Hey Norm! I did another video on disc brake maintenance that covers that off. I find the rotors are usually the problem. Any amount of grease or grit can cause them to squeel. Here’s the link to the other video… th-cam.com/video/VbU3j3paZkM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=toyB5LgiwkDWW8dW
Thanks for the video, Mike. I've not done a bleed on my road bike before and am wondering about the 20° tilt . You mentioned tilting for the rear brake as well. Can I assume you are tilting nose down again to make the lever cap opening the high point.
Clean the rotors with isopropyl alcohol. Use a 3M Hand Sanding Metal Finishing Pad to clean the pads. If they are really fouled, soak them in very hot water and dish detergent first. Generally a few passes with the pad is enough. When you reinstall them, don't touch the pads or the rotors. Don't even think about oil; that's enough to foul them.
I can't see why there would be bubbles in the system after forcing fluid into the caliper and up through the brake hose. The part where you let fluid drain down into the bag doesn't seem necessary, unless bubbles get caught in the caliper and aren't forced up. I'm obviously unknowledged and still found this vid very useful. Thanks for posting!
I agree that’s it’s not totally necessary. Just wanted to demo Shimano’s recommended process. Maybe one time out of ten that process may be needed to remove trapped air bubbles. I spoke to a Shimano tech a couple years back that said that design of most calipers does allow for bubbles to get trapped, so the bleeding process should take this into consideration. Probably not worth the extra effort. Thanks for commenting.
The rear brake bleed is not quite similar (may require angling the bike differently and even removing the calliper) that’s why so many TH-camrs ONLY show the front being bled. I strongly suggest that the brake pistons be cleaned thoroughly with alcohol before inserting the pads - brake fluid can seep out the side of the pistons during the bleed.
Thanks. Good advice. And I agree with your point about the rear calliper being a more difficult bleed. You caught me being lazy, as that's exactly why I didn't include it in my video. I wasn't up for the extra work involved and extra camera shots ;) I sometimes remove the rear calliper to place it in a more vertical line to the brake lever, but not always. It can trap air, but not always. I'll do it only if I mess up the original bleed. Plus, I've found the most significant limiting factor in getting non-squishy brakes at the rear is the length of the brake cable line, which can't be changed.
@@bikesbymike interesting point about rear brake squishiness relationship to cable length. Never thought of that but makes sense bc I’ve noticed that the rear brake lever can be more squishy than the right.
I was wondering how you were going to achieve that 20° tilt with a fork-mount bike stand. I have the a Park version and struggled a bit with the angle. Still prefer it to my clamp stand when working on my road bikes
After brake bleed, pull the lever to the bar, secure with a tie down strap, let sit overnight....your brakes lines/calipers will be airless, not before..
Great video Mike. I've been using a similar process on my mountain bike brakes. A somewhat related question is how to fix squealing disk brakes.
Hey Norm! I did another video on disc brake maintenance that covers that off. I find the rotors are usually the problem. Any amount of grease or grit can cause them to squeel. Here’s the link to the other video… th-cam.com/video/VbU3j3paZkM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=toyB5LgiwkDWW8dW
Thanks for the video, Mike.
I've not done a bleed on my road bike before and am wondering about the 20° tilt .
You mentioned tilting for the rear brake as well. Can I assume you are tilting nose down again to make the lever cap opening the high point.
Clean the rotors with isopropyl alcohol. Use a 3M Hand Sanding Metal Finishing Pad to clean the pads. If they are really fouled, soak them in very hot water and dish detergent first. Generally a few passes with the pad is enough. When you reinstall them, don't touch the pads or the rotors. Don't even think about oil; that's enough to foul them.
Just discovered your channel and subscribed. Thanks a lot for the vid; went right into my bike maintenance playlist.
Thanks so much! That video needs some views 😂
Thanks for this video. Going to be doing my next brake bleed myself.
Nice. Good luck!
I can't see why there would be bubbles in the system after forcing fluid into the caliper and up through the brake hose. The part where you let fluid drain down into the bag doesn't seem necessary, unless bubbles get caught in the caliper and aren't forced up. I'm obviously unknowledged and still found this vid very useful. Thanks for posting!
I agree that’s it’s not totally necessary. Just wanted to demo Shimano’s recommended process. Maybe one time out of ten that process may be needed to remove trapped air bubbles. I spoke to a Shimano tech a couple years back that said that design of most calipers does allow for bubbles to get trapped, so the bleeding process should take this into consideration. Probably not worth the extra effort. Thanks for commenting.
Generally it's not necessary, but I did a bleed where some bubble was hiding somewhere. Every once in a while, you have to be more thorough.
The rear brake bleed is not quite similar (may require angling the bike differently and even removing the calliper) that’s why so many TH-camrs ONLY show the front being bled. I strongly suggest that the brake pistons be cleaned thoroughly with alcohol before inserting the pads - brake fluid can seep out the side of the pistons during the bleed.
Thanks. Good advice. And I agree with your point about the rear calliper being a more difficult bleed. You caught me being lazy, as that's exactly why I didn't include it in my video. I wasn't up for the extra work involved and extra camera shots ;) I sometimes remove the rear calliper to place it in a more vertical line to the brake lever, but not always. It can trap air, but not always. I'll do it only if I mess up the original bleed. Plus, I've found the most significant limiting factor in getting non-squishy brakes at the rear is the length of the brake cable line, which can't be changed.
@@bikesbymike interesting point about rear brake squishiness relationship to cable length. Never thought of that but makes sense bc I’ve noticed that the rear brake lever can be more squishy than the right.
I was wondering how you were going to achieve that 20° tilt with a fork-mount bike stand. I have the a Park version and struggled a bit with the angle. Still prefer it to my clamp stand when working on my road bikes
Yes. Less than ideal using a fork-mount bike stand for this.
After brake bleed, pull the lever to the bar, secure with a tie down strap, let sit overnight....your brakes lines/calipers will be airless, not before..
I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks so much. Really appreciate it! 🙏