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I've just scored a Tiagra 4720 lever off eBay which I intend to cobble to an MTB (Post mount) caliper to fit my Gravel bike and replace my Gevenalle (TRP hylex) brake/shifter.
I've got the option of trying to get the Tiagra lever talking to the TRP caliper (both use mineral oil) or an old M575 caliper I fished out of the spares box.
But just how well do Shimano road levers talk to MTB calipers, are they pretty much the same thing, same piston diameters and strokes? Or will they only play with roadie calipers?
It will work fine
I have R785 11 speed leavers paired up to xt calipers on my cx bike and it is perfect. Also has the added convenience of using the same pads as my hardtail with xt brakes so cuts down on the spares
Sweet!
Cheers folks
Yep, I've got XT's on a 'crosser.
I used to run xts on my 105 drops on my saracen avro. As above, works fine.
Git a front deore caliper with GRX lever as my fork is a 29er post mount. Works perfectly
https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com?cid=C-737&acid=C-456
select 'brake system...' on the left and then scroll down to 'hydraulic systems compatibility [ROAD, Gravel]' to see what callipers are compatible with ST-4720 levers.
I have R785 11 speed leavers paired up to xt calipers on my cx bike
Just done this myself with SLX calipers and s/h crash damaged R785 levers. Took a hacksaw to the innards of the more damaged LH lever to make it work as a dropper remote, swapped the hoses over, fitted everything, bled them, then had to take the levers, hoses and calipers off the bike again to get the new hood rubbers on, which need to come on from the back - they don't fit over the lever end.
Happily the calipers went through the rubbers, and thank god the hose routing was external!
Learnt a lot which I'll probably never need to know again, so if anyone's interested in doing the same, please shout!
The main thing you need to watch for if you're shortening hoses is that the barb and olive you use is right for the hose you're using.
Neither the lever nor the caliper care about the inner diameter of the hose, but the BH59 needs the BH59 barb and olive and the BH90 hose needs the BH90 barb and olive.
I have 685 road levers with a Deore calliper on the rear as I needed a post mount brake with a straight in connector. It works perfectly.