Question for the panel: what's the consensus on cleaning and lubing SRAM pistons with mineral oil and a q-tip? Inspired by this SRAM "Sticky Pistons...
When I interviewed SRAM's Chris Mandell for the DB8 review he told me to be pretty hands off with pistons, to not even clean the pistons unless I absolutely had to, because it's easy to dry out or contaminate the pistons and seals if you're poking around too much. The official line is to do the piston massage as a way to evenly lubricate pistons and reset seal friction, and otherwise don't touch them.
Not cleaning them seems odd to me, because I feel like every bleed I've ever seen starts and ends with hosing the caliper off with Isopropyl alcohol, but maybe SRAM knows something I don't? The cynical take would be that SRAM doesn't trust home mechanics to not contaminate their brake pads by failing to clean the excess mineral oil off caliper surfaces after a q-tip job.
In my experience with other brands of brakes (Magura & Hayes), lubing pistons did nothing to resolve sticky pistons long term, and if anything seemed to necessitate doing it more often. The only thing that really resolved sticky pistons on the Hayes was replacing the piston seals. For Maguras, since they don't sell seals & pistons to service them, I had to replace the whole bloody caliper under warranty.
My philosophy is: there's no point in lubing them from the outside because the caliper is such a dusty environment, all you'll do is attract more dust to the pistons. Instead what I focus on is remembering to clean the exposed pistons with Iso before I push them back for a bleed or fresh pads. That way I'm not pushing gunk into the seals.
You're grossly overestimating either the ability of people or at least the confidence and comfort of going above what they feel they can do.
As for lubricating, technically if the piston should be grabbed and pulled back by the seal, it shouldn't be lubricated then. It should be a bit "sticky" for normal operation. But not too much.
You're grossly overestimating either the ability of people or at least the confidence and comfort of going above what they feel they can do.As for lubricating...
You're grossly overestimating either the ability of people or at least the confidence and comfort of going above what they feel they can do.
As for lubricating, technically if the piston should be grabbed and pulled back by the seal, it shouldn't be lubricated then. It should be a bit "sticky" for normal operation. But not too much.
It's not really possible to lube the seals from the outside but you can lube the interface between the piston and caliper bore. This needs to have low enough friction so that just after breaking, when the pistons have been pressed against the bore, the seals can pull them back without slipping. If the seal slips then the pad stays where it is.
Question for the panel: what's the consensus on cleaning and lubing SRAM pistons with mineral oil and a q-tip? Inspired by this SRAM "Sticky Pistons...
When I interviewed SRAM's Chris Mandell for the DB8 review he told me to be pretty hands off with pistons, to not even clean the pistons unless I absolutely had to, because it's easy to dry out or contaminate the pistons and seals if you're poking around too much. The official line is to do the piston massage as a way to evenly lubricate pistons and reset seal friction, and otherwise don't touch them.
Not cleaning them seems odd to me, because I feel like every bleed I've ever seen starts and ends with hosing the caliper off with Isopropyl alcohol, but maybe SRAM knows something I don't? The cynical take would be that SRAM doesn't trust home mechanics to not contaminate their brake pads by failing to clean the excess mineral oil off caliper surfaces after a q-tip job.
I would say applying fluid to the external surfaces is a last-ditch effort to get em to slip better. Residual fluid can weep onto the pads at worse, but will attract grime, and having brake dust settle on a metal surface is a sure fire way to induce corrosion on metal surface regardless of fluid. If the massage doesn't work I'd look to stripping the caliper down, pistons and all, and rebuild it, insuring to wipe the square seals in the bore with fluid as well as the inner portion of the pistons. That would guarantee the system gets lubricated proper and prevent residual fluid from causing any issues. If that doesn't solve it, then I'd suspect a tolerance issue at play.
Hey hey folks, having an interesting conundrum with my Hope T4 V4's and am interested to see if any of you have had similar issues. I...
