Hydraulic disk brake problem

[02GF74]

I'm curious, with mechanical discs you can pull the lever wheel in or not and the pad retracts, yet with hydraulics the pad retracts when there's a rotor in there but not when it's absent. Why is that?

The pistons will retract in hydraulic systems else each time you applied the brakes, they would never unclock.

The system is designed so that when the lever is released, the pistons are pulled in by the hydraulic fluid. If the pistons go too far out, i.e. there is no disc to limit how far out they go, they cannot be pulled back enough so that gap between them closes.

This is a good system as it takes up any wear in the pads and disc - mechanical systems need adjsuting.

 

[John90]

Anyway, the solution was to put a knife between the pads and push them apart. Worked fine - so much for the supposed complexity of hydraulic brake maintenance!

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Anyway, the solution was to put a knife between the pads and push them apart. Worked fine - so much for the supposed complexity of hydraulic brake maintenance!

Thanks again for the help.

Glad it worked

 

[Cubist]

Anyway, the solution was to put a knife between the pads and push them apart. Worked fine - so much for the supposed complexity of hydraulic brake maintenance!

Thanks again for the help.

The whole "hydraulics brakes are hard to maintain" thing is simply perpetrated by those who have rim brakes and are actually afraid of new things........

Hydraulic brakes need to be kept clean with a squirt of brake and clutch cleaner every so often, and a good clean out with a rag when you change the pads, but as long as you don't let them get gunged up they will work trouble free for years

 

[Dave W]

The whole "hydraulics brakes are hard to maintain" thing is simply perpetrated by those who have rim brakes and are actually afraid of new things........

Hydraulic brakes need to be kept clean with a squirt of brake and clutch cleaner every so often, and a good clean out with a rag when you change the pads, but as long as you don't let them get gunged up they will work trouble free for years

I'd have to agree. My discs have been less trouble maintenance wise than any other type of brake I've ever used not to mention more effective.

 

[2Loose]

Apart from re-aligning the calipers a few times after removing the wheel, hydro's are pretty adjustment free. Even with the realignment, it is painless compared to realigning calipers...but it looks complicated to the uninitiated.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Apart from re-aligning the calipers a few times after removing the wheel, hydro's are pretty adjustment free. Even with the realignment, it is painless compared to realigning calipers...but it looks complicated to the uninitiated.

Agreed. HDB's are so simple to maintain. Pads can be expensive but worth the power you get