what does a brake booster do??

[Spooky]

As the title says...what do they do? I know what they look like but i have no idea :?:

[Jordy]

it stops the frame flexing when you put rim brakes on

[Spooky]

Thanks for that Jordy :P

[Rik]

Most riders don't need them anymore since the introduction of V brakes, but some still use them to give their brakes a firmer feeling.

[naz]

good for trials, you'll find 99% of them use them. them spanky carbon ones are the go. oh wank

[cheggy]

I used to run Magura Hydraulic cantilevers and they flexed the forks out when you applied the breaks. The horse shoe connects the forks together (or frame for the back brake) to stop it from flexing out so the breaks keep getting pushed into the rims rather than pushing the calipers out.

[danv]

Most riders don't need them anymore since the introduction of V brakes, but some still use them to give their brakes a firmer feeling.
I don't get that. Are they just not used because V brakes are simply more powerful than older brakes? I would've thought that the V brake design benefits from booster the most, compared to the others.

[Rik]

I don't get that. Are they just not used because V brakes are simply more powerful than older brakes?
Pretty much... Alot was done to get the most power out of canti brakes, and brake boosters were part of that. As soon as V's came along, people were blown away by their power, and didn't really care about squishy lever feel. You're right though, the power of V's justifies using a booster, but I guess people like the "modulation" of frame flex :P

[danv]

I know brake boosters are pretty popular with hydro Vees. Perhaps its to with the way the Hydro mechanism works - it pushes like directly parralel to the frame.

[Disco]

hrmm sorta... well magura HS33's need either a dedicated magura mount or the pins which sit on the underside of the caliper to ajust them and make sure they sit flush with the rim... More likely the booster plate is there to eliminate flex and counteract the pins on the underside to stop you snapping off the 5-year-old alloy V Brake Mounts on your foolly sic retro trials frame: The white one with checkers.... :lol:

Little Mike

[Rik]

The HS33 booster plate is crucial to the working of the quick release "evolution" adapter. Without the plate, you'd have a nightmare of a time realigning your brake every time you need to take it off to remove the wheel.

[Disco]

Whats this evolution adaptor?? whenever i had to take the back wheel out with HS33s all i had to do was squeeze the 18psi trials pressure tyres :wink:

Little Mike