Hey hey folks, having an interesting conundrum with my Hope T4 V4's and am interested to see if any of you have had similar issues. I picked up my set last August and had run them without complaint until the other week when my front lever started pulling much farther into the bar about 2 minutes into a mild descent. I inspected the brakes and couldn't find any sign of fluid leaks or anything of the sort. I subsequently performed a gravity bleed and had the brakes feeling new again. Next ride, exact same issue! At this point, I was sure there had to be a leak somewhere, so, rebled them and strapped the lever to the bar to pressure test overnight and sure enough, they held perfect pressure. I did notice that when I opened the reservoir to bleed them after the rides, they did seem to be down a small amount of fluid and I was also able to "pump" them back up to a normal feeling (similar to Shimano's wandering bite problem). My conclusion is that there must be a leak somewhere in the system, just not exactly sure how to deduce that problem yet. I think it must be up at the lever as the pads and rotors are not being contaminated, but I can't see any signs of leakage. Let me know what you guys think.
FYI: I have checked the torque and fitting of all the barbs/olives and brake hose fittings, definitely not the issue
Not claiming to have any sort of magic solution, but if the increase in lever throw followed a sustained pull (for example, on the steepest part...
Not claiming to have any sort of magic solution, but if the increase in lever throw followed a sustained pull (for example, on the steepest part of the trail) then it could be a cracked inner liner in the hose. That can lead to fluid leaking into the braided reinforcement layer, without any visual indicator, other than perhaps a slight bulge in the outer polymer layer. Even weirder, the elasticity of the outer polymer can gradually squeeze most of the fluid back through the crack, into the inner liner, leaving no evidence if you don't catch it in the heat of the moment.
Normally, the easy test for this is, while the bike is at rest, simply to squeeze the lever so the pads engage the rotor for an extended period, and see if the lever engagement point gradually creeps inward toward the bar. You have already essentially done this though, by strapping the lever to the bar overnight, and it doesn't sound like it crept in (unless you had it close to bottoming under the strap pressure and therefore couldn't notice the slight additional movement to a fully bottomed position when you checked it the next day). One possibility that occurred to me is that strapping the levers down is totally static, whereas, since it is the front brake, that hose is flexing quite a bit as the fork cycles on the descent. If you had a hairline crack, it might only open when the hose is in a flexed condition, so you may want to push on the fork repeatedly while squeezing the lever, in case hose flex opens up the crack allowing you to replicate the problem.
If that's not it, I think you're right on with the thought of looking to the lever as the likely culprit. If you had fluid blowing past the M/C seal, then that could cause the problem, but why that would only happen after 2min of descending is non-obvious to me.
Damn! Did we work together? :D
Only bit I would add is pull the lever slowly/lightly. If there's an internal leak, it may hydrolock under fast/hard pulls and give a false negative for the internal leak. A couple pages back I listed out the steps for diagnosing a mc piston leak, hose leak, or reservoir issue. Situ can be modded here on by setting the lever in the bleed position and popping the cap off to observe what the fluid is doing.
Yeah I would love to service my calipers but the space and tools and time are just not there. I can't really afford to screw up, either. I cracked a piston just trying to push it back into the caliper and that was a whole ordeal. Also, off-hand mention of air compressors as though every rider has one... another thing I am sad to not own but would have nowhere to store. I don't have a bench mount vise or even a bench. Myself and others would love to work on all of the parts on our bikes but its just not in the cards for a lot of us right now.
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point. If you wanted it to be adjustable, you'd end up with something like the Magura HC3 lever.
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point...
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point. If you wanted it to be adjustable, you'd end up with something like the Magura HC3 lever.
Does anyone make a replacement lever for shimano that might do that?
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point...
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point. If you wanted it to be adjustable, you'd end up with something like the Magura HC3 lever.
Does anyone make a replacement lever for shimano that might do that?
Freedom Coast and Oak Components make aftermarket levers but I'm not sure how they change the shape brand to brand. I know for TRPs they made it so that people without XL mitts could reach the lever.
