventually seize up. Plan for replacement.

Andy M-S · Oct 13, 2012

"They'll eventually seize up???"

PlatyPius said:
Common with Tektro brake calipers. Especially in coastal areas or in the Midwest where the bike is ridden in winter. They also tend to just suck in general. They'll eventually seize up. Plan for replacement.

I've been running Tektro calipers for a long time, including 7 or 8 years in Wisconsin winters and rains, running 3-4,000 miles per year in all weather. Yeah, I have a few traces of rust, but the brakes continue to function perfectly. I've replaced a few pads, but the arches have been solid.

OTOH, I *do* use fenders, so it may be that if I'd left them off and simply poured garbage into the brakes under those conditions, they *might* have seized up at some point. But I'd wager any brake would.

PlatyPius · Oct 13, 2012

Andy M-S said:
I've been running Tektro calipers for a long time, including 7 or 8 years in Wisconsin winters and rains, running 3-4,000 miles per year in all weather. Yeah, I have a few traces of rust, but the brakes continue to function perfectly. I've replaced a few pads, but the arches have been solid.

OTOH, I *do* use fenders, so it may be that if I'd left them off and simply poured garbage into the brakes under those conditions, they *might* have seized up at some point. But I'd wager any brake would.

It may depend on the level of the brake too. What I see most are the cable QRs seizing, the offset pivot seizing, and the end of the spring with the plastic sleeve vreaking and dragging. I have seen at least 2 dozen such cases just since I opened my shop - probably 10 times that since I started working on bikes.

Mr. Versatile · Oct 13, 2012

It should be easy to find the pinch bolt in your LBS. What I do for rust is paint it with Naval Jelly. Let it sit for awhile then use steer wool on it. If you have an appropriate brush a Dremel works fine too. To get inside the pinch bolt use a QTip. Clean throughly when done, then paint with clear coat. Clear coat is usually available in spray cans so sprat some in the spray can lid or a shallow jar and apply it with a brush. Use 2-3 coats. You can also use clear fingernail polish which comes with a handy brush.

iamtony · Oct 13, 2012

A lot of great advice guys. Thank you

Workshop Hero · Aug 5, 2013

iamtony said:
Picked up a bike and then noticed this after the fact

Seems to be the only problem so far and I want to get it taken care of ASAP!

Please help in identifying the parts rusted on the front brake (tektro r520) so that I can search/refer to them when speaking with people and how much do you think I'm looking at?

Thanks

I know this thread is pretty old, but if you have any rust removal problems our company makes a water based rust remover (Metal Rescue), I have actually talked about it on my personal account over on MMBA.org. If you have any questions regarding Metal Rescue or rust removal please don't hesitate to ask.

Rusty parts on Tektro Brakes

iamtony

Andy M-S

wim

Kestreljr

wim

AndrwSwitch

iamtony

Kestreljr

DrSmile

Glynis27

PlatyPius

Andy M-S

PlatyPius

Mr. Versatile

iamtony

Workshop Hero

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