Disappearing Brakes

[boxerulez]

I took the bike for a service at the beginning of September. Everything seemed fine on the first ride. On the second ride, I struggled to slow down, brake lever reaches almost to the handlebar. Third ride, brake lever touching the handlebar, speed reduction, but I can't stop effectively. If I'm off the bike, and I press the lever, the wheel locks, so it does work somewhat. 

 

I take the bike to a different bike shop, guy shows me that there is no brake pad. I get a bit concerned assuming my previous service would have done that. Anyway, I have him service the bike again and the brake lever is 100% and I can stop. 

 

I've now had about 6 rides since the last service and I'm back to my brake lever touching the handlebar and not really stopping me past a certain speed. 

 

What on earth is going on? 

Am I the only person that noticed that bit?

[DR ◣◢]

Fading brakes = Air in the system - End of story

 

Most videos from OEM's on how to bleed brakes are in a perfect world with brand new brakes - In the real world with used brakes things are different.

 

So when you finished bleeding like normal or as per their instructions you need to bleed again. But this time the brake calipers need to be removed and turned at different angles while tapping them with the handle of a screwdriver. Flick all the brake pipes and shake/tap the lever bodies. then bleed again - you will be surprised at how much air is still trapped after the first bleed

So glad Hope isn’t this finicky to bleed. You bleed them from top to bottom and you’re done. No fancy bleed kits needed either.

[Darko]

Just an update here guys. 

 

Found no air in the system. Did the bleeding, pumping, removing the pads, putting the bike upside down, pumping et all. Still the same story. New brake pad, so it's not that this time. 

 

Ended up adjusting the lever and now it stops with a lot of force. Guess it was just a loose lever in the end. Will give it a test run this weekend again to see if it carries on. 

 

Hopefully not!

[boxerulez]

Just an update here guys. 

 

Found no air in the system. Did the bleeding, pumping, removing the pads, putting the bike upside down, pumping et all. Still the same story. New brake pad, so it's not that this time. 

 

Ended up adjusting the lever and now it stops with a lot of force. Guess it was just a loose lever in the end. Will give it a test run this weekend again to see if it carries on. 

 

Hopefully not!

my reach adjustment grub screws were acting up a while back i put some loctite on the thread and it is staying put now.

 

maybe try that if it goes out of adjustment again.

[RomP]

I may have missed what type of brakes you are running. If you are running XT's, give me a shout ..Ive now spent months trying to sort out spongee rear brakes...I now know the Shimano's pretty well. Im in Centurion

[arendoog]

I took the bike for a service at the beginning of September. Everything seemed fine on the first ride. On the second ride, I struggled to slow down, brake lever reaches almost to the handlebar. Third ride, brake lever touching the handlebar, speed reduction, but I can't stop effectively. If I'm off the bike, and I press the lever, the wheel locks, so it does work somewhat. 

 

I take the bike to a different bike shop, guy shows me that there is no brake pad. I get a bit concerned assuming my previous service would have done that. Anyway, I have him service the bike again and the brake lever is 100% and I can stop. 

 

I've now had about 6 rides since the last service and I'm back to my brake lever touching the handlebar and not really stopping me past a certain speed. 

 

What on earth is going on? 

I had exactly the same problem ,it turned out to be a fractured brake hose .Those brake hoses are very specifically build with reinforced  inner lining that cracked .The hose makes a bubble at the fracture site ,but does not leak 

Edited November 2, 2020 by arendoog

[RobertWhitehead]

Tektro brakes have a little 3mm Allenkey screw that sits behind the lever. This screw wriggles loose over time and then the lever moves ever closer to the bar. No matter how hard you try to bleed, tip over, hang upside down, "staan op jou kop en fluit Sarie Mare deur jou ..." the problem lies with that little screw and it will always feel like there's not enough force behind the lever.

 

My suggestion: And just also note, you only have a few shots at this as the more you fiddle with that little screw the quicker it will strip and stop to work completely  . Get yourself some blue locktite (the bottle is not blue, the liquid is) at Builders and or any other hardware store then unscrew that bugger a few times. Once that is done take a drop of locktite and drip it onto the thread, then turn it back to the desired location. 