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the...
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
I just learned today that codes get spongier as you bring them in as well. Stupid design
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the...
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
This is why I find Code RSC to be more powerful that XT 4 piston brakes. I like the levers close to the bars and the XTs lose power when you run the levers close.
I have a question regarding mavens compared to radic kaha.
I recently got onyx hubs which has brought the rubbing more apparent that I have with my kahas.
The short dead stroke and light lever feel has been good but I can’t stand my brakes rubbing.
Can I achieve a short (max 20mm) of dead stroke with maven ultimates and also have good pad clearance? Currently I can’t get my kahas not to rub in the stand yet alone when riding.
I don’t mind a heavier lever pull but having a firm bite point is a must.
Also a question to those who have ridden both brakes. Are mavens more powerful than kahas?
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the...
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the...
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently. I feel like you should be able to make...
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently.
I feel like you should be able to make a lever adjust that doesn’t change the leverage ratio.
Also, how come no one makes a brake lever that gives you the snappy feel but with your lever close to the bars. It would be a simple different shape.
This is sounding like the long rear center discussion lol. My favorite part of riding mountain bikes is joining in with the half century of research and development that every rider gets to be a part of. I think we are starting to figure out something about brakes, but it might take a while to get to that sweet spot.
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently. I feel like you should be able to make...
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently.
I feel like you should be able to make a lever adjust that doesn’t change the leverage ratio.
Also, how come no one makes a brake lever that gives you the snappy feel but with your lever close to the bars. It would be a simple different shape.
In Sram's case adjusting reach does not change the leverage. You just move the complete stroke of the lever further away or closer to the grip.
How the pads contact the rotor, when and so on, is determined by the contact point adjust by moving the piston in or out. The swing link doesn't move in any case, neither with the reach or contact point adjust.
Is that due to the design of the adjustment mechanisms or simply because the lever moves in an arc?
Because of the arc as it changes the pull ratio. Easiest way to think about it is the way mechanical disc brakes for road levers pull on a shorter actuating arm than those for linear/V brake pull ratios. That isn't exactly how it works, but for basic visualization it should get the mind working. The interplay of the lever's home position and contact adjustment can help mitigate but the leverage effect will always be there. And of course we can't forget about the cam mechanisms/swinglinks that Sram, Hayes, Shimano and others employ between the lever and the MC piston. Personally, I ride my levers closer on my 'summer' bikes than I do on my fat bike. Part of that is winter gloves being the bulky beasts they are, but I also don't want as much leverage acting on the brake in loose conditions (sand and snow). On the other bikes, I prefer close and light action. Not saying which is better, just a preference, a "different lever strokes for different folks' if you will :D.
Wacky idea:As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever...
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
Interesting as I run my levers/bite point relatively far away from the bar. I wonder how my dominions a4 will hold up against my shigura and complete shimanos. Didn't come to riding the Dominions apart from braking them in a bit.
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an uncomfortable amount and still have a terrible rattle. What are some other tricks people have done? Shrink wrap around the pin didn’t fit (wouldn’t fit through the caliper hole)
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an...
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an uncomfortable amount and still have a terrible rattle. What are some other tricks people have done? Shrink wrap around the pin didn’t fit (wouldn’t fit through the caliper hole)
Just wait is my tip, the pads will generate enough dust they get stuck to the pistons in time. Every time I get new pads or give the brakes a good clean and remove the dust I get the rattle again, but it goes away in a week naturally.
A piece of tap over the top of the caliper touching the pads and springs will stop it, but it eventually melts from the heat.
Because of the way the kingpin (pad retention pin) is designed you can't wrap the middle portion to stop the pad movement, which is where the noise is coming from mostly
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an...
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an uncomfortable amount and still have a terrible rattle. What are some other tricks people have done? Shrink wrap around the pin didn’t fit (wouldn’t fit through the caliper hole)
Stretch the spring more - but the key is stretching it open right at the base where the two halves connect. Need to do it with needle nose pliers.
