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Got sick to death with the number of times I get to my bike to go riding, give it a quick once over - oil/tyre pressures etc. to find that the brakes are dragging somewhat.
When I change the pads, I put a flat strip of metal down the groove of the caliper body and pump the pistons out so that I can clean them with an old toothbrush/earbuds and then spray them with a silicon spray, wait till its dried before pushing the pistons back and fitting new pads. I also ensure that there's no air in the system.
However it's not long before the brakes are binding (only slightly). But I'm now really hacked off with it - I'm slow enough as it is....
Do I need to do a full service and clean?
If so, what do I need? Just replacement seals?
Hope want £45 per end to do a full service - this includes new seals (caliper and lever) brass something-or-other in the lever, new pistons, fully bled with fresh oil. But at £90 plus p&p i'd only want to do that as a last resort.
Cheers
I would do them myself but that price from hope is really good value.
Try using red rubber grease rather than silicon spray. its the best thing for lubing seals.
If you strip the calipers completely you might get away with re using the seals but quite possibly not - I always have new seals to hand when stripping calipers just in case.
Try the red rubber grease - e bay or a motorcycle shop. If that don't fix it full strip and rebuild of the caliper.
The other thing to try is the hope method of centralising pistons - there is a video on their website.
oops wrong thread...don't know how that happened - ignore me.
1stly I'd say service them yourself, it isn't hard and doesn't take ages, an hour perhaps to strip, clean, reassemble and bleed.
2ndly I'd say there is no harm in changing seals or having spares to hand but I've never yet damaged a seal on hope brakes and i've done full strips of levers and calipers half a dozen times.....perhaps I've been lucky though.
however 3rdly I'd say I doubt it will stop that annoying little drag. The only thing that retracts pistons as you let go of the lever is the seal. As you squeeze the lever the pston is pushed out, the seal deforms a bit to accomodate the movement and when you release the lever the seal returnsto normal shape and drags the piston back. Every now and again, as the pads wear down, the poston has to move sso far that the seal deformation isn't enough and the pston slides through hte seal a little. Now when tht happens, all too often the seal seems to 'undeform' so it doesn't drag the piston back (far) when the lever is releasedd and you are left with that frustrating tinkle or even that ever so annoying squeal of a slightly dragging pad/piston. Servicing the brakes doesn't change this, as it is how the brakes work. it's how all hydraulic brakes work, MTBs motorbikes, cars the lot. Ever had the car window down in the summer and noticed a faint rub or tinkle from a wheel? Yep, a slightly rubbing brake pad. The only way to get rid of it (each time it occurs) is to push the offending piston back in a bit and get it to 'seat' in a different spot in the seal. This can sometime be done by bending the disc over and squeezig the brake a few times. Nice clean pistons and lubed seals will definately help here. However they won't remove the iitial problem I'm afraid.
If stripping them yourself then you will need some cocktail sticks. But that Hope price sounds pretty good.
Thanks for the replies.
Going to strip them down myself to see just how much is due to dirt and or worn seals etc. If they're in a bad way I'll be sending a bag of bits to hope!!
@neilnevill - 3rdly - thanks - that explains why the sticking is worse with worn pads.
@TandemJeremy - off to get some red rubber grease
@kevonakona - cocktail sticks at the ready!
@goog - yeah rolling in the aisles - arse - why google when you can get much better information on a site like this?
Forgot to say that hopes price also includes new pads. So by the time you've bought the tools, service kits, oils and pads there won't be much change from the £45 (£90 pr) that hope charge! Very tempting if you know everything needs replacing.
Cheers
Get to a race with a hope trade tent and get them to sort them out for you....
always smile when people slag of hope products, when all goes wrong and you need to return them they never rip you off good service at a fair price that £45 inc new pads as well.
jam bo
how long would it take them?
Cheers