Bearing in mind my bike is a 2004 model (so i like to get my moneys worth), it came with Hayes 9.
Around 6 years ago i fitted hayes stroker carbon.
The front is fine, still powerful and grabby if need be.
However, the lever feel for the rear is spongy, and there is no bite. It’s been a bit hit and miss for a while and bleeds (using an epic bleed kit) have cured it short term.
The lever/reservoir now squeeks when pulled and I wonder if some seal, somewhere, is starting to perish, allowing for air in and the poor feel.
Is there a service life I can expect?
I’m on the cusp of hitting the buy button for some SLX brakes but wondered if these can be salvaged, but without going down the trigger’s broom method.

Cheers

Another bleed today, trying to eek some last life out of them until I buy that shiny 1×11 system with matchmaker brakes and shifters!

Bin.

new slx and ebay the old ones.
Yes they are fixable but new slx are just superb too. Perfornamce versus pound they are a great way to spend money on a bike IME.

Ditto. Or deore even.

Don’t go down from slx.Go up and get zee’s. 😉

Got as far as Hayes, awful wooden feeling brakes imo.

Deore or SLX would be a major upgrade. Would go with SLX if only for the ceramic pistons, better heat managment and perhaps more importantly, resistant to corrosion.

If you are going for a big upgrade soon some deores as a gap filler would surely be hard to fault?

If buying for the longer term I would go up a spec or two (I have deores on my main bike that have done two to three years faultless service but the tart in me thinks the finish isn’t great on the calipers and from what I read above possibly easier to cook them)

Having been staunchly anti- shimano brakes all my riding career, I finally succumbed and fitted SLX this week to my Ti456, first ride yesterday (I was fed up with jamming Pistons and leaky calipers). I Have an old pair on an ex-demo bike which I was going to bin but have been surprisingly good.

I wasn’t greatly impressed fitting, they look so bland. However, and although it deeply pains me to admit it, on the basis of one ride I was amazed – I very nearly had an over the bars moment early on when I thought I’d see if they had any bite. I really like the feel and seemingly so powerful – and I’d doubted running 160s would have been enough. Not a single screech, dribble or back to the bars moment at all.

I suppose the downside will be when they start jamming / piddling fluid as there’s no shimano backup, but until then they seem absolutely remarkable. I confess to feeling more than a little sheepish for my very anti stance to-date, and that’s just after 25 miles. So yes, SLX can be very good.