Juicy 7s - Front not biting as hard as it should .. help?

Douche

New bike with Juicy 7s, done about 40miles on them so far with a good 30-40 hard stops. Thing is i dont think the front brake is biting as hard as it should be, I was expected face pulling decelaration on the front brake alone but im not getting it, unless I combine it with the back. Even at slow speeds it not quite there and it wont let me readily endo, when holding the front wheel on the edge of a step the front brake wont stop the wheel rotating down the step and I need to pull the lever relatively hard to generate a good strong stopping force. The rotors and pads are clean and it's been apparent since I picked the bike up, I hoped it would get better as the pads bedded but it hasn't and my back brake now generates well over half my stopping powe

Question, How do i increase the force applied by the pad on the rotor and lessen the amount of effort required on the lever?

Admittedly I could take it back to the shop but it's an adjustment i'd like to try and do myself

The Big Cheese

Have you wound the pad adjust dial at all?

Douche

Yeah, the way its set at the moment is on full turn anti-clockwise, turning the dial other way just loosens the lever so to speak and gives me the opposite of what i want

The Big Cheese

front brake should be turned clockwise IIRC and counter-clockwise for rear. (to make bite point closer)

I had the same problem with my 7's.

I fettled with the red pad adjust dials and the 2mm allen adjusts for lever reach etc... in the end they found their equilibrium - they have been sweet since.

Also, need to make sure the pressure is OK, there's the old trick of strapping your levers back against the bars overnight..... sometimes helps

Douche

I'll have a play and a fettle tonight then, ive not moved the 2mm Hex yet so that will be my next port of call.

What would strapping the levers back achieve?

The Big Cheese

Better wait for nicklous to answer that - I will only make a balls-up of it...... :oops:

Douche

Heheh thanks Cheesey!!!

Douche

Hmmm, just been playin with me dial, fully turned it clockwise and braked a few times, the lever action was very very long, turned it fully anti-clockwise again and braked, the lever action being short, strangley it's slightly shorter than it was before, and thats good, but it hasnt had an effect on the braking force applied to rotor and the front wheel can still be moved when the brake is applied with maximum force. I will play with the reach adjustment later and see whats what with that

hamboman

I've get exactly this problem with my front juicy 7 - there just doesn't seem to be much stopping power there, even when the pads are bedded in well. Tried some hayes strokers last weekend and they were awesome. Also tried my mate's Oro's and they were great too.

Change of brake for me then.

The Big Cheese

Are the strokers good then.

I have a set of Juicy 7's... fine but I want to change them on my new build.

Was thinking of getting the Stroker carbons.... look pretty good too.

Cheers
Adam

hamboman

Yeah there was loads of stopping power there. Overall I'd prob have some Oros though tbh - power and modulation.

omegas

If you’re sure the pads are not contaminated with anything and they are bed in:

Walk with the bike and apply one finger light pressure to the rear and it should lock the wheel, do the same with the front and it should be the same.
Bleed your front brake, just one tiny bubble of air will stop the brake from working efficiently.
With light 2 finger pressure and at a moderate speed they should stop you on a sixpence.

buzz1

Had same probs with the juicy 5's took the pads out and gave them, and the discs a good clean and re-bedded them in, they work fine now.
May just be contaminated pads.

Thewaylander

yeh, make sure they are well bled my juicy 5 has excess power if anything.

with pad contamination, if you pop the pads out, use a flammable degreased, and set alite that does wonders for cleaning the surface, then just buff up with a clean cloth(just the pads not the bike with fire!)