Can I purposely not push the pistons back to reduce the space in the calipers and reduce the dead travel at the lever ?

Yes. Another way to do it is to push the pistons back and fit as normal then give the brakes a little squeeze without the wheel in. May take a couple of tries to get it just right. Theoretically it shouldn’t be needed with modern self adjusting brakes but it can help customise the feel

yes that’s what I do as I like as little as dead space as possible.

Are they broken?

Cheers everyone – I don’t think they’re broken, why ?

Just don’t want the dead travel.

Won’t make any difference – caliper seals/pistons will adjust back while you’re riding 8)

JAG – Member

Won’t make any difference – caliper seals/pistons will adjust back while you’re riding

doesn’t on mine

Do it? You can’t even SPELL IT!!!! 😉

Cheers everyone – I don’t think they’re broken, why ?

When he said

Are they broken?

It was a reference to your thread title
BREAK = something is broken
BRAKE = something that slows you down

HTH 🙂

Can I purposely not push the pistons back to reduce the space in the calipers and reduce the dead travel at the lever ?

If you’re replacing worn pads with new, I’d assume they are going to rub the rotor, (if you can get them in at all) due to the current position of the pistons and the thickness of the new pads. 😕

Depends on brake system how advisable advancing and overfilling is.

Shimano seems to be fine with it, but it tends to blow lever seals on Formula.

Careful what you’re doing, you don’t want to break your brake.

😉

You may need to do it again periodically, as the pads wear.

If you’re replacing worn pads with new, I’d assume they are going to rub the rotor, (if you can get them in at all) due to the current position of the pistons and the thickness of the new pads.

This is my experience of it. Currently running Deores and wouldn’t have a hope of fitting new pads (and having clearance for the disc) without shoving the piston back flush with the calliper.

I find with new pads I always have to push the pistons back and adjust bite adjust, else I can’t even get the wheel in. Then a load of fiddling and finally spinning free but very little clearance. Eventually wear down and they seem to self adjust.

Damn sorry about the spelling – it’s the only one that I normally don’t get wrong.

Understood about clearance, makes sense.

It’s a XT M8000 so I am not too sure I have bite adjust ?

Actually I took the pads out and they are still fine so I simply pulled the lever slightly before the wheel went back in to reduce the gap and it worked brilliantly : there is hardly any dead travel left and the disc is not rubbing (after caliper adjustment). Modulation doesn’t seem to have been affected either.

Once the pistons are set to how you like…top up the reservoir and that position will be the resting spot.

I bled my mates the other day with a bleed block I had sanded from 10mm to 8mm.

The brakes now have the perfect amount of travel in the lever with a fresh set of pads.

XT M785’s with Finned sintered pads on Shimano floating rotors.

I will be doing the same to mine as soon as I have some more fluid and half hour

I thought that’s what the free stroke screw was for.?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0uSTtDWbI8[/video]

PeterPoddy – Member

Do it? You can’t even SPELL IT!!!!

Cheers everyone – I don’t think they’re broken, why ?

When he said

Are they broken?

It was a reference to your thread title
BREAK = something is broken
BRAKE = something that slows you down

HTH
Not the most useful post from someone who is actually a bike mechanic and therefore in a position to offer useful advice. 🙄

I haven’t found that shamans adjust screw does anything…

Not the most useful post from someone who is actually a bike mechanic and therefore in a position to offer useful advice.

TBF, as a bike mechanic it’s easy to be bitter and seize any opportunity to try and devalue others down to your level of achievement, even using a simple spelling mistake.

Only joking of course, there really is nothing wrong with being a bike mechanic, particularly one with such a good eye for detail.