I CANNOT get a good bleed on my 2012 SLX rear brake.

I’ve followed the instructions to the letter many, many, many(!) times and I’m getting nowhere.

When the lever’s pulled a few times in quick succession (as you would on a descent), it noticeably firms up and lever travel decreases. They don’t feel particularly spongy to begin with.

This doesn’t get worse over time, so I don’t think there’s a leak anywhere.

What’s going on? Help!

This may sound odd and it might night help you, but i was unhappy with my brakes on my new bike, shimano bm445 or something(so fairly bottom of the range brake), felt quite spongey, but turns out it was just the reach adjust wasn’t set right for me, I gave the levers a bit more space and sorted.

Think it was just because I was pulling the lever too close into the bar, so it gave me the illusion that they were spongey..

Anyhow, make of that what you will.

may have to wait till 2012?

Had that same problem on my old style ones, to fix it i pumped the pistons right out then did a syringe ‘bottom-up’ bleed. A big old bubble of air came out then it was sorted.

Shoulda got Hopes then. 😉

It may sound daft, but is the caliper chainstay mounted? Therefore is the bleed nipple at the highest point of the caliper when bleeding. I had my C456 in a very unusual position to guarantee it, but it worked

The calipers’s off the bike, it’s near enough to 2012 and the reach is set right.

There’s got to be air in there somewhere. I’ll try the piston thing.

Ta.