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I’ve got a used bike with Promax hydraulic brakes. Since I picked it up the brakes have been a bit of an issue – there is good firm lever feel but if you squeeze the lever as hard as you can and push down and forwards with the front wheel on the ground you can get it to rotate a bit. On the road there is no bite at all, just a slight drag. I’ve just ridden it down a fairly big will whilst dragging the brake and no difference.
I’ve just bled the front one and have previously taken a blow torch and sandpaper to the pads in case they were contaminated, and cleaned the rotors with alcohol.
What else can I do? I have got some other rotors I could try....
Sounds like contaminated pads. I would buy new pads, clean the rotors again, sand them, then try bedding them in again.
Clarks m2 £20 an end. CRC only have rears at the moment but shop around and you will find some. Perfectly good for the money
I've just found some replacement pads that fitted and swapped the rotor. Still exactly the same.
Seems like the lever / calliper cant produce enough "squeeze".
No signs of any leaks. Its the same both ends.
Is it fair to assume they are knackered?
Those Clarks are a great price, especially with discs and pads, but annoyingly I'm selling the bike and could do without spending anything....
Got some promax on my GT labomba and are exactly as you describe yours. Have been since I got it and haven't changed at all.
I've put it down to them just being crap.
I've just ridden down the steepest hill near my house and squeezed the lever as hard as physically possible and pumped it, and the front brake came through the hideous squealing and came back to life. Few more sprint / brakes and it seems good.
Rode back up the ba s tard hill and did it again for the rear!
Doesnt make complete sense to me, but it seems good enough now.
I’ve just ridden down the steepest hill near my house and squeezed the lever as hard as physically possible and pumped it, and the front brake came through the hideous squealing and came back to life. Few more sprint / brakes and it seems good.
You've just bedded them in. Bedding in requires getting the surface of the pads hot enough to melt and distribute a very thin layer of pad material onto the surface of the disk.