hilarious

Still, someone needs to tighten that caliper before you get hurt

maybe your wife can help you

 

Grind a hex key down if it will make it easier to tighten the bolts.

The cupped washers are there so the bolt heads will tighten down on the caliper properly.

 

You can use a "round hex key", Google it and you will know what I'm talking about.

 

Make sure the pads are aligned with the rotor correctly. Thats not right for brake calipers to be covering access to mounting bolts. There is technically torque specs for those bolts and that means coming on them straight.

Be helpful if we had a full picture of caliper, adapter, fork all together.

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Be helpful if we had a full picture of caliper, adapter, fork all together.

It'd be like this: https://gzmyu4ma9b-flywheel.netdna-...etdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/BR-Guide-RSC-Brakes-vs-XTR-Trail-1.jpg

 

Cobba, you missed everything I was explaining.

If the caliper is improperly spaced and at a bad angle it can cause the issues hes having.

Some bikerumor review picture is totally useless, need to see what his set up is as it doesnt seem right a straight allen wrench wont fit correctly. Though this is sram were talking about....

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Ah, I missed this last post of yours while I was uploading my photo. I didn't realize it was a review pic, I thought maybe he had taken it of his own bike. But either way, that photo seems to illustrate the same problem that I'm having. If you draw a line straight out from the lower mounting bolt, it is going to cross the caliper body.

 

It is just a design flaw and it is on every Guide caliper. A round hex key works, if you get the allen key part in just the right position you can use an "L"shaped hex, but you only get 1/6th of a solid turn out of it.

 

Get a ratchet tool, should be able to fit. Alternatively, sell the brakes.

 

you need this:

It can be obtained in a hardware store.

 

This works too!

 

Yes. Ball end hex keys are good in this situation. In other situations (softer lower grade bolts, smaller sockets at higher torques) it can be easy to strip out the bolt's socket because the ball only engages a very short length in it. I've also broken off the ball in a bolt, and it can be near impossible to get it out.

If you're using a torque wrench, the relatively small angle between the axis of the key and the bolt won't consequentially affect the torque reading.

One other thing you can do: Where the torque key would contact the caliper, you can grind a wide groove around the key to clear the caliper.

 

Good old SRAM brakes........... always good for a laugh.

 

yeah i have the same issue i just use a normal hex and scratch up the caliper. it's only a lil nic

 

That is really weird. I have guide R's and have entirely removed the front brake caliper and put it back on without running into this. How old is this brake set? Mine is a relatively recent iteration (just purchased 2 months ago).

 

I don't have this issue with mine. Looking at your picture and comparing it with one of mine and the other one shared here, it kind of looks like the top part of the caliper is a little further away from the fork than it should be. Which means the pads are not in line with the rotor correctly. The arch of the pad should line up perfectly with the top of the rotor.

Can you post a picture from the back side of the caliper that shows the pads sitting on the rotor?

If this is the case, then it would explain why you're having issues with access to that bolt. I had to order an adapter set for mine when I bought them. My existing adapter was off by a millimeter. Picked up the below set from amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009P3LYU8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

It's the ultimate caliper. Yes, the back side covers the bolt a bit. If you can't figure out how to tighten this bolt, just take it to your lbs. There is nothing else to say.

 

That's odd, does look like that's just how its made. Fwiw the Guides that came oem on my intense have just enough clearance to get at the bolt straight on. Also the bolts are nice and flush on mine without the swively spacers. I understand the idea behind them but can't see how they are needed on my bike. Maybe with a different rotor size and adapter size they matter. I run 203mm with shimano adapters

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^ I like it!

 

OP here. Thanks to everyone for their helpful responses. It seems the upshot is that this is just a design flaw in certain revisions of the Guide brakes. Lots of good suggestions here helped me out. Between a ball end hex key, a short legged L shaped key, and a willlingness to scratch the caliper a bit (cosmetic only), I got everything nicely aligned and spinning quietly. I will ride these Guides out for a bit, but will most likely end up back on Shimano brakes soon enough.