I'm neurotic about quiet bikes and never had them rattle over many, many sets of pads after doing this.
Has anyone had any luck lever bleeding mavens with just the syringe? I feel like I've tried in the past and it's only made things worse. I was hoping to avoid a full bleed because I am lazy.
Has anyone had any luck lever bleeding mavens with just the syringe? I feel like I've tried in the past and it's only made things worse...
Has anyone had any luck lever bleeding mavens with just the syringe? I feel like I've tried in the past and it's only made things worse. I was hoping to avoid a full bleed because I am lazy.
Yes, but it involves using a funnel on the lever side. I essentially bleed maven's like you'd bleed a car. I put the funnel in the lever side and fill it, I think put a syringe on the bleeding edge port 1/3 full. I put one hand on the bleeding edge port wing nut and another hand on the lever blade. I pump the brake lever 3-5 times and then hold it tight. While holding the lever I loosen the bleeding edge wing nut, allow the master to push fluid into the syringe and then close the bleeding edge port and then let go of the brake lever.
The one thing you have to manage with this approach is any fluid that may be trapped in the lever prior to you starting the bleed process. I find that that it's best to do a quick procedure of pulling VERY SLIGHT vacuum on the caliper bleeding edge syringe to pull any bubbles out of the caliper that are low lying fruit, and then push a small amount of fluid upwards to the lever/funnel. I do not push much, as I do not want to introduce fluid that has contaminates from the caliper side all the way up into the lever. I only push enough to get any air that is in the lever assembly out and into the funnel.
Lastly, I wind the reach adjusters out super far to maximize leverage of the lever over the system so I can push as much fluid into the syringe with each bleeding cycle as possible. I also usually start the process by hitting the caliper, line and lever assembly with an off brand theragun massager. I picked this trick up from my LBS... seriously, it's worth spending 20 bucks on amazon for one of these specifically to bleed brakes, shocks and other items as it vibrates the air bubbles to the extreme ends of the system so you can eject them. The other nice thing about the funnel is that you can finish by rotating the lever assembly down and flicking the lever, as well as winding in the contact point and do the same thing. I do this usually once in the middle of my bleed process, and then finish with this to ensure I don't have air trapped in the lever.
In my experience with other brands of brakes (Magura & Hayes), lubing pistons did nothing to resolve sticky pistons long term, and if anything seemed to necessitate doing it more often. The only thing that really resolved sticky pistons on the Hayes was replacing the piston seals. For Maguras, since they don't sell seals & pistons to service them, I had to replace the whole bloody caliper under warranty.
My philosophy is: there's no point in lubing them from the outside because the caliper is such a dusty environment, all you'll do is attract more dust to the pistons. Instead what I focus on is remembering to clean the exposed pistons with Iso before I push them back for a bleed or fresh pads. That way I'm not pushing gunk into the seals.
You're grossly overestimating either the ability of people or at least the confidence and comfort of going above what they feel they can do.
As for lubricating, technically if the piston should be grabbed and pulled back by the seal, it shouldn't be lubricated then. It should be a bit "sticky" for normal operation. But not too much.
It's not really possible to lube the seals from the outside but you can lube the interface between the piston and caliper bore. This needs to have low enough friction so that just after breaking, when the pistons have been pressed against the bore, the seals can pull them back without slipping. If the seal slips then the pad stays where it is.
I would say applying fluid to the external surfaces is a last-ditch effort to get em to slip better. Residual fluid can weep onto the pads at worse, but will attract grime, and having brake dust settle on a metal surface is a sure fire way to induce corrosion on metal surface regardless of fluid. If the massage doesn't work I'd look to stripping the caliper down, pistons and all, and rebuild it, insuring to wipe the square seals in the bore with fluid as well as the inner portion of the pistons. That would guarantee the system gets lubricated proper and prevent residual fluid from causing any issues. If that doesn't solve it, then I'd suspect a tolerance issue at play.
