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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???
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...
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.
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)
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.
no box, no bits and wrong way round.
nice work merlin.
You should be able to just swap them over, and re-use the same olive.
no box, no bits and wrong way round.nice work merlin.
🙄
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 😉
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.
[i]Merlin shortened them to requirements just put the levers on the wrong calipers[/i]
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.
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....
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..?
fair comment
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
Ref. OP, there's some great advice in this thread for swapping hoses
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-xt-m785-brakes
They'll be the right way round for me! Off to Merlin to check them out!
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!!!
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.
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.......
sorry hainman, we got off the point
summary - swap them, it's easy
Haha cheers nosedive.....will do that
I'd be cheeky and ask for a some olives and barbs off Merlin 
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.
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 😉
haha cheers northwind,i'll just bring them to you and you can show me how its done 😀