Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • Shortening Shimano brake hose – will I need to bleed afterwards?
  • filks
    Full Member

    Trying to quickly finish a build before the weekend!
    If I shorten the hoses on my SLX brakes will I get away with not bleeding them or should I ride with silly hose length?
    Eventually would bleed them of course after shortening but want to get out and ride and not die!
    TIA

    Simon
    Full Member

    Everyone will say no need to bleed but I’ve always had to bleed after shortening hoses. I’d just leave them long until you have the gear to do a bleed.

    colin9
    Full Member

    I successfully shortened mine without bleeding.
    I followed this:
    http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/blog/shorten-shimano-hoses-without-bleeding/
    I didn’t have a bleed kit on standby but I knew my mate did just in case.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    mintimperial
    Full Member

    I’ve managed it without bleeding before but it’s not guaranteed to work. You don’t need to do a full bleed though. Just cut the hose, fit the barb and olive, and tighten everything up, then take the top bleed bolt out, fit the bleed funnel (or bodge it with an open syringe or something), top up with mineral oil and pull the lever and tap the hose a few times to dislodge any bubbles. So long as you don’t dance around the shed waving the cut hose all over the place that will do the job just fine.

    [Edit: that Epic guide looks like it’ll do the job too.]

    gonzy
    Free Member

    i used the Epic guide to shortening mine. as long as you’re careful and follow the exact instructions then there isn’t any need to bleed them….after i shortened mine i used them at Bike Park Wales without any problems.

    sharkattack
    Full Member

    Epic bleed kits are great. You don’t need the Shimano specific funnel thing as a syringe with the plunger pulled out does the same job.

    Yes, you can cut a hose without bleeding it. Would I risk it just before a ride with no bleed kit on hand? No way.

    rocketman
    Free Member

    As above follow the epic guide carefully and the brakes will be better than when you started

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Op earlier.

    Trying to quickly finish a build before the weekend!

    kerley
    Free Member

    I risked cutting mine with no bleed kit and worked out fine.

    In fact I bled them last weekend (2 months after fitting) just for something to do and found very few air bubbles and little difference after the bleed.

    Just make sure you hold the cable straight and high and pretty much no oil will come out.

    gonzy
    Free Member

    Would I risk it just before a ride with no bleed kit on hand? No way.

    FWIW i shortened mine without having a bleed kit…as long as you follow the instructions and do it carefully then it should be fine.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    did no-one get my reference then? 🙁

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    I tried doing mine without bleeding afterwards, using the Epic guide.

    One was OK, but a bit spongy, the other lost too much fluid as I fannied around getting the hose back into the lever & lost a bit too much fluid.

    Had to bleed them anyway using the Epic kit in the end.

    If it was me, I would just ride with too much hose, get the bleed kit from Epic & shorten the hoses when you have the time to do a bleed, just in case it’s necessary.

    EDIT –

    jekkyl – Member

    did no-one get my reference then?

    I didn’t get it. Sorry.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    did no-one get my reference then?

    Yes.

    NormalMan
    Full Member

    I’ve recently shortened some deore and some SLX fir relatives. No bleed required and no problems.

    domderbyshire
    Free Member

    I ain’t got time to bleed…

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    that guide from epic seems to miss out the all important step of opening the lever reservoir before pushing the pistons back – then topping up the fluid.

    all they have done is trap the air in the reservoir ready to come into the brake when inverted and lever pulled

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    wahheyyy,,, gold star to domderbyshire.

    domderbyshire
    Free Member

    Anytime…

    craig24
    Free Member

    Going to attempt this myself this weekend, is there a better guide than Epic?

    jaffejoffer
    Free Member

    i did this at the weekend with a new set of saints. chopped a fair length off both hoses used new inserts and olives put them back together fully expecting to do a bleed but they were bang on, no pushing pistons back or anything. almost bled them anyway as i didnt trust myself but they were fine all day sunday.

    Tracey
    Full Member

    We have done it on a few sets of XTs recently and not had to bleed them, but we do have the kit if it did go wrong.

    jkomo
    Full Member

    I tried it, using a kitchen knife to cut the hose (a nine inch henkels). Brake fluid squirted everywhere (good job it’s not nasty). Anyway it left the brakes a bit spongey until you pumped them up, but were fine. I made a real shit job of it TBH but it was still okay.
    I did a proper blead a few weeks later, but it was fine really.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    Mine both needed bled but probably needed it out the box, depends how well bled they were in the factory along with how good you are.

    epicbleedsolutions
    Free Member

    that guide from epic seems to miss out the all important step of opening the lever reservoir before pushing the pistons back – then topping up the fluid.
    all they have done is trap the air in the reservoir ready to come into the brake when inverted and lever pulled

    The point of our guide is to shorten the hoses without needing a bleed kit. Topping off the fluid would require the necessary parts, and fluid.

    The process of pushing the pistons out beforehand is, as I’m sure you’re aware, to force any air which may be introduced during the procedure back into the reservoir where it is less of a problem. Inverting the bike with air in the system will cause problems as the air will migrate to the calliper, however it is possible to perform the task using our guide and not introduce any air, which is the sole purpose of the guide.

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

The topic ‘Shortening Shimano brake hose – will I need to bleed afterwards?’ is closed to new replies.

New deal added to Members Discounts