Felt DA rear brake issues

May 21, 12 18:39

Post #1 of 63 (21098 views)

Anyone else have problems with the rear brake constantly needing adjustment, both in terms of rubbing against the rear wheel and having both brake arms moving freely? I really enjoy riding my DA3, but the rear brake is driving me crazy. I have HED Stinger 5s and a Stinger disc used for races, so that requires a wider adjustment than my current set of training wheels. However, even keeping the same width wheels (stingers and the disc) swapped in and out the day before and after a race, it still comes out of adjustment very easily during a ride.

Th end result is that either the brake is rubbing on the drive side against the wheel, or that arm opens wider than the frame and rubs against the inside of the small chainring. I've had it into the LBS and we can get it adjusted properly there, but once I'm riding it outside it quickly loses that initial setting again. Anyone else with the DA have a similar issue adjusting/readjusting the rear brake and have any tips or ways they have gotten around similar issues?

I almost wish this thing had regular, non-aero brakes on the seat tube for easier adjustment. Very frustrating.

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Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:03

Post #2 of 63 (21082 views)

remove a washer from each side(solves hitting crank issue), use the adjusting screws(to set brake arm location). what kind of lbs do you have? dont sound competent if it doesnt stay set.

that said, it is a lot easier to deal with when both training and race wheels are same width

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [jeffp] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:24

Post #3 of 63 (21065 views)

Hey Jeff - LBS is definitely competent. I was in San Diego for the age group race a week ago, stopped at the expo and talked to the Triathlon Lab guys and Momentum Cyclesport (IIRC). Both said they had issues with many of the DAs they'd been selling and that the rear brake was just difficult to keep adjusted. The Momentum guy was saying they have taken to modifying the small "brake noodle" to make it an even tighter curve coming out of the frame.

Agree that having similar width training and racing wheels should help...I may go that route.

I've got a spacer removed on the drive side, will do the same on the non-drive to see if I can then keep it adjusted more closed. When you work on your brake, do you ever adjust the larger spring tension bolts on each brake arm? Or do you only use the small trim adjustment 2mm bolt in each arm to adjust width?

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:32

Post #4 of 63 (21059 views)

Rear brake rub is one of the reasons I literally hate my B16. I suppose I need to F with it a whole lot more to get it sorted out but the clearances and cable routings just don't seem to work all that well. I'm thinking I may need to put a spring on there to make sure it returns to fully open all the time.

I have Dura Ace brakes on so they clear my Shimano crankset too. It is not the brake itself but the layout. I messed with it some this weekend and still ended up riding my F5 for the triathlon I did. I love my F5, but I hate my B16 brakes, especially the rear.

--------------------------------------------------------

You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:42

Post #5 of 63 (21043 views)

i set mine up once. no issues with them after multiple wheels swaps, everything stays as is

i just used teh small trim when i set it up, after removing the washers for my C2 & A23 rims

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [AnthonyS] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:43

Post #6 of 63 (21040 views)

completely different set up than the DA series(integrated, for lack of better term)

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:50

Post #7 of 63 (21033 views)

switching to the Simkins brake from Dura Ace worked a lot better (though not a cheap option). Still not great, but possible to use with a Sub 9 rear and training wheels and still have some braking power.

Now ... switching to a Super 9? That's been a bit of a problem. No way to keep the same setting for training wheels and the disc.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 21, 12 19:52

Post #8 of 63 (21032 views)

Absofuckinglutely agree. I re adjust the brake alignment on the 808 and half way thru the ride one side is rubbing. It really occurs if there is a hard brake and if you flick the lever a few times it disengages but while riding that is rather dangerous.

Yesterday I cleaned the rims with goo be gone and sprayed the pads with bio friendly cleaner. No sticking on the repair stand. I've also greased the piss out of the brake pivots and cable. My old b10 was no where near the pia this 12k 'super bike' is to work on. At least it looks pretty.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

May 22, 12 7:12

Post #9 of 63 (20964 views)

I had the same problem with my B16. For some reason the rear brake cable housing sticks as it exits from the frame and attaches to the rear brake. I put a little lube on the cable housing at the frame exit hole and it fixed the problem. Much more responsive and better feel at the lever. I'm riding on 50mm carbon wheels and no more rubbing or adjustments needed. I'm doing some post race maintenance on my new B2 and I'm going to do the same thing.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 12 9:19

Post #10 of 63 (20774 views)

We (my mother and me) have/had exactly the same problems. I was told that I should check if the brake arm moves freely. Because somtimes it could happen that the spring is too long and somehow scratches. So, if it doesn't move freely, you could try to shorten the spring to avoid scratching. Could not try it until now...

I'm quite pissed about FELT and our DA's at the moment (DA1 Di2 and DA2). Not only because we had to wait more than half a year and could not take it to the training camp (without concrete information), also because FELT doesn't care about the customers. I wrote them 3(!) Messages, one of them really urgently because it was just before competition and I got NO answer! Yes, no single reaction!

