Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • avid elixir brake lever trouble.
  • renton
    Free Member

    hi all my avid brake lever is sticking on some times, i physically have to push the lever away from the bars to release the brake??

    its a standard brake from an 09 enduro comp

    cant see anything wrong with it and not sure how to strip it down?

    any ideas?

    cheers

    steve

    doug_basqueMTB.com
    Full Member

    Renton, is the brake lever stiff, or is it all loose but just not returning to it’s normal position?

    If it’s all stiff then there is a bearing there on the pivot, that could be seized. You could try to loosen that off with some oil and movement.

    If it’s not returning and is all loose, then what fixed it for me was a total bleed of the brakes, i.e. totally changing the fluid. I can only guess that the fluid was so dirty it was causing friction inside the piston in the lever body. I’ve had this happening a few times on my Avid Codes, not Elixrs but similar. My advice is get it sorted ASAP because it can cause the linkage inside the lever to come undone, leaving you suddenly without brakes. (Personal experience!).

    racing_ralph
    Free Member

    don’t use gt85 or wd40 – swells the seal in the pivot area/master cylinder. Makes the brake slow to return at best

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    edsbike
    Free Member

    cant see anything wrong with it

    It’s an Avid brake.

    Sorry. Depending on what it is, you may need a new lever, they’re not really user-servicable.

    I_Ache
    Free Member

    Strip it down try cleaning the seals on the caliper lube them with brake fluid. Rebleed.

    leebaxter
    Free Member

    if its a barrel reach adjust type lever, the barrel may be bent,i have bent mine in the past and the lever went solid. As for servicing, they are a doddle to strip, and all parts are available from fishers.

    renton
    Free Member

    thanks for the replies

    the brake lever is loose as it should be, it just doesnt return to its normal position, almost as though a spring has broke behind it?

    it has the finger reach adjust and ive moved this a bit and its still the same, brake works fine with no spongyness?

    cheers

    steve

    doug_basqueMTB.com
    Full Member

    steve, that’s exactly what happened to my codes. Several times. It was fixed by a change of fluid as I said above. The first time I didn’t fix it and it caused a sudden failure of my brakes, i.e. zero braking, and a fairly big stack. I have written to several people at Avid to ask for advice on this and nobody has taken the time to reply to my mail. I wrote up my experiences on my website, Avid Code Disc Brake Review

    It’s only my experiences and what I found out through opening up the brakes. I’m not a mechanic or brake designer so take it as you want. I’m sure that there are lots of people out there who haven’t had any issues at all. I’m just a punter who rides his bike quite a lot.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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