Hot take: I used to hate adjusting cantilever brakes until I tried a $15 third hand tool from the shop in Denver.

I used to fight with them for 20 minutes, but now with that tool holding the pads in place, I can set up a pair in under 5 minutes, so what's your go-to trick for the most annoying brake job?

3 comments

3 Comments

michael_jones1mo ago

Yeah, that slipping and tilting issue is the worst. I switched to a third hand with a ratcheting lock, and it holds the pads dead straight. Makes the whole job way less of a fight.

wyatt_garcia17d ago

Yeah I've seen some people just wrap a rubber band around the clamp jaws to get better grip too. @avery389 try that if yours slips and you dont want to drop cash on a new one. I did that on my old Denver and it held pads way better, didnt tilt as much either. Not perfect but better than fighting with it every time.

avery3891mo ago

Wait, you got a link for that tool or at least the brand name? My old third hand is clunky and slips all the time, makes the job worse. Is the Denver one just a better design, or is there a specific way you use it to hold the pads steady without them tilting?