Wednesday, August 8, 2018

BIke hack of the day: caliper brake spring tool

Today's hack: caliper brake springs can be hard to reach for adjustment without the right tool.
Make one by filing down a notch in an old flathead screwdriver.
(Bikes For Humanity PDX volunteers -- we now have one of these in the Skinny Bike Tools drawer.)

Put a flathead screwdriver into a bench vise with the tip about an inch above the vise jaws.
Using a flat file, file a notch into the center of the tip, holding file at a 45-degree angle. Sand the sharp tips lightly (so that if the tool slips you won't cut your hand). 


 






















When you're finished it should look like this:
 
I made this today at the shop when there was a need for such a tool and the shop didn't have one. However, there were plenty of extra screwdrivers on hand, so with my shop manager's blessing I simply converted one.
It worked beautifully.
Happy hacking!

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