Damn! Did we work together? :D
Only bit I would add is pull the lever slowly/lightly. If there's an internal leak, it may hydrolock under fast/hard pulls and give a false negative for the internal leak. A couple pages back I listed out the steps for diagnosing a mc piston leak, hose leak, or reservoir issue. Situ can be modded here on by setting the lever in the bleed position and popping the cap off to observe what the fluid is doing.
Yeah I would love to service my calipers but the space and tools and time are just not there. I can't really afford to screw up, either. I cracked a piston just trying to push it back into the caliper and that was a whole ordeal. Also, off-hand mention of air compressors as though every rider has one... another thing I am sad to not own but would have nowhere to store. I don't have a bench mount vise or even a bench. Myself and others would love to work on all of the parts on our bikes but its just not in the cards for a lot of us right now.
Wacky idea:
As we all know, shimano brakes get more snappy and powerful the further you adjust the lever away from the bars. I guess the lever adjust changes the leverage ratio as well.
It would be sweet if you could have the feeling you get with the levers far from the bars but actually have the lever nice and close to the bars. Maybe via a different pivot in the lever or by doing a really silly mod and filing down the bracing post and somehow changing the clamp angle to allow the lever to be angled in.
I'm pretty sure to do what you want would require a different lever body, with the bend in the middle modified relative to the pivot point. If you wanted it to be adjustable, you'd end up with something like the Magura HC3 lever.
Does anyone make a replacement lever for shimano that might do that?
Freedom Coast and Oak Components make aftermarket levers but I'm not sure how they change the shape brand to brand. I know for TRPs they made it so that people without XL mitts could reach the lever.
Wow! I have been wondering why it’s so commonplace to run levers super far out when it is more ergonomic to run them closer to the bar. I love running my code RS as close to the bar as possible. There is a kind of culture in mtb though that thinks that this is suboptimal, and I think I can now see why.
Also, I have been toying with the idea of switching to shimano but maybe I’ll just stick to my original plan of moving to maven base.
I just learned today that codes get spongier as you bring them in as well. Stupid design
This is why I find Code RSC to be more powerful that XT 4 piston brakes. I like the levers close to the bars and the XTs lose power when you run the levers close.
Hey!
I have a question regarding mavens compared to radic kaha.
I recently got onyx hubs which has brought the rubbing more apparent that I have with my kahas.
The short dead stroke and light lever feel has been good but I can’t stand my brakes rubbing.
Can I achieve a short (max 20mm) of dead stroke with maven ultimates and also have good pad clearance? Currently I can’t get my kahas not to rub in the stand yet alone when riding.
I don’t mind a heavier lever pull but having a firm bite point is a must.
Also a question to those who have ridden both brakes. Are mavens more powerful than kahas?
TBF, leverage rates change (increasing, generally) on all brakes as the lever gets position closer to the bar. This ain't a Sram thing.
I know it’s not just a sram thing. I thought it was only a shimano thing until recently.
I feel like you should be able to make a lever adjust that doesn’t change the leverage ratio.
Also, how come no one makes a brake lever that gives you the snappy feel but with your lever close to the bars. It would be a simple different shape.
Is that due to the design of the adjustment mechanisms or simply because the lever moves in an arc?
This is sounding like the long rear center discussion lol. My favorite part of riding mountain bikes is joining in with the half century of research and development that every rider gets to be a part of. I think we are starting to figure out something about brakes, but it might take a while to get to that sweet spot.
In Sram's case adjusting reach does not change the leverage. You just move the complete stroke of the lever further away or closer to the grip.
How the pads contact the rotor, when and so on, is determined by the contact point adjust by moving the piston in or out. The swing link doesn't move in any case, neither with the reach or contact point adjust.
