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Anyone got a decent fix for these levers getting sticky ? My lads was basically useless today and not springing back.
We've ordered a Shimano XT, but i'd like to fix this for a spare if possible.
Cheers.
The plastic piston is expanding in the heat. It happened on my lads one a year or so back too.lol
You can either get a later piston kit to cure it, sand it down (on YouTube) or fit an alloy one from ebay.
the piston on the caliper end ? Not the lever ?
in the lever
I tried fitting a 'new' Guide R (from CRC on ebay) yesterday in 30 degrees and it has the lever stuck issue. I popped it in the fridge for an hour and it works fine. It's a well documented issue with these brakes that the piston in the lever expands slightly in the heat (do a search on here).
The fix is to take out the piston and sand it down where it is sticking. I decided it was too much faff and have bought another brake.
Here's a couple of useful videos I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGfUXiMsl1s
Anyone want to buy a Guide R brake that needs the lever piston fix 😋
I had this happen Sunday. Bike ready to roll. Checked the brakes. Front one stuck on. Glad that happened on the drive and not in the Peak.
singletrack had an old post with a link to an obvious fix: take the lever apart; push out the piston; take off the O-rings; sand down the jamming bits. then reassemble.
would have worked if it hadn’t been for that pesky, tiny Guide R circlip. My circlip pliers were all too fat. Ordered a Park RP-1 and hoping that’ll do the job.
annoying. First hint of a problem with these nice brakes.
SRAM service videos were very well done on YouTube.
Very very interesting indeed. I may give it a try tomorrow. Or may just order a piston
I had expensive circlip pliers. Didn't fit.
I had to get a file out and file the tips down.
@prettygreenparrot @weeksy
Let us know how you get on. I may give it a try myself.
My circlip pliers don't fit so I've ordered the Park Tools, so I'm having to wait a few days for any progress on it. Taking apart is as simple as the video though.
My long-standing Guides did this recently.. managed to get the circlip out using a pick and tiny screwdriver.
I also wrestled with the circlip with picks and screwdrivers. Brakes have been great since I swapped to the aluminium pistons.
@geuben - which aluminium pistons did you go for? I've got the proper SRAM kit on order on account of not being able to know if the no-name pistons are actually the correct size / tolerance..
This is a known issue for which SRAM really should’ve issued a recall. They should replace your levers under warranty anyway - they did mine.
Some random eBay ones. I couldn't find anywhere that had them in stock tbh. I ended up buying 2 sets from different listings. There were 2 length pistons, depending on if you have the RSC's or not. Both of mine have been working great since so I can only presume they are the correct size/tolerance.
Started having this issue with my RE's, they are 2.5yrs old and were fine last summer. Loathed to buy new brakes as they all seem far more expensive these days. Found some of these alu pistons on Amazon, list two types so sound similar to ones mentioned above, I might give them a try
edit url won't work, put this into amazon search box "Lixada Aluminum Alloy Bike Brake Lever Piston Bicycle Disc Brake Oil Sealing Repair Accessory for SRAM DB5/Guide R/Guide RSC/Guide DB5/Level "
There's a bit more info on this recent-ish thread too https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/lazy-sram-brakes-when-its-hot-outside/#post-11268098
I have the same problem. Guides seem to be the same old low quality rubbish that juicys were (the lever appears to be the same).
My fix will be to use them until they need real fixing...and then get some MT5s, SLX or XT. I can't be arsed with trying to fix crap
I did both of my Guide levers due to the same problem.
No need to order new parts though, just remove the o-rings, sand down the piston slightly where it flares at the ends & re-assemble. Job done.
Better to spend the cash on the piston setting tool than new pistons, which will probably stick again, as you'll need this to set them to the correct depth.
It's a simple job, just follow one of the vids on YouTube.
I sanded mine a few years ago and just checked the bike which is in a 40deg shed and they are working fine still.
Which Park tools? The RP-1 I now have has fine enough ‘points’, but is too fat to get down to the circlip. Pesky.
maybe I need to start a ‘what brand and Model of circlip pliers to extract circlip from stuck SRAM Guide R lever’ thread.
Tbh I found the circlip pliers from park tools mostly useless, better at refitting it than removing it.
Sanded and completed my first today. Oh my it's a faff trying to work out where all the bits go back! I got it done but it wasn't brilliant and not the most exact, so I've ordered new pistons from China. Bit of a winter project I think.
It's all working fine, but I also need a lever so have just sourced from a neighbor as he's bought some Hopes recently.
I watched the SRAM video again.
Aha! Twist the circlip to use the pliers. Much better.
Except those £20 Park RP-1 pliers proved to be made of toffee. The tip snapped off one side while gripping the circlip. Now to the tiny screwdrivers and picks!
Just fitted a new pair of guide REs..... Good to know I'll have a problem down the line *sigh*
Just fitted a new pair of guide REs….. Good to know I’ll have a problem down the line *sigh*
Hopefully not - later models were allegedly updated.
Same thing happened to mine with the RP-1, one tip snapped off when replacing my Guide R piston. First and only time used. Quite surprised as I wasn't using a lot of force and expected Park Tools to be robust. I ended up bodging it out with just one part of the plier.
At the time only one lever was swelling up, so I stupidly only fixed one. Now the other has decided when it's hot it's not going to work. Was going well today though, seems the issue is 25c + and it fails.
If only I could afford a new set of brakes 🙂
Earlier today the postie handed over the Al piston replacements from China. Took about 11 days to arrive.
Replaced the plastic pistons in both levers.
🤞the aluminium is a similar grade to the levers and expands and contracts at about the same rate.
Used picks and screwdrivers to take out the other lever’s circlip.
bleeding seemed to be straightforward and looking forward to testing the brakes when it is hot and not raining.
perhaps SRAM figured that plastic would be better than machined Al as a piston in the lever? Or, maybe it was cheaper.
Just wrestled my Guides back together.. there were one or two swears but the second was easier having done the first.
One thing to note is that you don't need the piston setting tool for the R/RS, just the RSC with the contact point adjuster.
I used the straight circlip pliers from this set. They're generally rubbish because they wobble about a lot, but if you remove the central pivot (it'll stay together from the tension) you can get the two halves to straddle the lever body giving you enough reach to get the circlip in.
Got the new metal pistons from Ebay and test fitted one today... Went on and in simply enough and the lever has good feel. I won't bother fitting it for now as it's winter and it's only a heat/sun/temp thing that causes the issues, so the issue won't happen at all at the moment anyway. But it's in the lever now and ready for when i do need one.
Rainy day, so fitted the first lever and also installed the 2nd piston in the boys other lever and lobbed that on too. So he's now got 2 fully working new brakes. I doubt he'll ever even notice but it's done 🙂
Just ordered up 2 more so i'll do my ones next.
Do the aluminium pistons change the lever feel much?
Not that I've noticed, although I never rode it as it's a small, just fitted, bled, tested in garage. But feels like a lever should I guess.
What specifically are you thinking here?
Just whether it improved lever feel. I sanded the plastic pistons down on mine over a year ago and they've been squidge free since. Just curious over whether to get the metal pistons. Doesn't sound like I need to bother.
I'm not aware of an issue with lever feel, so can't say whether it would, what feel do you reckon isn't there? Too harsh,? Too fast? Slow? Soft?