velomonatiCT Posted September 28, 2015 Share 8mm spanner is all that you need.It's not complicated if you're careful. and gets real complicated if you are not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtypot Posted September 28, 2015 Share and gets real complicated if you are not Yes, but LBS's love it when you walk in with a partly disassembled bike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisan Posted September 28, 2015 Share With Avids it is as easy as that.Do not know if Shimano allows it. Which Avid Fairyland do you come from? Shimano is way easier to DIY and has less of a chance of ending in a F-up. Even so, I'll just take mine to an LBS so I'll have someone to blame and fix it if anything goes wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JXV Posted September 28, 2015 Share If they are recent model brakes they are easy to bleed. Videos all over and detailed instructions on Shimano website. The recent models use a 1 way bleed system with a little cup that fits on the brake lever. You might get away without bleeding if you carefully swap the hoses over but even the tiniest bubble will reduce braking power ..... and they are a key safety device....so rather get it done right. Sponginess of the lever afterwards indicates that air got in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wannabe Posted September 28, 2015 Share Which Avid Fairyland do you come from? Shimano is way easier to DIY and has less of a chance of ending in a F-up. Even so, I'll just take mine to an LBS so I'll have someone to blame and fix it if anything goes wrong. Just shows you how much you really know, not just what you think you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Ruinaard Posted September 28, 2015 Share If they are recent model brakes they are easy to bleed. Videos all over and detailed instructions on Shimano website. The recent models use a 1 way bleed system with a little cup that fits on the brake lever. You might get away without bleeding if you carefully swap the hoses over but even the tiniest bubble will reduce braking power ..... and they are a key safety device....so rather get it done right. Sponginess of the lever afterwards indicates that air got in....+1 Lever going to the bar will lead to sponginess in the pants. You dont want to break your new SC, never mind some bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droo Posted September 28, 2015 Share Which Avid Fairyland do you come from? Shimano is way easier to DIY and has less of a chance of ending in a F-up. Even so, I'll just take mine to an LBS so I'll have someone to blame and fix it if anything goes wrong. Erm... Avid levers are ambidextrous. You just swap them from the one side to the other. No need to disassemble anything except the lever clamp. OP - it's possible to do it without bleeding, as some folk have said, but it's better to at least burp the levers afterwards to get any residual air out. LBS for safety's sake IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igg Posted September 28, 2015 Share This is a dead simple job on XT brakes, as has been said, 8mm spanner, disconnect hoses from master cylinder and swap them around. Job done. Due to the vacuum, if you're careful not to bump anything no fluid should be lost and no air will get into the system. Basically it's like putting your finger on the end of a full straw. If any air does get in it'll be right by the levers, just open the master cylinder, pump the lever a few times and top up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meentb Posted September 28, 2015 Share This is a dead simple job on XT brakes, as has been said, 8mm spanner, disconnect hoses from master cylinder and swap them around. Job done. Due to the vacuum, if you're careful not to bump anything no fluid should be lost and no air will get into the system. Basically it's like putting your finger on the end of a full straw. If any air does get in it'll be right by the levers, just open the master cylinder, pump the lever a few times and top up.Thats exactly what I did with my formula brakes. Did not need to bleed them again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg29 Posted October 1, 2015 Share This is a dead simple job on XT brakes, as has been said, 8mm spanner, disconnect hoses from master cylinder and swap them around. Job done. Due to the vacuum, if you're careful not to bump anything no fluid should be lost and no air will get into the system. Basically it's like putting your finger on the end of a full straw. If any air does get in it'll be right by the levers, just open the master cylinder, pump the lever a few times and top up. I did this with my XT's, worked no problem. Like cairbe says, just by careful removing and replacing the hose ends. Job done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathieu_Schneuwly Posted October 1, 2015 Share Swapping hoses works. Best to remove pads first and pump the lever a bit so the pistons extend a bit in the caliper. Then swap the hoses. loosen the bleed screws on the master cylinder to relieve pressure. Then push the pistons back into the caliper and you will "mini-bleed" the brakes. Tighten everything and you're good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camelman Posted October 2, 2015 Share Swapping hoses works. Best to remove pads first and pump the lever a bit so the pistons extend a bit in the caliper. Then swap the hoses. loosen the bleed screws on the master cylinder to relieve pressure. Then push the pistons back into the caliper and you will "mini-bleed" the brakes. Tighten everything and you're good to go. This seems to be the best idea from a technical perspective. I have however swapped my Alfine brakes without problem and installed a brand new SLX master cylinder without bleeding. Sometimes you are lucky. Maybe also let them stand a while after swapping to let the air migrate to the top and hopefully into the reservoir. You have nothing to lose. If it needs a bleed, take it to a shop. If it does not, you have saved yourself a few Bob and learned something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinga Posted October 2, 2015 Share Naught Boets! They're Shimano XT. They're the best brakes in the world and never need bleeding! But really, they can be swopped without bleeding. I've seen Jason at The Trail Head do this on test bikes when a customer rides with brakes the WRONG way around. He simply disconnects the hoses from the levers (while everything is still on the bike), making sure the open end stays as high as possible, then reconnects. Obviously over time, if one keeps doing this, the air introduced into the system will require a bleed. But for a once off, it works.+1 I did exactly this last weekend to one of my bikes that is here from oversees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JXV Posted October 2, 2015 Share When you swap hoses without bleeding or if you do a "mini bleed" by pumping the slave cylinders out and then pushing them back out to expel bubbles through the bleed ports, this can have a future consequence.Remember your XT brake circuit is a sealed hydraulic system. The only expansion space is the flexible rubber membrane on top of the master reservoir. If you change the volume of oil you may find some months later when your pads wear down that the calipers don't push all the way out 'cause you have run out of fluid in the master reservoir. Or you suck in a bubble of air that has been floating safely on top of the reservoir. Its the same when you do a full bleed with worn pads and don't use the caliper blocks. You can end up with too much fluid in the system and have a problem when you try to push the pistons back to fit new pads. Brake systems are a critical safety item so if you don't have the tools and or patience to follow the proper manufacturer's procedures, then rather ask the LBS to do it. This is also a word of caution to LBS mechs ( and my flame suit is on) - I have seen a lot of short-cuts taken with brakes - you could open yourself to problems if you don't follow procedure correctly, because it is forseeable that this can cause future malfunctions. I understand the time pressures that you work under but please reserve the short-cuts for systems that are not safety critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droo Posted October 2, 2015 Share please reserve the short-cuts for systems that are not safety critical. Hooray, someone agrees with me. Please accept my donation of a spare flame suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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