 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Today I decided to have a look at my spongy rear brake, it worked but just not as well as the front. That was until I touched it! I didn't have a bleed kit to hand but maybe foolishly removed the lever bleed screw and squeezed the lever ever so slightly to see if fluid would be squeezed out (this is a sparky thinking about hydraulics by the way). Nothing happened so refitted screw and would wait for bleed kit. As it happened the lever now felt exactly the same as the front bite point when the bike was on the stand and stopped the rear wheel, I was set for a quick local ride but then found while riding to the car no matter how hard I pull the lever it seems to bite at the right point but will not slow down with my weight on the bike. Lever is not pulling to the bar so I am presuming I have not let more air into the system, it feels exactly like the front (great) but will not bite the disc hard enough.
Any thoughts? Does it just need a good proper bleed?
Cheers
Any chance you got some fluid on the pads? That would cause loss of power but no loss of feel.
yep sounds like contaminated pads. I've found holding them in a flame on a gas cooker will have them as sharp as they'll get. Break cleaner is worthless on pads. imo.
Hmm, to be honest I would say little chance of fluid on the pads, that did cross my mind but thought it not possible so ruled it out. I will have a good look at it tomorrow though. Had a search on net and found plenty on the spongy rear brake but nothing on this. I could have been a numpty and somehow contaminated the pads as I was bleeding a set of avids earlier but this was on a different bike and had not touched the bike with the shimano's. Very unlikely as far as I can see.
Cheers
Well now I've sat and had my supper and thought about it I would say the earlier bleeding and the possible contamination of the pads are too much of a coincidence to rule out. But still cannot see how I have done it, hands were washed and no tools, rags etc were near my other bike. Bloody mystery!
Cheers guys.
It might be worth giving the pads a sand in case they're glazed, it does sound like a pad/rotor issue though.
I'll give all the above a try, was using the bike on Friday with no problems and no overly heavy braking likely glazing the pads. so if you don't hear anymore on the subject you'll know it was contamination....somehow!
Cheers
Doesn't sound like you could have got fluid from the lever bleed screw but does sound like contamination - chain lube on the rotor?
For a quick check - clean the rotor and pop the front pads in to see if you get power back.
Gravity-slave, haven't lubed the chain since last ride. Defiantly not fluid from the bleed screw, not to the rear rotor anyway. Will try swapping things about tomorrow hopefully get it sorted.
Cheers