Viewing 32 posts - 1 through 32 (of 32 total)
  • Shimano XT Brakes
  • hainman
    Free Member

    I have just purchased some shiny new brakes from merlin but they are front L/H and rear R/H….
    How easy do you think it will be to get used to them the way they are or should i take them to an LBS and get the levers swapped round to F R/H & R L/H???

    mintimperial
    Full Member

    I trimmed the hoses on my 2012 XTs, fitted new barbs and olives and everything, without needing to bleed them. If you’re careful (don’t wave them round your head or anything) you should be able to just swap the hoses over fine. If it doesn’t work you can always take them to the shop…

    Ecky-Thump
    Free Member

    They’re dead easy to swap over.
    You’ll probably need to cut the hoses down anyway so it’s no more work to swap them over in the process.
    You should have the insert and olive in the box.

    1. pump the pistons out just a little.
    2. cut to length, fit new insert and olive, refit to opposite-handed lever.
    3. push piston back in. Job done. No need to even bleed ’em.

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    nosedive
    Free Member

    yep. same for me. and I am rubbish with a spanner. you might get away without bleeding, i did recently

    And if you do need to bleed it is pretty easy (the new kit from epic bleed solutions looks good if you need one)

    hainman
    Free Member

    cheers guys,no shortening required as they were bought sized to fit from merlin but they never came in a box so no new olives or inserts.should i send they an email asking for inserts and olives ??
    I did have olives and inserts from an old set of slx brakes but dont know where they are,probably be different anyhoo.

    tracknicko
    Free Member

    no box, no bits and wrong way round.

    nice work merlin.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    You should be able to just swap them over, and re-use the same olive.

    Teetosugars
    Free Member

    no box, no bits and wrong way round.

    nice work merlin.

    🙄

    KingofBiscuits
    Free Member

    Surely if you’re buying brakes from a UK shop then they should be Front R/H and Rear L/H? I’d take ’em back and ask for the right ones.

    Getting Front L/H and Rear R/H is acceptable if you’re buying from one of zee German stores but not a UK store.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    They are probably OEM (ie for fitting to a bike) rather than for direct sale. These are normally much cheaper, but you don’t get the box….

    cp
    Full Member

    They do quite clearly state on the Merlin website they are the euro way round, and by implication in the listings of pre-cut lengths of hoses they were originally OEM for bike building, hence wont come with hose-shortening bits.

    Nowt Merlin have done wrong really.

    hainman
    Free Member

    thats what theyre advertised at,my fault for buying them but at 62 and end i wasnt to bothered.i ordered m780’s and received m785’s so go the 200 brakes at the 120 price.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    Strange. When I asked Merlin the very same question last month they politely confirmed that their XT brakes were UK spec

    Was just about to buy some when the lbs came back with an offer of UK brakes shortened to suit for just £10 more than Merlin.

    martinhutch
    Full Member

    Send ’em back. They’re a UK retailer and they sent the wrong product for a UK consumer. No way should you have to be faffing around buying olives and swapping them, let alone paying an LBS to sort out their error.

    EDIT – just saw you were aware. Still bad form as a lot of folk wouldn’t twig the problem until they came to fit them.

    tracknicko
    Free Member

    They do quite clearly state on the Merlin website they are the euro way round, and by implication in the listings of pre-cut lengths of hoses they were originally OEM for bike building, hence wont come with hose-shortening bits.

    Nowt Merlin have done wrong really.

    didnt know this. furry muff i say.

    KingofBiscuits
    Free Member

    They do quite clearly state on the Merlin website they are the euro way round, and by implication in the listings of pre-cut lengths of hoses they were originally OEM for bike building, hence wont come with hose-shortening bits.

    Nowt Merlin have done wrong really.

    Ahh OK, fair enough. Get cutting and swapping the hoses then OP 😉

    shortcut
    Full Member

    Love the way everyone gets their knickers in a twist.

