I have been trying to remove the pads from my hayes stroker trails, and they seem to be jammed together, is there anything I can do or are the buggerd? I have never tried to remove the pads before in about 3 years. The brakes have been off the bike and the pistons (I think) are jammed on.
Help would be much appreciated. 🙂

If you can get a screwdriver in BEHIND one of the pads, try and lever the piston back – it should go back as you push fluid through the hose and into the reservoir on the lever. If you get behind the pad it avoids damaging the pad material. If it doesn’t work then I’d say they need a bleed.

If you can get a screwdriver in BEHIND one of the pads,

Gosh – I would have said the opposite. Its better to damage the pad surface than the piston surface surely. Or maybe just dont use a screwdriver.

Untimately though you will need to force the pads / pistons apart. Are you sure the lever is back in its normal / un-braking position? Have both front an rear done this whilst off bike / in storage?

Just crack the nipple in the calliper? (fnar fnar)

too much fluid in the system?

hayes strokers are dot 5.1 aren’t they? that stuff is hydrophilic, so over 3 years, it might have absorbed a load of water from the air and expanded to push the pistons out.

take the master cylinder reservoir cap off (the one on the lever) and see if you can push the pistons back then.

if that doesn’t shift it, then the piston bores are probably corroded and stuck – force it or bin them.

better still, just bin them – hayes brakes are hateful things 🙂

Dave

i just used a (Butter) knife inbetween the pads to wiggle then back, it that makes sence

the master cylinder cap doesn’t seem to want to come off.

I had the very same issue, kept pushing them back but in the end had to replace the pistons….

Then after a while replaced the brakes, Hope Tech X2 all the way…

http://www.swbikemedic.co.uk ,SW Bike Medic is a mobile Bicycle workshop specialising in repairs and servicing for cycles in the Weston Super Mare and Somerset area
http://www.bicycle-mechanic.co.uk

I only just took them of a bike a few days ago, while they were on the bike they were fine, but i think i may have pulled the brake, and now they are stuck…

Just get the pistons apart and they’ll be fine.