Its easy to see if your brake pedal rod needs to be adjusted, simply lightly depress the pedal with your hand and note how far you can push it before you feel the end of the rod hit the piston in the brake master cylinder.
When the rod is out of adjustment, the brakes still work, which partially explains why more people don’t pay attention to this item. The pedal will feel strange, as if its from another planet, its surprising how people just get used to something and never think it could be better.
The brake rod could also be too tight, ie there is no free play at all. In a case like this, the brake master cylinder is always being pushed a little, resulting in poor brake performance. It will therefore need adjusting.
To adjust the brake rod end play, get two 15mm open ended spanners. You will notice that the rod has a 15mm jam nut and a 15mm adjustment nut. Hold the adjustment nut with one spanner while you loosen the jam nut with the other. Back the jam nut off far enough that you can turn the adjustment nut without interference.
Next turn the adjustment nut, checking the pedal free play of 3mm. When you get the adjustment correct, tighten the jam nut. Simples!