Now once that is done you're more than welcome to bring the bike through to either myself or Romeo (Romeo knows way more than I do about brakes) and then we can do a proper bleed. Some bike shops just adds some mineral oil to the hose, they don't flush the system and see that the hose is in fact not damaged. 

[porqui]

Simple really.

 

Take the shimano's off  !!!

 

Replace with Avids

 

They work - can be serviced - and they tell you they work.

[PhilipV]

Simple really.

 

Take the shimano's off !!!

 

Replace with Avids

 

They work - can be serviced - and they tell you they work.

Pffft, you must have forgotten about Avid Juicy's, or that all elixirs needed a rebuild eventually, or the batch of Guides that needed warranty replacement after a hot Karoo day.

 

There are great shimano brakes. There are crap shimano brakes.

There are great Sram brakes. There are crap sram brakes.

 

In my spares drawer I have two pairs of avid brakes that need a rebuild kit, two shimano levers that have died and been replaced, and a set of Tektros that have nothing wrong with them, other than being a million years old and being to weak for my liking.

[RobertWhitehead]

Want to sell any of those ones needing a rebuild kit   

Pffft, you must have forgotten about Avid Juicy's, or that all elixirs needed a rebuild eventually, or the batch of Guides that needed warranty replacement after a hot Karoo day.

There are great shimano brakes. There are crap shimano brakes.
There are great Sram brakes. There are crap sram brakes.

In my spares drawer I have two pairs of avid brakes that need a rebuild kit, two shimano levers that have died and been replaced, and a set of Tektros that have nothing wrong with them, other than being a million years old and being to weak for my liking.

[Chadvdw67]

Pffft, you must have forgotten about Avid Juicy's, or that all elixirs needed a rebuild eventually, or the batch of Guides that needed warranty replacement after a hot Karoo day.

 

There are great shimano brakes. There are crap shimano brakes.

There are great Sram brakes. There are crap sram brakes.

 

In my spares drawer I have two pairs of avid brakes that need a rebuild kit, two shimano levers that have died and been replaced, and a set of Tektros that have nothing wrong with them, other than being a million years old and being to weak for my liking.

Thread jack, any chance they are M7000/8000/9000 levers? Might you be interested in selling a set?

[arendoog]

Simple really.

 

Take the shimano's off  !!!

 

Replace with Avids

 

They work - can be serviced - and they tell you they work.

I can still hear the echo of my Avids at Mankele .They scream and then they boil, and the you scream before you crash  

[PhilipV]

Want to sell any of those ones needing a rebuild kit

Not really, the parts bin will be raided when my kids' bikes get built pretty soon.

Yes I am a bit of a hoarder.

 

Thread jack, any chance they are M7000/8000/9000 levers? Might you be interested in selling a set?

Both are M525, Right hand side and FUBAR. That is why they were replaced.

[eddy]

Pffft, you must have forgotten about Avid Juicy's, or that all elixirs needed a rebuild eventually, or the batch of Guides that needed warranty replacement after a hot Karoo day.

There are great shimano brakes. There are crap shimano brakes.

There are great Sram brakes. There are crap sram brakes.

In my spares drawer I have two pairs of avid brakes that need a rebuild kit, two shimano levers that have died and been replaced, and a set of Tektros that have nothing wrong with them, other than being a million years old and being to weak for my liking.

Ja , Jong.

 

I was In similar position and then I remembered Eddie Grant went to the bike shop and said "Gimme HOPE, Jo'anna.

 

I did the same.

 

https://youtu.be/R-ZplG81oZg

[Chadvdw67]

Not really, the parts bin will be raided when my kids' bikes get built pretty soon.

Yes I am a bit of a hoarder.

 

Both are M525, Right hand side and FUBAR. That is why they were replaced.

No sweat, I just need lever blades, but I don't think those lever blades will fit, it is actually a right hand lever that I need ????