I have the Zipp Firecrest 808 and until now no mechanic could really fix my problems. Help from FELT? None. Principally I love the bikes, but I hate their service. Would I buy another FELT? At the moment: NO.

Just to tell you: me and my family already bought (NO SPONSORS) the following bikes:

- DA 2007
- DA 2008
- B2Pro 2010
- AR3 2010
- B12 2011 (2 of them)
- DA1 Di2 2012
- DA2 2012

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Squarry] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 12 10:20

Post #11 of 63 (20749 views)

I have similar problems with my 2012 da1 brakes, especially the rear. The last two races I used 808 fc front and sub9 rear. I removed the washers from the rear brake, was able to get the sub9 spinning freely. However, It was rubbing during my first race. Lubed the brake and readjusted the rear, it rubbed again during the 2nd race. Very frustrating. I just had my LBS put in two barrel adjusters for the front and rear brake cables, but I still have to play with the washers on the rear. Wish they had put dura ace rear brake on the bike instead.

In Reply To:

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Cyclistwixom] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 12 10:26

Post #12 of 63 (20742 views)

Like I mentioned above I had the same issues...I would center the 808s and half way through the ride I would have to to re-center because one pad would be rubbing.

I took the bike to my mech and he adjusted the rear dropout screws to center the wheel perfectly. Now I can swap out the 808s with my trainer wheels and everything stays perfectly centered. Its not easy to do unless you have a nice mech stand and can really get in there and eye up the adjustment.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [trikicks] [ In reply to ]

Jun 12, 12 13:00

Post #13 of 63 (20708 views)

I have dura ace 7800 brakes on mine. I spent around an hour last week adjusting the rear to work well with a Zipp 808 clincher.... So far so good.

I own the B16 and an F5. The F5 has been flawless, but the cranks/brakes on the B16 have been a mini nightmare.

--------------------------------------------------------

You will remain the same person, before, during and after the race. So the result, no matter how important, will not define you. The journey is what matters. ~ Chrissie W.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Cyclistwixom] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 2:24

Post #14 of 63 (20574 views)

I could fix the brake-issue now! It was quite a hard work... I don't know if it was the fastest way, but finally it works. It doesn't scratch and brakes like hell. So I explain every step we(!) did (sorry, for my English, my business English is quite ok, but my mechanic-engineer-English isn't *g*). I don't know if it's the "right" way, but for me it helped.

remove the rear wheel and the crankset
turn the bike upside-down for an easy access
release the brake cable
remove the brake-arms and the metallic cable housing (the one with the bending)
clean everything perfectly, the frame, the arms, the housing
remove the inside of the metallic housing (it's transparent plastic) and clean it
we used a jagwire cable with a special surface for better gliding
fill(!) the transparent plastic housing with grease (to avoid dirt going inside). we used the green transparent motorex grease.
fill the hole of the brake-arms (where the screws goes through) with grease und put the spring back
we tested the usage of all three small holes on the frame (for the tension spring). we decided to use the middle ones.
put the brake arms back on and test that they are really moving freely, probably turn the spring upside-down (it's not the same on both sides). there should be no feeling of scratching.
put the cable in. There are two possibilites for fixing the cable (which way around the screw). We tested both and decided to use the way that is closer to the front of the bike. I know that the way closer to the brake-pads would be more logical in respect of more power with a shorter way, but the other way is better because the cable, housing and whole system looks better. It's more parallel then. Sorry, don't know how to explain properly. But one of the main problems is, that the arms don't move symmetric. And in this way it's a bit better.
play with the small screws of the brake-arms (tension of the spring) until you think that both arms are moving symmetric (more or less).
put the wheel back in
try to have the brake pads absolutely parallel to the wheel. I know that a lot of people do it with a small angle. But then you'll probably have the "soft-brake"-issue. We used a bit of carton (thick paper) to avoid the angle, because the pad always got an angle... so I put the carton under the side of the pad which was too close, he then pulled the brake and I fixed the screw. So we could do it really parallel. We had to do it several times and play with the thickness of the carton until we figured it out. So don't worry!
then we had to play with the cable itself in the meaning of how tight to fix it. Now the pads are about 1-2 Millimeters away from the wheel (Zipp 808 Firecrest, no washers!).
we also had to play again a bit with the small screws of the braking-arms.
put the crankset on
One word to the wheels: check the hub of the rear wheel and make sure that there is no tolerance. If your wheel is moving from left to right, you'll have scratching for sure.

It's a lot of work and you have to test and try a lot. Take your time and make small steps when turning the screws.

Comments would be very appreciated!

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Squarry] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 8:59

Post #15 of 63 (20525 views)

Squarry wrote:

I'm quite pissed about FELT and our DA's at the moment (DA1 Di2 and DA2). Not only because we had to wait more than half a year and could not take it to the training camp (without concrete information), also because FELT doesn't care about the customers. I wrote them 3(!) Messages, one of them really urgently because it was just before competition and I got NO answer! Yes, no single reaction!

