Servicing: Avid Juicy 5 brakes...

[bak2basiks]

Yesterday I was able to take my new Steed to Jonkershoek and "thrash" it around a little. I'm very happy with my bike (speed/climbs,handling), however, I had problems with the brakes from day one and yesterday just exposed them as poor or poorly setup....

I returned the bike to the BS to fix the front brake (just after I bought the bike), but it still sounded as horrible as before. Apart from the noisy front brake, during yesterday's ride, the rear rotor started shaving the pads after a moderate decent.......; during a muddy singletrack expedition, the front wreaked of brake fluid.......and a few minutes later both brakes started making a horrible noise when engaged........I googled and came across this link: "turkey gobbling" or "turkey gobble" of the Avids...After the ride, I just rinsed the mud off the rotors and calipers with some water from my waterbottle and sure enough, there the whole front brake rotor was full of brake fluid. There is none now, but I just feel something is horribly wrong with my brakes....

 

Can I service these brakes myself....? I am not very trusting of the brakes at the moment and feel very, very insecure at speed on the bike (due to the brakes)...

 

The BS is far and it will be cheaper to book the bike in at a LBS to have them look at the brake problem, however, I feel that I'm betraying the BS I bought the bike from as they are the ones who should relook at the brakes and set them up again or properly....seeing that the bike is brand new....

 

[GT_Zaskar]

Do yourself a favour and let the original guys redo the brakes for you. Will probably save your warranty with them as well. Might be more effort but in the long run worth it.

[Johan Bornman]

You can probably do the job yourself if you have a rudimentary knowledge of hydraulic brakes. That I cannot teach you in a few paragraphs or even as someone her put it, an "essay."

 

Once your bike is clean, squeeze the brakes and look for where the fluid leaks. If you can see an obvious reason for fixing the leak and you feel confident and have the tools, give it a go. You won't violate any gaurantee if you don't break something.

 

If this advice still leaves you in the lurch, wash the bike and take it back to the perpetrator.

[IanJ]

Johan, correct me if I am wrong but brake fluid on the brake pads would normally indicate a faulty seal on the piston in the caliper?

 

Seeing as the bike is new and under warranty I would take it back.

 

 

[AndreZA]

 

Seeing as the bike is new and under warranty I would take it back.

 

 

Take it back so that they can replace the pads aswell.

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

Johan' date=' correct me if I am wrong but brake fluid on the brake pads would normally indicate a faulty seal on the piston in the caliper?

 

Seeing as the bike is new and under warranty I would take it back.

 

 

[/quote']

You are right, but I can also envisage another scenario. If it leaks where the hose enters the caliper and there is enough fluid in the reservoir, it could also run down into the pads. We just don't have enough information to be sure.

 

It makes me think when people report oil leaks in their cars. They will always tell you the oil leaks from the bottom of the sump. Why? That's the lowest point on the car and the oil leaks from the top down. They only see the exit point and assume the leak is there. Even a leak at the tappit cover will present as a drip from the sump.

 

If the OP is a DIY rookie, I'd suggest he takes the bike in. Ditto for leaking pistons. But a loose hose is easily rectified, even in the field.

 

I have a deep mistrust in the average bike mechanic and I, if I can help it, won't even take a gaurantee type repair back, I'll just do it myself. I don't advocate this type of mindset though, it usually means a few new tools, many hours of reverse engineering and some swearing. Some tools in my garage I've only used once and cost more than a full overaul at the agent.

 

 

 

 

[bak2basiks]

 

If the OP is a DIY rookie' date=' I'd suggest he takes the bike in. Ditto for leaking pistons. But a loose hose is easily rectified, even in the field.[/quote']Yes I am, but I learn quickly. I am also slowly building up my "bike tool shed" and will happily go out and get the gear if I can service/repair something on my bike myself...huge payback in the field on a ride! Back in my BMX days, I serviced and repaired my bike every Saturday morning (strip down Friday after school and rebuild Saturday morning). 20 years later, my skills (and "experience") are slowly returning, but bike tech has moved on since then...so I'm not trying to be the smart a$$.....YET...

