Raleigh frames differing brake drops

[Southwestslacker1]

I've built up a few Raleigh frames over the years (70s Nova, 80s Sprint, 80s Criterium Triathlon and a Dyna-Tech) and there seems to be a running theme of the front and rear brake drops being substantially different.
This is super irritating as brake sets, even longer drop ones don't reach the rear wheel propery when the front one does, so having to use non-matched brakes to get the large drop to the rear wheel.
Anyone else had this problem? Anyone know why they've done this?

 

[allenh]

I'm not completely sure of the reasons for differing brake drop lengths but I assume it's to do with different clearance requirements for different types of frame i.e race, touring, audax, general use etc. etc.

Also back then when Raleigh generally used Weinmann brakes they were available in a wide range of sizes with the model number relating to the drop length and mixed sets were quite normal

 

[torqueless]

Re:

I think that's just the way brakes were before the introduction of the Campagnolo Record brakes (1969?) Iirc Mafacs, Universals, Weinmanns all came with a deeper drop at the rear?

Through the seventies I think brake manufacturers aspiring to compete with Campagnolo equalised the brake drops on their top models, or new models. The pre-existing models probably remained longer drop at the rear, until the eighties, which decade saw the virtual or complete demise of Mafac, Universal and Weinmann.

 

[Southwestslacker1]

Ok, so it was definitely a thing then. Pretty irritating though to put more modern brakes on as weinmann side pulls are pretty dreadful. I've just ordered up a small chunk of aluminium bar to fashion a drop bolt adapter so I'll see how that goes.

 

[Midlife]

As the bike became more race oriented the geometry changed and the need for mudguards disappeared and brake reach became shorter

 

[pigman]

Ok, so it was definitely a thing then. Pretty irritating though to put more modern brakes on as weinmann side pulls are pretty dreadful. I've just ordered up a small chunk of aluminium bar to fashion a drop bolt adapter so I'll see how that goes.

On the other hand weinmann centre pulls are quite good, even compared to modern brakes and were usually 610mm front 750mm rear, and you'd be keeping in date

 

[Southwestslacker1]

I'm going to have a go at making an adapter first as I've already got the groupset, from looking the ones I've seen on the web it should be a doddle.
While I'm at it I've also got to fashion a handlebar shim to go from 25.4mm to 26.4mm for a Cinelli XA stem, I've got a seatpost shim the right size so a bit of trimming should do the job.