After a winter of neglect, I've finally taken a look at my Juicy 5s and the pistons have seized through corrosion. Is there an easy way to force the pistons out of the caliper without the use of an air line as intimated in the service manual?

One piston on each brake will move, the other is stuck solid – any suggestions?

Thanks

wedge the moving side with something (not your fingers) and then pump the lever.

Easier to do with the brake off the bike so that you can have lever and caliper next to each other as you will find you need a third hand 😉

I have found to leave a pad on the moving side and wedge a large flat blade wood drill bit onto the slot in the caliperstops the good pad moving with luck will allow sticky piston to move. Still think I will ditch the juicys though as this happens way too often

Happened to me once too often and at one staged I crumbled the piston (with mild rage). Now got Elixir CRs which seems much better. So far.

My Juicys made me angry too much. Good when working, hateful when not.

Thanks for your responses, I've ordered Juicy 3s so I can spend some time repairing these to have spares

This has happened to my rear Juicy 5. Everytime I got them working they would seize again after a few rides. I took them to my LBS, who said the pistons were corroded inside the caliper and that this is a common Avid issue. I've replaced it with an SLX.

The corrosion might be from water that has been taken into the fluid past the piston seals. Regular bleeding might be the solution – not just when they feel a bit spongey. Most automotive systems say change the fluid every year or two. Maybe our stuff needs changing even more regularly.

I popped the pistons out using a track pump and the wee plastic adaptor for blowing up lilos, dingies etc. Take the caliper to bits, wedge it in the hole and pump up (to about 120psi I think). Best put the whole lot in a bag though as it comes out at quite a speed. Greased them with rubber seal grease (red castrol stuff bought off ebay) and put them back together and worked fine ever since.

Stu.

So if I have one side stuck out, I've tried pushing it back but it's solid. It must of been like that for 6 weeks.

I've a couple of Juicy calipers that went the same way, even a compressor couldn't shift them – wouldn't buy any more.

Got it back in, well still out by 1mm. But I need to bleed now, any tips.

You may well find as said above that the piston will only seize again after use. Servicing Avid brakes is the most hateful job I do in the workshop second only to wrapping bar tape on road bikes.

If they get really stuck then I have fired them out with a CO2 cartridge in the past, which is most satisfying 😀

Easy enough if you have the bleed kit?

I've had 5's, 7's and Ultimates, riden in all sorts of sh.t, very poor at bike cleaning, maybe once a year!!! But, I do keep my bikes indoors….. ??

roughneck – I wouldn't fancy your chances at running the brake drag-free if the piston is still out by 1mm.

I've ridden for yonks now with one piston siezed fully in. Brakes seem fine, plenty powerful enough.

Single piston braking – it works for the vast majority of motor cars! (admittedly with a floating caliper)

do I need a bleed kit

Yes you need a bleed kit.

Yes they are that much. Sorry!

I think a mate has one, I'll give him a bell.

Cool – there is a superb vid on youtube on how to bleed them.

Wear eye protection. You will be faffing around with squirting brake fluid in syringes. Easy to **** it up.

Also make sure you dont get any fluid on the pads or rotors. I found it easier to take the calipers off the bike to bleed my juicys when I had them.