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New Juicy 3.5 Brakes - can you adjust lever play?

5K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Anarchi 
#1 ·
I installed Juicy 3.5's today, all is good except that the Levers move too much before actually braking.

When I squeeze on the levers, I need to squeeze them a full 1 inch until they actually start braking, then from there it only takes about 4mm to go from light braking to 100% braking.

The caliper moves very slowly during that 1 inch, then moves fast during the last 4mm.

Is this normal?

Or will they self adjust over time?

My hydraulic rim brakes (Magura's) had an adjustment to adjust the play. Do the Juicy Brakes have a similar adjustment? I see various Allen bolts but not sure what they all do.

I know of the 2mm allen screw below the base of the Lever, but that just adjusts the angle of the lever from the handlebars, it doesn't adjust the "Play".
 
#2 ·
Call it bite point or freestroke, but play would be the physical slop in a pivot for the lever itself. You'd have to go to the Juicy 7 to get that adjustment, Avid calls it Pad Contact Point adjustment (but it doesn't move the pads, just the point at which the lever engages). In the Elixir models you have to go to the CR model to get that feature. The lever adjustment for distance from the bar is called reach. If you just installed them there will be some bedding in, otherwise your only adjustment is a bleed/adjust the amount of fluid in the system.
 
#4 ·
Anarchi said:
I see, thanks.

They are brand new so I'll give them a couple of weeks to bed in and go from there.

Should I compress the Levers overnight using a rubber band? Or will that not make any difference?
Just ride the bike and let the brakes bed in, then worry about anything you need to do...the rubber band thing is just to deal with air in the system IIRC. You just may need a bleed, they don't always come well-bled.
 
#6 ·
You can reduce the stroke before the brakes engage by removing the wheel, then pumping the brake lever a little bit so the pistions will reset closer to the disc and then re centralize the caliper. They are different brakes but the hope web site has good info on centralizing calipers. Then re fit the wheel and they will have less free stroke. It is a pain in the arse work around for not having a pad contact adjustment and pretty fiddly but it does get the job done.
 
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