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Rear hydraulic disc brakes feeling soft. Am I being too sensitive?


Sam Song

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I have been riding a Norco Manifesto street trials bike for a couple years. And since then I have gone through many fancy disc brakes, but only to finally settle with the Avid BBDB mechanical disc brake released over 20 years ago.

Brakes I have tried

- Saint M820

- "Shigura" with Magura caliper and Shimano lever

- TRP DHR Evo

All those brakes in the front felt great. In the back however, there were a couple issues being:

- The rear brake feeling softer than front

- The rear lever engagement not being far enough from the bar, even with a fresh bleed. 

 

I understand that the hose will expand more for the longer rear brake hose length, but it was always cut to the shortest length possible. And the even if I added as much fluid as possible in the back brake with the pads pushed out + using a thinner bleed block, I could not get the rear brake to engage at the same spot as the front brake, with the rear brake engaging closer to the bar. 

Though the brakes were still useable, the discrepancy between the front and the rear brake could not be unnoticed.  

Any of you feel the same way with hydraulic disc brakes? Or am I being too sensitive?

With my Avid BBDB mechanical, the discrepancy between the front and the rear brake is not as noticeable as with hydraulic brakes. 

 

 

Edited by Sam Song
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When I owned a MTB, I felt the same. I guess that's due to riding dual HS33 for so long and being used to having the same lever feeling on both sides...

One of the bad sides of riding mod was getting used to two different levers actually. It took some time!

Edited by Canardweb
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7 hours ago, Ross McArthur said:

You don't mention anything about lever reach. Have you experimented by screwing the lever reach adjuster further out?

Yes, I forgot to mention.

Adjusting the reach to further out definitely helps but I find the rear brake to be noticeably softer and engaging closer to the bar still. 

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Perhaps be (even more) picky with the bleed? I find it unnoticeable on my bike when the bleed is perfect (and I'm pretty anal-retentive myself about these things). With Hope T3V4, MT5s, Shigura, Hayes, no issues at all, at least not lever feel related :D

To get the last bits of air out, I sometimes hang my brakes vertically overnight with the lever clamped down. Hit it with a screwdriver handle once in awhile to dislodge bubbles so they can all move towards the lever, next day slowly release the lever, do a fluid top up and all good.

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It seems also that some hoses are stiffer than other.

Goodridge had a good call.

But even with stiffer hoses, there will always be a difference.

Even with V-brakes and linear cables I can notice a slight difference.

Maybe you have also more forces in your right hand too.

 

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I found using greater stopping power pads on the rear can solve the problem in  a different way.

rear lever still feels squisy, but when riding, both brake preformed pretty much 90% alike.(hose 70cm vs 220cm)

I ordered stiffer 170cm hose for rear brake, but since the pads strategy went well, I didn't bother.

Edited by richard0800
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