SRAM Hydraulic CX/Road Lever return spring?

Delish

Delish

Well-Known Member
The right brake lever blade on my SRAM Force Hydraulic levers won't return fully. After squeezing the brake, it just sort of lazily returns half way and causes the brakes to drag. Anybody know if there is an easy fix for this? Stronger/replacement return spring in the lever? Does the pad return spring have anything to do with getting the lever to go back to neutral position after squeezing the brakes?

Road disc learning curve begins...now. Holy crap, disc brakes on a CX bike WORK! what a novelty. Though it's my first experience with anything SRAM road/cx related and not super impressed....already thinking about moving to a Shimano R785 road setup.
 
Spill what you got, I'm surprised you've moved past cantilevers.

I ended up on Sram hydraulic this year kind of by accident as it came on the bike I bought used. SOLD on it for all the same reasons they're awesome on mountain bikes.

Is there a pad return spring? I thought the return was done via piston seal with a possible return spring in the lever. Do you have the reach properly adjusted on both inner/outter lever so they aren't binding?
 
The Heckler said:
Brand new lever? OEM or upgrade?
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Not a new lever. Build is from mid-2015-has one season of CX on it. Not OEM.

map111158 said:
Bleed it
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This implies there is some feedback pressure coming up the hose from the caliper that should be helping to push the lever back to neutral? Help me understand if this is so. It's certainly true for cable actuated brakes. Lever feel is firm but I know the lines were shortened for internal frame routing.

Santapez said:
Spill what you got, I'm surprised you've moved past cantilevers.

I ended up on Sram hydraulic this year kind of by accident as it came on the bike I bought used. SOLD on it for all the same reasons they're awesome on mountain bikes.

Is there a pad return spring? I thought the return was done via piston seal with a possible return spring in the lever. Do you have the reach properly adjusted on both inner/outter lever so they aren't binding?
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Yes, the big move from Canti is afoot. Canti's stop well enough for CX racing for me. I'm just tired of futzing with n! different combinations of bike/rim/pad setup between 4 bikes and umpteen wheelsets. I know that disc calipers will never line up exactly from wheel to wheel but it'll be simpler than the canti alternative.

The brake lever pivot pin was actually sliding out very easily so I used some retaining compound to keep it in place. Maybe I gunked up the pin and there is some additional friction. But I don't think that pin should slip out so easily either. It works a little better with the reach dialed in but then I smash my finger when I brake. With the reach dialed all the way out, the brake lever only returns about half way.
 
so pulling the lever releases the brake pads? just for clarity.

kinda poking it with a stick,......
if not - dirt on a cylinder stopping the piston from retracting? or
take the pads out, bend them apart a bit more, put them back in. that will increase the spring force of the pad (assuming the pads are like my mtb) maybe the hinge took a shot
and isn't springing back?
 
fidodie said:
so pulling the lever releases the brake pads? just for clarity.

kinda poking it with a stick,......
if not - dirt on a cylinder stopping the piston from retracting? or
take the pads out, bend them apart a bit more, put them back in. that will increase the spring force of the pad (assuming the pads are like my mtb) maybe the hinge took a shot
and isn't springing back?
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Ja. If I push the lever back out the pads retract fully. If I don't, the pads rub ever so slightly.

I'll check the pad spring and the pistons for grit tonight.
 
Delish said:
I know that disc calipers will never line up exactly from wheel to wheel but it'll be simpler than the canti alternative.
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They should be close and someone makes a shim kit (problem solvers?).

You can also to to McMaster-Carr and order shims, though the PS set is one shim for 6 bolts as opposed to 6 shim washers to fumble with. Basically the same price.

Welcome to the dark side.

The stop side.

The other side.

The where did my brakes go in this mud race side.

What are sides?

The gobble if you lock up your wheel side.

The heavier side.

The Alternate side - With Alisa Ali.

The bleed side.

The slip and slide side.

The non-Italian side.

...
 
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For now I used retaining compound to keep the pin in place. Otherwise it would walk out on its own. I'm guessing that's not normal behavior?
 
Sounds like that pin is fucked up and you should get it warrantied. Interference fit that isn't interfering...

Is it the left shifter? Did someone convert it to 1x?
 
Right shifter. Yeah, I think the pin is press/interference fit and something is out of spec. Probably should try to get it warrantied.

I checked last night and the spring in the calipers looks ok but the lever feels a bit spongy. I don't think the system was every bled so it's time to get medieval and bleed the demons out.
 
i was googling this exact issue and the internet brought me here, aint that some shit. both of my rival hydraulic shifters have that pin walk out slowly. gotta push them back in mid ride at some point.
 
Back from the dead! my solution was to get rid of all my SRAM crap because lawd knows Shimano never let anybody down like ever.
 
Delish said:
Back from the dead! my solution was to get rid of all my SRAM crap because lawd knows Shimano never let anybody down like ever.
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I’m so deep into the SRAM ecosystem on the road and I don’t see a way out...
 
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