    Merlin shortened them to requirements just put the levers on the wrong calipers. Suggest you call them and ask about getting them swapped over by Merlin. Sounds like an honest mistake.

    You don’t need olives etc. because they are the right length.

    Bleeding Shimano’s is pretty easy to be honest so its a good job to do yourself if you have the little yellow bucket thingy.

    So pleased I don’t work with the British bike buying public. You are all so full of pooh and happy to hang a bike shop / mechanic / trail maker or anyone else you come across.

    Mistakes and accidents happen – ask nicely and these things are usually remedied. No need to be mean and horrible.

    Mister-P
    Free Member

    Merlin shortened them to requirements just put the levers on the wrong calipers

    Rubbish. They would have been bought from an OE supplier exactly as the OP received them. At £60 an end do you really expect to get spares with them? If you do need olives and inserts then you are going to have to spend another fiver. Still ridiculously cheap brakes so you can’t really complain.

    footflaps
    Full Member

    Rubbish. They would have been bought from an OE supplier exactly as the OP received them.

    +1

    You buy OEM brakes, you get OEM brakes….

    cp
    Full Member

    Strange. When I asked Merlin the very same question last month they politely confirmed that their XT brakes were UK spec

    Their ‘normal’ XT brakes will be.

    HOWEVER, the OP selected them from the Shimano XT brake sale section which clearly states what they are – Euro way round.

    Besides, Merlin sell internationally, so why shouldn’t they offer alternatives..?

    rocketman
    Free Member

    fair comment

    walla24
    Free Member

    Be very careful trying to swap or trim without bleeding, make sure you have no air leaking in or else next time you flip your bike upside down the bubbles will move and ul be off to the LBS

    cp
    Full Member

    Ref. OP, there’s some great advice in this thread for swapping hoses

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-xt-m785-brakes

    Coyote
    Free Member

    They’ll be the right way round for me! Off to Merlin to check them out!

    hainman
    Free Member

    http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/brakes/disc-brakes/shimano-disc-brakes/shimano-xt-m780-disc-brake-sale.html
    this is what i ordered XT M780
    http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/brakes/disc-brakes/shimano-disc-brakes/shimano-xt-m785-disc-brake-set-front-rear-black.html
    this is what i received XT M785……doesnt mention anything about the 785’s being wrong way round but on looking into the review,some folk have said they were wrong way round,
    all in all,i paid for one set but received another and saved 80quid so im not to miffed as i knew what i was buying!!!

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Be very careful trying to swap or trim without bleeding

    why? Its easy as several other posters and an entire thread have said. The most you need to do is “burp” them by pushing the pads/pistons back into the calipers pushing any air in the end of the hose into the reservoir.

    Done it numerous times and never needed to bleed em (which is doddle anyway).

    If youre paying used prices for new stuff from an mail order house thats being going over 20+years, surely by now we’ve figured out that it’s OE stuff? Having brakes set up euro style is no more ‘wrong’ or more hassle than having to adjust the limit screws on a newly bought mech.

    hainman
    Free Member

    Holy cow Batman…..All i was asking was if i would easily get used to the levers the wrong way round(knowingly bought this way)or swap them round
    Wasn’t trying to start a witch hunt or anything…….

    nosedive
    Free Member

    sorry hainman, we got off the point

    summary – swap them, it’s easy

    hainman
    Free Member

    Haha cheers nosedive…..will do that

    tomaso
    Free Member

    I’d be cheeky and ask for a some olives and barbs off Merlin :mrgreen:

    And as said above it really couldn’t be easier, especially if you insert the barb into the cut hose using the plastic hose clamp held in a vice.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    I’m not encouraging it, but, even though shimano olives are one-use items, I’ve had no problems reusing them.

    If this leads to the destruction of your face, I accept no responsibility 😉

    hainman
    Free Member

    haha cheers northwind,i’ll just bring them to you and you can show me how its done 😀

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