 

 

 

 

 

I have a deep mistrust in the average bike mechanic and I' date=' if I can help it, won't even take a gaurantee type repair back, I'll just do it myself. [/quote']Well this is how I feel, because I took the bike in to the shop and

after waiting for three hours at the shop, it still wasn't fixed. I was

rather irritated as I had to take special leave from work, fuel the

car, drive there and wait. Afterwards I felt I wasted more money taking

the bike in than having a go at attending to the problems myself (or taking it to the LBS around the corner and letting them have a go and picking it up after work). Also, when I started hearing the rear rotor shaving on the pads, I stopped and picked up the rear of the bike and to my amazement and shock the rear wheel dropped out.......what if that happend during my decent? Now, yes, maybe I should have done a quick "55-point check" on the bike before I took it out for the ride, but its brand spanking new and the odd bits and pieces that squeak and groan just freaks me out....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't advocate this type of mindset though' date=' it usually means a few new tools, many hours of reverse engineering and some swearing. Some tools in my garage I've only used once and cost more than a full overaul at the agent.[/quote']As I said, I'm rather hesitant with scratching and poking around on the brakes. But if I can "reset" my rear rotor to not shave the pads, or "tighten the hose" rather than making a nuisance of myself at the shop, then I'll do it.

 

I can't say exactly where the "leak" is, but what I know is that it did leak fluid. I few bounces of the front wheel on the kitchen tiles made a good splatter.....after I washed the bike and dried it off, I saw no dripping brake fluid....bit of a relief, but for how long...?

 

I guess the brakes is the biggest problem with the bike that freaks me out the most ATM. But will it be correct of me to rather try another workshop to "fix and setup" my bike from scratch?

 

 

[IanJ]

Take it back to the original place you bought it, if they don't sort it out straight away find out who the distributors are and compalin to them.

 

That is why we have warranties, why should you have to pay someone else to fix what is probably a factory build problem.

 

By the way it is unlikely that brakes will leak while standing, only when you pull the lever. As Johan mentioned when the bike is clean if you pull the brake lever you should see where it is leaking.

 

[Hog_]

On an almost related note, anyone know where I can find a bleed kit? I know Alligator makes a universal one, but I'm not sure where in JoBurg I'll be able to get one.

 

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

On an almost related note' date=' anyone know where I can find a bleed kit? I know Alligator makes a universal one, but I'm not sure where in JoBurg I'll be able to get one.


[/quote']

 

Ja, I know where you can get one cheap cheap. At (fill the name of your local chemist in here). Ask for a large syringe. Buy two. You'll also need a short piece of clear pastic pipe that fits into the syringe nozzle and bleed nipple*. Total cost: R5-00 plus change.

 

Put your bike in a stand with the handlebars about chest height. loosen the brake lever clamp and rotate the brake reservoir/lever so that it is level with the floor. Remove the lid by unscrewing the two/three tiny little screws and remove the floating diaphragm that doubles as a seal.

 

Get your girlfriend, armed with the empty syring, to hoover up the fluid from the reservoir just before it spills onto the carpet, but not so much that bubbles get into the system.

 

Fill the syring with the desired fluid, put on the tube and do like they make in the movies. Hold the syring with the nozzle upwards and tube held vertical as well, squirt a little bit of oil into the air and onto your carpet.

 

Put an 8mm ringspanner onto the bleed nipple at the caliper end, open the cap and put the free end of your bubble-free tube over the nipple. Open the nipple slightly and inject fluid into the system. Slowly.

 

Your girlfriend is now sucking up the extra fluid that threatens to flood the reservoir and, she's looking for bubbles. As soon as the bubbles stop coming out and you can see your tube/syring isn't still full of bubbles, you turn the ringspanner again and voila. .

 

Don't forget to replace the diaphragm (you'll figure out the optimum level quite quickly) and cap. Reset your brake lever to its original position, tighten the lever bolt and open a beer. Job done.

 

 

*Please don't chirp with nipple jokes. I've heard them all.

[Hog_]

Thanks Johan! I know the syringe/pharmacy route, I just think the bleed kits are pretty  And they have these really handy looking attachments! Just perfect for the gullible and naive DIYer!

 

I still need to get some fluid as well, but at least the guys at the LBS promised they'd let me have some from their workshop bulk bottle.