After I upgraded my brake pads, as in the
other thread, my brakes improved, but I noticed that the front didn't seem as strong compared to the rear as I expected. On looking further, I found that there is play in the "outer" or "front" arm; I can wiggle it around a bit on its pivot bolt. I can't tighten the bolt/nut that secures it, or at least not using any reasonable level of force. It's not coming loose or anything, clearly, and I don't think it's enough to be a safety issue, but I've never seen play like this in any decent dual-pivot caliper before. Is it normal?
The result seems to be that the arm moves a little before the pads grip the rim properly, which presumably accounts for the slightly-less-positive feel when I brake.
Obviously I could just replace it, but there wouldn't be much point if a new one would be similar. The bike is probably seven or eight years old, so not the latest caliper model. It's lightly-used, so wear is unlikely.