Because of the arc as it changes the pull ratio. Easiest way to think about it is the way mechanical disc brakes for road levers pull on a shorter actuating arm than those for linear/V brake pull ratios. That isn't exactly how it works, but for basic visualization it should get the mind working. The interplay of the lever's home position and contact adjustment can help mitigate but the leverage effect will always be there. And of course we can't forget about the cam mechanisms/swinglinks that Sram, Hayes, Shimano and others employ between the lever and the MC piston. Personally, I ride my levers closer on my 'summer' bikes than I do on my fat bike. Part of that is winter gloves being the bulky beasts they are, but I also don't want as much leverage acting on the brake in loose conditions (sand and snow). On the other bikes, I prefer close and light action. Not saying which is better, just a preference, a "different lever strokes for different folks' if you will :D.
Interesting as I run my levers/bite point relatively far away from the bar. I wonder how my dominions a4 will hold up against my shigura and complete shimanos. Didn't come to riding the Dominions apart from braking them in a bit.
Has anyone gotten their hands on the new hope evo gr4s yet? Seems like they’re back ordered everywhere.
Don’t they launch in September?
Ah didn’t see that before but looks like that’s correct so I guess not
It’s In like every single article about them “ from 1st of September 2025”
Recently picked up the Hayes dominion to try, only to find out I have the dreaded pad rattle. I stretched the retainer clip out to an uncomfortable amount and still have a terrible rattle. What are some other tricks people have done? Shrink wrap around the pin didn’t fit (wouldn’t fit through the caliper hole)
Just wait is my tip, the pads will generate enough dust they get stuck to the pistons in time. Every time I get new pads or give the brakes a good clean and remove the dust I get the rattle again, but it goes away in a week naturally.
A piece of tap over the top of the caliper touching the pads and springs will stop it, but it eventually melts from the heat.
Because of the way the kingpin (pad retention pin) is designed you can't wrap the middle portion to stop the pad movement, which is where the noise is coming from mostly
Stretch the spring more - but the key is stretching it open right at the base where the two halves connect. Need to do it with needle nose pliers.
I'm neurotic about quiet bikes and never had them rattle over many, many sets of pads after doing this.
Has anyone had any luck lever bleeding mavens with just the syringe? I feel like I've tried in the past and it's only made things worse. I was hoping to avoid a full bleed because I am lazy.
Yes, but it involves using a funnel on the lever side. I essentially bleed maven's like you'd bleed a car. I put the funnel in the lever side and fill it, I think put a syringe on the bleeding edge port 1/3 full. I put one hand on the bleeding edge port wing nut and another hand on the lever blade. I pump the brake lever 3-5 times and then hold it tight. While holding the lever I loosen the bleeding edge wing nut, allow the master to push fluid into the syringe and then close the bleeding edge port and then let go of the brake lever.
The one thing you have to manage with this approach is any fluid that may be trapped in the lever prior to you starting the bleed process. I find that that it's best to do a quick procedure of pulling VERY SLIGHT vacuum on the caliper bleeding edge syringe to pull any bubbles out of the caliper that are low lying fruit, and then push a small amount of fluid upwards to the lever/funnel. I do not push much, as I do not want to introduce fluid that has contaminates from the caliper side all the way up into the lever. I only push enough to get any air that is in the lever assembly out and into the funnel.
Lastly, I wind the reach adjusters out super far to maximize leverage of the lever over the system so I can push as much fluid into the syringe with each bleeding cycle as possible. I also usually start the process by hitting the caliper, line and lever assembly with an off brand theragun massager. I picked this trick up from my LBS... seriously, it's worth spending 20 bucks on amazon for one of these specifically to bleed brakes, shocks and other items as it vibrates the air bubbles to the extreme ends of the system so you can eject them. The other nice thing about the funnel is that you can finish by rotating the lever assembly down and flicking the lever, as well as winding in the contact point and do the same thing. I do this usually once in the middle of my bleed process, and then finish with this to ensure I don't have air trapped in the lever.
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