Bending Back a Brake Lever?

[rideagainst]

So i went OTB today and bent my right Juicy 7 brake lever pretty badly. I know it is common to bend brake levers back, but what methods do you guys use? Clamps, a vice, pure Chuck Norris muscle power? Somebody told me to heat the lever up, so it won't break or something. Help please.
-mike

[punkassean]

Use the closed end of a box wrench to hold the lever firm and prevent the torque from damaging the pivot etc. Then use another wrench to pry the lever back. Just slide the first wrench over the lever down past the bent part and hold tight with one hand, then with your other hand torque the lever back into shape. Otherwise you can remove the lever and use a vise and only one wrench.

[downhilldemon]

use it as an excuse to buy dangerboy levers! JK, ive heard from shops dont bend it back because of the stress that could then cause a break easier. If i were you though i would use a vice and a rubber hammer. my favorite tools!

[Transcend]

With my older hayes stuff i always just stuffed them in a handle bar until the edge was just abve the bend and bent it back.

[zedro]

if its really bent, the only way is to heat it via torch to not break it (remove it first!). But this method also makes the aluminum permanently softer so it'll bend easier the next time.

[OGRipper]

Yeah, what Sean said, you need to prevent damage to the pivot. Don't hit it with a hammer or mallet, you want to gently increase the pressure until it bends back. And don't be surprised if it breaks when you try to bend it back anyway.

And just because nobody else has said it, if you're not already aware, run your controls a little loose at the clamp so they can rotate in a crash.

[dhbuilder]

and when it bends back to just where you want it........POP.

[Tootrikky]

If it's slightly bent leave it, if you have to bend it back compromise, and bend it back enough to make it workable again, not back to perfection however, that way your lever retains as much strength as possible!

[peter6061]

Just order a new lever, bend back the old one and hope it lasts until the new one shows. I've bent back several with no probs, but have seen others break theirs. I'm partial to the closed ended wrench technique Sean mentioned above.

[Bicyclist]

Use the closed end of a box wrench to hold the lever firm and prevent the torque from damaging the pivot etc. Then use another wrench to pry the lever back. Just slide the first wrench over the lever down past the bent part and hold tight with one hand, then with your other hand torque the lever back into shape. Otherwise you can remove the lever and use a vise and only one wrench.

Exactly. I've used this method and it works great.

[black noise]

I bent my lever about 80 degrees down at Big Bear a few years ago and a lbs guy heated it with a torch and bent it back. I'm still running with that too.

If you want to keep the lever I think that's the only way, aluminum tends to snap if you try to bend it back.

[skatetokil]

i was on a trail with no tools, so I pretty much just grabbed mine and bent it back. no problems so far (6 months).

[stiksandstones]

Use the closed end of a box wrench to hold the lever firm and prevent the torque from damaging the pivot etc. Then use another wrench to pry the lever back. Just slide the first wrench over the lever down past the bent part and hold tight with one hand, then with your other hand torque the lever back into shape. Otherwise you can remove the lever and use a vise and only one wrench.

Ditto, this works perfect everytime

[dhpimp]

Somebody told me to heat the lever up, so it won't break or something. Help please.
-mike

If it's bent badly enought that you need to heat it - you need to replace the lever blade. When you heat aluminium it is like smashing a magnet - it is never the same again.

[richcreek]

and when it bends back to just where you want it........POP.

That is what happened when i tryed to bend back my avid fr-5 levers. avid needs to ditch this "bend zone" concept it sucks.

[JRB]

Aluminum can only take so much heat before it becomes brittle. I would seriously just get a new blade.