[bjanga]

Hi everyone.
How do different brake mount locations affect the stress on components like the fork and frame during braking, and how do they affect handling?

For example if I have V-brakes on my fork, when I use them some force would be applied FORWARD, perpendicular to the fork. But if I have disc brakes mounted, the force would be applied directly UP, towards the headtube and parallel to the fork. Same thing goes for hardails that have unusual locations for mounting disc calipers (SC Chameleon and other singlespeeds).

Anyways, does any of this have any real impact on the trail?

 

[alexchannell]

There will be no differince based on the brakes except for the possiblity of the rotor/caliper flexing the loxer leg slightly.
All the forces you are thinking about are internal to the fork lowers and will not effect the trail manners.

 

[AR_]

Come on then everyone, try adding brake jack into this one.

 

[beaverbiker]

all that changes are the components of the resulting force that go into each brake tab separately as theta(defined as the angle from the rear dropout to the theoretical center of the caliper) changes.

 

[Fulton]

the only forces that a caliper applies to a frame/fork are rotational. This is how floating brakes work. When you have a perfect parallelogram, the caliper does not rotate through the suspension travel. Regardless of where a caliper is mounted, if it is say, being pushed up because it is mounted in a 3 o clock position, the axle is being pushed down in the opposite direction, and those forces cancel each other out.

 

[JRB]

Every chainstay I have seen broken this year was at the disc side weld, mine included. I have wondered if braking forces contribute to it.