[Closed] Magura MT7 lever - not very robust?

Yes they are garbage, which is a shame as they are ace brakes. Use them till the levers break/leak then cut them off and replace with Shimano levers of your choice.

Yes, one of the ones on the proto Structure is like that. It doesn't seem to affect function and still holds its normal position until knocked.

IME the 'composite' lever bodies on Magura *feel* very delicate (I had a set of MT8's a few years back) - it always feels like you're going to strip the threads installing or bleeding them - but I've not actually managed to break one in use.

My mt7s were originally owned by Hannah Barnes since then I've had them for 2-3 years and they've hit a few things and suffered no damage. One the back of this I bought some trails (mt7 front, mt8 rear) but not ridden them in anger. Just apply a bit of care when bleeding them don't over torque.

Yes they are a bit shite. When one lever broke on a otb incident I emailed the UK magura guy and and a new brake turned up foc. Try that!

My mt7s were originally owned by Hannah Barnes

How long have you dined out on that claim to fame?

In my experience they feel weak, but actually are pretty resilient.

We've crashed three sets of MT7, MT5 and MT3. They do scuff up, we broke one of the 'sacreficial' clamp bands and one of our sets is sporting gravel rash and bent lever. That's no worse than our Shimano brakes.

Someone from my riding group said they had the same happen, and magura told him that it's meant to brake off at use as its part of the manufacturing process.. Still a bit annoying that the lever can open up like that, but guess I'll just get used to it.

Resurrecting this one as I have the same thing on brand new MT8 Pro brakes- one lever can extend away from the bar because a small metal tab looks to have broken off.

The brakes are brand new, just fitted and hoses cut at the LBS. I'd be very surprised if the LBS managed to do that damage.

I also don't believe this part is designed to break away like the last post but some of the earlier posts about replacement parts are more encouraging.

Who is the best contact in the UK as I haven't heard from Magura direct yet?

"small metal tab" possibly the retaining spring?

at about 4:19

This is the problem. The brake looks to work ok but it rattles around as a result and I'm not happy with this on a brand new brake.

The good lever has a small metal section which overhangs the black lever blade to stop it extending away from the bar

It is hard to see in a picture but the other lever has that section snapped off

Iirc from changing levers that spring can slip out of place while you’re doing it so it might be worth seeing if it’s managed to unhook inside?

Alternative, unlikely, possibility- it’s definitely not in a different place? The levers are the same left and right and are rotated rather than mirrored, so what’s on top on one side is underneath in the other. Wouldn’t explain the free lever problem anyway, but just a thought

I’m not happy with this on a brand new brake.

Are they new to you or new? There are no logo cover things on either of those brakes which suggests they're not box new at all but that they've been fiddled with (e.g. a lever change).

IIRC those bits you're pointing at are part of the lever assembly as purchased.

Edit yep, part of the lever assembly. Image from bikester:

Thanks for the suggestions

It is definitely broken rather than lost or rotated as the edge is sheared metal

The brakes are new, bought August. Yet to be ridden a only been to the LBS for the hose cut and flipping everything around.

Yes the stickers are removed as they look gaudy. Magura sell custom stickers so I am sure they won’t mind me undertaking that complex mechanical task 🙂

Interesting the OP also saw the same thing on brand new brakes. Has anyone else seen this?

Both of mine did that from new, didn’t realise it was thing. Can’t really see how it makes any difference

so I am sure they won’t mind me undertaking that complex mechanical task 🙂

Depends if you busted the lever during that complex operation I guess 😉

Can't say I've ever noticed one getting broken, even on the lever that I buried rather hard into the ground one afternoon.

Magura Cs is generally very good, they have a UK office and my experience has been they're pretty speedy and very helpful.

MAGURA Bike Parts UK Ltd.
Holly Yard, Brascote Lane
LE9 9LE Newbold Verdon
Service
service.uk@magura.com
Tel: +44 1455 8233 03

The contact information is really helpful and exactly what I was after, thanks

The brakes do seem to work but the damaged one rattles which is annoying and since they are brand new I'd rather have brakes that don't have bits of metal sheared off 🙂

Sooo... reply is in from Magura Germany. Seems like an email from a macro in their support system that they have had to send a lot of times before.

Short summary: That part is designed to brake away in a crash to protect the rest of the unit. Brake is fully functional if there is no other damage. Kind of what was worked out so far.

"Unfortunately, we cannot clarify the reasons that led to this cracked stopper. In any case, this does not represent a warranty defect or quality problem".

Seems like a quality problem to me if it can happen in the box or if it happened during the LBS bleeding the brakes (unlikely as I trust them but I suppose possible).

I am not over the moon as the extra rattle without that stopper is really annoying. I am a bit precious about rattles and noise on the bike though. Not great that Magura aren't interested but my cynical view is they probably know that part is fragile and will go again sooner or later. Hmmm...

Further info from Magura when I questioned if it is normal for the part to break off in the box or in the process of bleeding (does it deliberately have quite a low force it is designed to break off at) was just word for word repetition of the first message and if I'm not happy take it up with the shop as they are the only ones with a legal obligation to help. There are no small parts available either.

Technically true but I did find the wording a bit odd. Maybe something lost in translation a bit.

Do people who have said they are happy with their Magura brakes and find them solid also have levers that can move away from the bars? If I were to buy a new lever assembly can I realistically expect this to not happen again out of nowhere?

Or, do all of these levers eventually have this happen as about half the posters here seem to suggest and trying to fix it would be a massive waste of time?

The overall summary seems to be the lever moving away from the bars and a small stopper ripping off is normal and tough sh1t if you don't agree.

