Bleeding Hayes Strokers (still on about this!)

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Bleeding Hayes Strokers (still on about this!)

11 posts & 9 voices | Started 2 years ago by DickBarton | Latest reply from MarkBrewer

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DickBarton - Member

Any tips on how to successfully bleed Hayes Strokers? (Carbons if you need the model) - I appear to still have a wad of air in them and I can't get it shifted. Watched the YouTube vid and from what I can tell I've done the same as that...but the lever feel is appalling and there is no stopping power (I can pull the lever right back to the bars).

Going to give it a bash tomorrow - YouTube video is 8mins long, I'm guessing 30 mins minimum on each brake this time!

I just want a way to properly get rid of any air in the system.

Cheers.

Posted 2 years ago #
Kona TC - Member

I have Hayes HFX9 which use the same bleeding procedure, the only thing I do differently from the Hayes video is fit some old pads and then using a screwdriver wedge the pads apart to ensure the pistons are fully back leaving the screwdriver inplace.

else just take your time, flick the lever and keep pressure on the fluid bottle to ensure no air gets sucked back into the lever

Posted 2 years ago #
innit_gareth - Member

What I did to my stroker trails was to use a syringe to bleed them from the master cylinder down - pushing the pistons out in the process. I then closed the system and pushed the pistons back in individually using a 6mm allen key placed between the pistons (taking care of the metal part in the middle).

I'd spent ages trying to bleed from the bottom up but the pistons would only move about 1cm after bleeding.

Posted 2 years ago #
BoardinBob - Member

Take it to the LBS

Local one charges £10 per end. Money well spent.

Posted 2 years ago #
norcosix - Member

get a shop to do it. i always struggled with mine so i sold them and bought avid codes. money well spent.

Posted 2 years ago #
dustypumpkins - Member

Richard, do the carbons have a different bleeding procedure than the Rydes? I've managed to bleed the Rydes with a DIY bleed kit, nae problems.

Posted 2 years ago #
FuzzyWuzzy - Member

I've tried at least 10 times bleeding Hayes Strokers and they never felt right after, despite meticulously following the video and trying other methods (and also trying to get the air out of the fluid first). Other people say they're a piece of piss to bleed

Posted 2 years ago #
DickBarton - Member

It's the first brake I've had problems bleeding - I just can't get it sorted...if there is air in the system then rotating the lever and caliper to help shift it isn't working...draining the system completely and starting from the bottom up has failed; draining the system and going from top down has also failed; following the 8 minute YouTube video has also failed as the air removal as shown in the video just doesn't repeat for me.

I've tried a few other Hayes Stroker Carbon systems since this issue has reared it's head - I'm not convinced it is air in the system but the new inners that have changed the feel - my previous 'version' felt very good but stopped the lever returning - I contacted Hayes and they sent me new innards...I think this change has resulted in change to the lever feel and it isn't air at all...

It's really bad though and I don't like it...and after 5 weeks of messing around with them (not just me - 2 separate mechanics in bike shops - both well versed in the ways of Hayes brakes), I've had enough and I'm throwing the towel in and replacing them as I can't get the feel back that they used to have.

Posted 2 years ago #
Beagleboy - Member

Hey Richard, I feel your pain. I ditched my Hayes Strokers in favour of the Hope X2's and have never looked back.

How much travel have you got on your fork?

I've got a lovely old set of Original Hope Mini's with Goodridge braided hoses and wavy rotors sitting in my garage gathering dust since Dusty bought my Gringo. They are in perfect nick, but the front would struggle to stretch much further than a 100mm fork. I had them on a 125mm Vanilla, but it was a streeeeeeetch.

Gimme a shout, and you can nip over and check em' out if you're interested.

B.

Posted 2 years ago #
dustypumpkins - Member

Ach, mine aren't the same either but they're off to Hotlines to get sorted out soon anyway - so the Gringo will have to stay quiet for a bit while they're away which is a shame as it's a blast of a bike now that I've given it some gears... A wise choice I feel.
To be honest, the only thing I like about the Strokers is the lever as they're pretty rubbish at what they're meant to do.

Posted 2 years ago #
MarkBrewer - Member

Don't know if this helps but this is how i bled my stroker trails a month or so ago.

I spent well over an hour trying to bleed the front brake before i ignored the Hayes bleeding instructions and did it another way.

The way i did it you can leave the brake levers/calipers on the bike and leave the bike on the ground (remove brake pads though) I used a 30 ml syringe with the plunger removed connected to the brake lever with a short length of tubing, get an assistant to hold this. Then i put another length of tubing from the caliper bleed nipple into a bottle to catch the fluid. Get your assistant to fill the syringe with brake fluid (and keep it topped up) then open the bleed nipple. It'll gravity bleed to a degree but i found it helped to get your assistant to keep slowly pulling the brake lever every now and then to clear all the air bubbles. Once no more bubbles appear close the bleed nipple as your assistant is pulling the brake lever so your tightening it as fluid is being pushed out. After this replace the grub screw on the brake lever.

Took me about 15 mins per brake doing it this way.

Posted 2 years ago #

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