Changing brake cables

Brood
Brood Posts: 138
edited September 2007 in MTB workshop & tech
Hi

I have a GT Avalanche Expert with Shimano Deore disc brakes but as I bought it in France the brakes are on the wrong side (right side is rear).

I want to change them over without having to drain the fluid from the levers is it possible?

I tried to remove the break lever and undid the nut where the hose enters the lever but I can't see how you pull the cable out. Is the best way to do this by swapping the front of the cables i.e. the part that enters the brake lever (handlebar) or at the rear near the brake discs?

Thanks
Canyon Nerve AM 6 2011

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    read the manual.

    you WILL need to bleed your BRAKES.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • house_trained
    house_trained Posts: 41
    It sounds like you've got hydraulic brakes, so there isn't a cable. If you've got dual control levers, then the cables will need to to disconnected from the gears and reattached, perhaps, if they're connected to the "wrong" ones as well. You'll need to reattach the hose to the levers and bleed both sides. Like Nicklouse wrote, read the manual. If you havn't got the manual, go to Shimano's website. They'll have instructions you can download there.
  • Brood
    Brood Posts: 138
    They are hydraulic brakes and they aren't dual control.

    I have all the information about bleeding the fluid and stuff I just can't find anywhere that describes how to actually pull the cable out of the lever, do I just pull as hard as I can?
    Canyon Nerve AM 6 2011
  • house_trained
    house_trained Posts: 41
    No, don't pull them. They'll need to be unscrewed from the lever. There may be a rubber cover over the nut, that you need to pull back in order to see everything. You could also try www.parktool.com for a pictorial guide. Hope this helps.
  • Brood
    Brood Posts: 138
    Yeh I have pulled back the rubber cover and unscrewed the nut, I've then removed the brake lever so I can see the end of the cable, I just don't know if I need to unscrew something in the oil reservoir to free the cable or just yank the cable out to allow me to swap to the other side.

    btw, thanks for helping!
    Canyon Nerve AM 6 2011
  • house_trained
    house_trained Posts: 41
    Sorry, away over the weekend, so didn't see your reply. Funny thing is, I was doing the same to my disc brakes yesterday. After you've loosened the nut connecting the hose to the lever, and then the nut connecting the hose to the calliper, can you remove the hose? I'm a bit confused about where the cable is coming from or what it's doing. Hydraulic brake hose are just a tube that holds the brake fluid, so there's no cable involved with that.

    After you've disconnected the hose from the levers and callipers, you should just be able to swap the hose around (so back brake is connected to left/front to right), reconnect everything, refill with fluid and bleed. If you havn't already got a bleed kit, you'll need to get one, as well as a bottle of mineral oil (I think it is for Shimano brakes - go here to get all the relevant info: http://techdocs.shimano.com/techdocs/index.jsp).

    Bleeding brakes is a pain in the ar@e, but it does give you a big grin when it all goes right. Make sure you've got all the parts you need and plenty of space and time. If it's the first time you've done it be prepared for tears and profanities. Just take your time - and if it's all going wrong, remember you can always take it to a bike shop and get them to do it. It is a job thats worth persevering with though. Good luck.

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