SRAM Guide lever piston – OEM v2 or aftermarket titanium?

Been out of the loop for a couple of years and just acquired a new used bike, plus got one down from the attic and both are suffering from the dreaded SRAM sticking lever piston.

Are the OEM v2 pistons the go-to replacement or is it worth fitting the aftermarket titanium ones I’ve seen on eBay, etc? Had a search but couldn’t find anything pointing one way or the other.

I bought the RISK titanium ones off aliexpress.  So far so good after several years.

Buy them with the seals already installed on the pistons or at least buy several spare seals, it’s a PITA to stretch them over the end of the piston without splitting them so not worth saving 50p buying the “some assembly required” versions and ending up ordering twice.

You also need some very long and skinny circlip pliers, I had top grind mine down to fit down the barrel of the lever.

Unless SRAM have very recently upgraded the pistons and owned up to the problem I’d buy the aftermarket ones, all my SRAM brakes have done it eventually so I’d have no faith in it getting fixed.

No issues with the V2 piston in about 5 years since changing them.

Good to know, thanks!

I’ve run Guide Ultimate and G2 RSC levers for a few years now and never had a problem. I guess they are v2?

Yeah, I think the V2 pistons were rolled out from about 2020-onwards.

SRAM Master Pistons

Just checked and my last failed pair were OEM in 2019.

I still think that metal is the right tool for the job though, maybe in another 5 years they’ll wear a groove in the bore

Same with caliper pistons, manufacturers mess around with phenolic and ceramic pistons, which then die because the seals wear a groove in them.