Shimano Brake Install - Anyone Doing This?

[phlegm]

I was installing some XTR brakes recently when I noticed the "use wire to secure it" step.

Is anyone doing this? Overkill?

[buzzbeater]

We are seeing a lot of motorcycle and motorcycle racing influence creep in to mountain biking now days. I think this is certainly one of those items. Personally I think it's overkill for most of us. But a little serviceable locktite is a must.

[wschruba]

They have c-clips on the lower pulley on XTR derailleurs. That's overkill, too.

There is nothing wrong with being 100% sure nothing will come loose, but the instances of it happening are so uncommon (provided everything is properly torqued/tightened) that I personally wouldn't bother.

If you're the type that puts something on the bike and doesn't touch it until something goes wrong, by all means, wire it up. On a side note, though, I think this is a fantastic step from a mechanic's perspective, as it means that people who neglect maintenance have one less thing to worry about.

[aerius]

Yup, I've been safety wiring the bolts on my XT discs for the past 13 years. It made sense since those old style brakes were IS mount so once you have them shimmed & centered you never have to touch the bolts again. You can knock them around all you want and unless the tabs or the caliper itself gets bent the brakes will never move. With post mount, the caliper can shift if you accidentally bash it against your car while loading your bike or something like that, and it would be a pain in the butt to redo everything to get the caliper adjusted. Which is probably why the safety wire bolts disappeared with the M755 disc brakes.

Looking at the new Shimano manual, it makes sense to me. Both IS mount bolts are wired since those are never going to get touched unless the brakes are replaced, while only the upper post mount is wired since it's the one that's less likely to get bumped out of line. I think it's a great system, not only does it keep the bolts tight, it also gives an instant visual check so you know that the bolts are indeed tightened down.