I hear ya!!
I bought a 2008 DA used of ST a few years ago. Rear brake is not as bad as everyone here is having issues with, but still has some severe adjusting issues - but that's not my problem. The 2008 DA has the Bayonette 2 system and mine has a little bit of play in it - just enough to annoy the piss out of me. had the bike to a Felt dealer several times and several conversations (emails and ST Post) with SuperDave about the problem. Was promised several times they were going to send me out new parts.....that's been 3 different times I was promised they were in the mail over the last 2 years and still haven't seen anything.
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...;;page=unread#unread

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [MKirk] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 9:23

Post #16 of 63 (20504 views)

Wow! I was considering a Felt DA for my next new bike. But these issues have me thinking otherwise!

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [MKirk] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 9:24

Post #17 of 63 (20504 views)

Also had problems with my 2007, but got replaced everything. After several "hard" words...

BTW: I think the 2008 had the bayonette 1 system, not the 2. Luckily I had no problems with the 2008.

Remember: Your 2008 DA has an absolutely different rear brake than the 2012! You have a regular Shimano Dura-Ace brake. We have a special solution.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Squarry] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 9:33

Post #18 of 63 (20496 views)

Squarry wrote:

Also had problems with my 2007, but got replaced everything. After several "hard" words...
BTW: I think the 2008 had the bayonette 1 system, not the 2. Luckily I had no problems with the 2008.
Remember: Your 2008 DA has an absolutely different rear brake than the 2012! You have a regular Shimano Dura-Ace brake. We have a special solution.

I'm 99.9% sure the 2008 DA is using the Bayonette 2 system. It's been a while since I've relived the issue since I've pretty much given up with trying to get it fixed - which means for me never a Felt again. Correct and I know my rear brake is different from the 2012 model, but what does that tell you......problem with the earlier model rear brake to a redesigned 2012 model with still rear brake problems. These guys do have engineers on staff don't they??

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [MKirk] [ In reply to ]

Jun 27, 12 11:04

Post #19 of 63 (20471 views)

I never had issues with this brake. It's a regular brake like on every bike. The only problem can be the cable routing (angles around the corners).

Bayonet 1 or 2 doesn't matter... ;-) I heard an read a lot about this problem. I just think Felt should learn how to treat their clients! Other companies are much better. For example GARMIN (or the general importer here in switzerland) are just phantastic. Having a problem? Send your shitty one, get a repaired or new one back. Normally within 3-4 days.

Copy that, FELT!

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Squarry] [ In reply to ]

Jul 19, 12 21:47

Post #20 of 63 (20176 views)

I'm going to bump this since I spent all evening trying to adjust the rear brake on my 2012 DA with no success.

The drive side arm always ends up rubbing. I've tried different spring tensions (thought I've not tried the absolute hardest resistance), different ways of routing the cable, playing with the number of washers used, etc. Nothing has worked. It seems as if the issue is the housing running into the noodle get stuck essentially once pressure has been applied.

I read through all your tips and it all makes sense but I don't seem to have rubbing of any kind beyond what appears as if the housing/noodle is getting stuck.

Anyone have any other tips? I was going slightly crazy tonight trying to get it set.

"One Line Robert"

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [wsrobert] [ In reply to ]

Jul 20, 12 0:20

Post #21 of 63 (20150 views)

Have you tried using an asymmetrical number of washers on each side? I set up the rear brake for a hed jet 6 and it took me like 15mins to set up.
Squeeze the brake arms against the rim with the barrel adjuster backed out 2 full turns. Grab the cable tighten it all the way and bolt it down. The turn the barrel adjuster all the way in to create rim clearance. Done. I think I did use more washers on one side due to one arm closing before the other.

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [wsrobert] [ In reply to ]

Jul 20, 12 2:19

Post #22 of 63 (20132 views)

This spooks the crap out of me! I just pulled the trigger on the DA1 frame yesterday and it ships today. Are these problems a "given", or does it vary frame to frame? I also have FC808s and worry about wear on the carbon with constant rubbing.

Would love to hear that you fixed this.

No word from FELT or from the "Super Dave" from felt that shows up on the site from time to time?

"What do you mean your running shoes don't match your bike?"

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Squarry] [ In reply to ]

Jul 20, 12 4:59

Post #23 of 63 (20113 views)

WTF?? Seriously?

How long did this fix "last" for you? Did you have to do this every other ride, every ride, every hundred miles? How bad is this problem.

Frame ships to me today, so still time to stop it. Is this problem so bad that I should choose another frame?

"What do you mean your running shoes don't match your bike?"

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [jeffp] [ In reply to ]

Jul 20, 12 5:01

Post #24 of 63 (20112 views)

Did this fix the issue for you? Would you buy this bike again?

"What do you mean your running shoes don't match your bike?"

Re: Felt DA rear brake issues [Cyclistwixom] [ In reply to ]

Jul 20, 12 5:05

Post #25 of 63 (20109 views)

I have a dura ace brake that I can use to replace this brake. A few questions:

1) do I have the "right" dura ace brake? Are there different ones?

2) let's say I have the right one, would that fix the issue then and there?

"What do you mean your running shoes don't match your bike?"

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