Not great that Magura aren’t interested but my cynical view is they probably know that part is fragile and will go again sooner or later. Hmmm…

My daily dealings with Germany inclines me to think unless you were explictly clear and in the correct "language" about the damage being present from new you'll get nowhere, use the right words and there will be a new brake on your doorstep in a few days.

From new that's not a warranty issue, its dead on arrival and it's absolutely not the same.

If they think you're looking for warranty rather than to reject then the (very German) response will be its not a fault, it's designed to do that if necessary when you crash.

A) What do the shop you bought them from say? If they are new this shouldn't need to go near magura from your end, it's the shops job to deal with. Again I'd absolutely expect a German company to assume you're contacting them because you're outside of the initial 12 months or so in which you should be contacting the retailer. Follow the correct procedure and you'll probably get much better results.

B) Have you mailed magura UK? I've generally found them very helpful (including as regards user error!), also being in the UK they're less likely to be sticklers for procedure, which gives much more leeway for them to seem helpful when it goes your way or screw things up entirely.

I also can't say I've found that bit to be fragile, I'm pretty sure it was intact on the lever I destroyed. I'll have a look on the spares pile when I get home and see if I retained any of the old one.

Or, do all of these levers eventually have this happen as about half the posters here seem to suggest and trying to fix it would be a massive waste of time?

That'll be the half suggesting shimano brakes, which are well known for their infallibility, consistent bite point, leak free existence and readily available small parts?

People like what they like, they hate what they don't and make much more noise about it, don't read a lot into a handful of people on the Internet (good or bad!)

Magura Germany have been the fastest to respond and that is the only reply so far. Partly impatience and partly wanting to understand the problem and scope of getting it replaced it was led me to contact them directly.

It will be interesting to see if the shop have any other outcome. I did email Magura UK but only got the address last night from here, so early days for their input 🙂

It would be interesting to see if your broken lever can pull away from the bars too.

Same reply from Magura Uk. The brake still works so nothing to be done. I was explicit the brake is brand new and attached a copy of the receipt in all cases

I was literally just reading this thread on my dinner as ive just fitted a new set on my bike, they are 3 or 4 rides old, been out tonight, did have a little off, nothing major but i carried on and went tohook the lever with my index finger as you do and it was swinging away out of reach!!

the same little tab thing has snapped!! i can't friggin believe it. brake still works fine if i keep my finger on the lever, but if i let go when heading downhill it just falls out of reach, pretty scary!! gutted

Same reply from Magura Uk. The brake still works so nothing to be done. I was explicit the brake is brand new and attached a copy of the receipt in all cases

Hmm.

Still no word from the shop?

@maholo that sounds a bit different as the spring should return the lever back to the "neutral" position from moving either way. See my video above. You have probably damaged or dislodged the spring as well. At least I hope mine doesn't start floating away from the bars downhill!

Interestingly the other thing Magura UK added was referring to the tab as a part for the manufacturing process and assembly lines which Magura Germany didn't mention. A bit like the OP's post above my first one. Seems pretty functional to me to stop the lever flopping around a rattling on bumps.

I won't quote the email but it looked like a well used copy paste. I am getting the impression more and more that it is a part that would eventually break even without a crash so they are reluctant to replace anything.

I don't expect anything further from the shop if that is the response from the UK representative and head office.

Not the most interesting thread but a bit more information in case anyone finds themselves in the same boat with a two way Magura lever.

"The required force to break away this part is not very high. The lever blade is designed to return always to it´s initial position, even with the part broken away. Please note, a new purchased lever blade with this part will have a very similar behaviour."

Or in other words, we won't replace it because a new one would break at a random time too and they are satisfied the brake still functions safely without the stopping tab.

So:
a) Suck it up and live with a rattly lever
b) Try to work with the shop to get the brake exchanged or refunded. Exchanged sounds like the problem will keep coming back. Refunded might be tough if Magura claim it is still fit for purpose. I'd also still have one other brake I'd be stuck with.
c) Sell them on and buy Shimano. Every time I have deviated from Shimano I have been let down by other brands so this is sounding good.
d) Buy some Shimano levers and try the Shigura thing. Tempting

My mt7s two finger levers did that out of the box. You could always push the levers away, but they were fine when hammering down trails. They did spring back, if they don't it seems wrong.

In classic stw style, I swapped them to hc3 levers, which made great brakes fantastic imo. Pity they didn't come as standard. Depends how OCD you are about brakes.

Ah ha, why didn't Magura just say they have levers with a different design! Assuming that stopper part is more robust on the hc3 @jsm?

Yes, doesn't flip out. The contact is solid against the piston.

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this is my issue. lever just falls away from the resting position...

It may just be the picture but are you completely missing the pin which holds the lever on? Do you have a hole or a pin just above the yellow "7" as viewed from your pic?

Oh, and as was recently pointed out to me; there shouldn't be any gap at the top of the lever clamp. Top bolt done up first so there is no gap, then the lower bolt.

I have MT5 brakes and my rear has been crap since day 1
Magura have been as useful as a chocolate teapot
I bought a new MT5 lever but mine were with the 1 finger levers so I swapped it over
The 1finger lever had a different spring to set the lever feel than the 2 finger one
One is a little wire spring
The other was similar to what’s been posted in the pictures
I’ve gave up and bought some Shimano levers to do the Shigura mod

@mahalo you're missing (at least) a bit from that lever.

There should be a "BAT adjuster" or at least a pin/plug arrangement thingy in the hole immediately above the hose entry.

With Bat adjuster

With plug thing.

This bit, should hook onto that adjuster/plug and provide return spring tension.