'click' in campagnolo brakes

[benzebub]

hey guys,

recently I noticed there is a click in my campagnolo chorus rear brake.
when I pull the lever I feel a hickup in the pull (like it clicks) and I can hear a 'clack' kind of sound. The brake action is not smooth at all. Sometimes, when I pull the lever gently I don't have the click, sometimes it does. I've put some lube on all points on the brake itself but it is still there.

for the record, I had to adjust the shifter position on my handlebar, the clicking started after the reposition (it does this with and without the brake line taped up). If I pull the brake housing a bit I doesn't happen.
any idea's what might be the problem?

[corky]

Try dropping some lube around the main pivot........

[duvivr6]

I had the same thing on my previous bike it was Athena 11, but same soft click could be felt when pressing the brake while stopped.
Had no effect while riding I never figured out what it was...

[jekyll man]

Cable adjustment slightly slack, and the click is the barrel sitting properly?

[Miller]

Considering that the ergo is a simple lever pulling cable, and that the brake simply responds to what the cable does, there is no mechanism in the Campag parts to create a click.

You need to look at the end to end cable routing making sure that all outer ends are square and seated correctly in their various positions.

[tommasini]

A strange occurance for me that possibly may apply to the OPs issue. I was doing a track stand at a light. I squeezed the rear brake really hard and it made a pop sound. After that my lever and cable had a bit of drag on them. Guessed I must have broken the carbon lever. Got home and eventually discovered that the older cable housing had collapsed. It was no longer round in one area under the bar tape on a curve of the handlebars - the housing there was now oval. My guess is it was fatigued from years of use. Replaced the housing (new cable too) and I was good.

[corky]

Did you try lubing the pivot?

[graeme_f_k]

Be careful ignoring things around brakes ...

I'd de-cable the system and use a section of outer all the way from the lever to the caliper and test that - if you loose the click, the problem is either in the cable system or in the stops - it's not in the lever or the caliper.

If that doesn't remove the click, check that the brake lever is coming cleanly back into the lever body with the brake cable under tension - it is possible for the cable barrel to twist slightly if something is out of tolerance or worn, and in that case the end that is held in the lever blade can project just enough to cause a slight catch in the lever extension / retraction. Check the small horseshoe on the caliper that the brake spring runs in - if it's missing, that can cause the brake to feel rough and you'll get various odd sensations / noises through the system.

If, on the other hand, all of that checks out OK, then the problem is somewhere in the cable system - so make sure that the cable section under the tape is fully engaged in the port in the lever and as others have said, that the cable ends are cut and filed properly square and not overlapping the cable exit slightly.

Then, take a careful look at the cable route. If you have external stops rivetted, boded or welded to the top tube, make sure they are still firmly attached, and not moving. If the frame is internally cabled, look at the cable terminations where the outer stops and the inner passes into the frame and make sure the stops are in good condition - I have seen them crack sometimes, which short term gives noise, later can result in catastrophic failure and no brake ...

As it's the braking system, if you are not 100% confident of what you are doing, take it to a Campag ProShop ...

[stormur]

Another option is broken lever body ( at the top ) : sueezing brake lever make it expanding (split) , so lever hit shifter paddle in wrong place ... and you have click. Had it in Centaur few years ago. Take off hoodie from the top of lever and check for damages.

it's easier than anyone think to break lever body : one tiny ground experience is more than enough.

[dsdevries]

I had the same clicking sound in the Campagnolo skeleton brakes and discovered where it is coming from. If you look closely, the spring is held in place at one side by the central pivot bolt, and at the other end by a small plastic barrel between the brake bridge. The spring is supposed slide through this plastic barrel as the brakes are pulled together to prevent wear on the metal parts. Now there is a small amount play between the barrel and the bridge as well, so if there is a little friction between the barrel and the spring, the barrel itself slides back and forth in the bridge. So it's not really a clicking sound, but more a ticking sound. Nothing to worry about at all. Putting some lube in this barrel, or on the spring solves the problem!