Elixir R bite point..

ichabod

Hi,
The bite point on my Elixir R brakes is now way to late.. I have to pull the levers to within an inch or two of the bars. The pads look like they still have a fair bit of life left. Is there any way to adjust the bite point? I noticed the Elxir CRs have a bite point adjust knob but the Rs dont :-(

Cheers
Dan

nicklouse

adjust the lever reach.

ichabod

fraid that wont help with the bite point... just means you have to pull in more slack!

ichabod

at least i dont think it helps.. I did give it a go

angry_bird

http://www.sram.com/_media/pdf/avid/AVI ... SetUp1.pdf

had a similar problem, read what it says about deadband and pad contact advancement, seems to have done the trick with my juicy's

ftwizard

As Nicklouse said, adjust the reach. The bite point moves along with the lever, the further out the lever, the further out the bite point.
The CR adjustment only brings the bite point nearer the bars, not further away.

dan1502

I've been wondering about this myself with my Hayes Stroker Carbon brakes. My wife's Shimano (5 something other) feel much better. I was thinking bleeding them might be the answer?

RupertCommunicator

With my Elixirs I moved the levers out and inboard. That way I can single finger brake without it trapping my other fingers.

I also gave them a rebleed.

benpinnick

Ive found that Elixirs do that periodically (as do Juicys). You'll need to bleed to reset the bite point. Annoying.

nicklouse

benpinnick wrote:

Ive found that Elixirs do that periodically (as do Juicys). You'll need to bleed to reset the bite point. Annoying.

sorry NO, all you need to do is reset the reach adjust as there is no other adjustment.

A Correct Bleed will do nothing, an incorrect bleed will just add too much fluid to the system.

what can be done is removing the wheel and applying the brakes a few times to close the gap betwwen the pads and the disc, but most people get this wrong and end up contaminating the pads and pushing the pistons out of the caliper.

Also it is not needed. just a reset of the lever reach sorts it.

Bar Shaker

I also have Elixir Rs. Adjusting the reach won't help as you will still be pulling 2" of lever before they bite, but pulling it from further away.

Check that the contact point of the pads is adjusted up as far as it can go without binding (its a small hex that pushes the non piston pad forward). This will mean the piston doesn't have to travel so far to take up the distance lost by the pads wearing.

You may need to re-centre the calliper to get the best pad positions. Undo the hex bolts that hold it to the frame bracket, get a friend to hold the brake lever tight and then re-tighten the mounting bolts.

If this doesn't get it as good as you need it, then I would buy new pads.

The system will get more spongy as the pads wear down and more fluid is needed to move the pistons out further and more fluid downstream of the lever piston means a less mechanical feel to the lever.

Let us know how you get on.

ichabod

Check that the contact point of the pads is adjusted up as far as it can go without binding (its a small hex that pushes the non piston pad forward). This will mean the piston doesn't have to travel so far to take up the distance lost by the pads wearing.

That sound like what Im looking for.. thanks! I'll let you know how it goes

benpinnick

nicklouse wrote:

sorry NO, all you need to do is reset the reach adjust as there is no other adjustment.

Adjusting the reach will not solve the issue, all this will do is make your already too long deadzone start somewhere else... no use to anyone.

SRAM do advise this:
"
1. Remove wheel or red plastic pad spacer insert from disc brake caliper.
2. If your brake has Pad Contact-Point Adjustment, rotate the adjuster to the full “out” position. Now it’s in the most open position (short deadband).
3. Squeeze the brake lever slowly several times while watching the brake pads move toward each other. Stop when you see an approximate 1 mm gap between the pads.
4. Insert the red plastic pad spacer between the pads. The pads will be a little hard to push apart, so use some force to properly spread them to the correct position. Now, remove the spacer again.
5. Install wheels with rotors mounted to bicycle and give the lever a squeeze. The brake pads should now be properly advanced to the correct position, and the brake lever will have a proper firm feel. Repeat if necessary.
"

If you read the tuning tips though, the fall back is a bleed, so I think SRAM also know that this isn't always a solution.

I've found thats only successful maybe half the time. The best way to get the levers feeling great again is to bleed them and start again. I've had to do this three times on three sets of Avids, but each time this has left me with perfect set up. The Avid bleed kit is pricey, but its very simple to get a really effective bleed.

benpinnick

PS - I doubt you have a red spacer though, as that comes with a bleed kit.... Sorry! A clean thin wedge of wood will do the trick instead.

ichabod

Thanks for the detailed info! Luckily a red spacer/wedge came with the bike so I'll give it a shot. Hoping I would get away without forking out for a bleed kit but guess Im going to need one some day anyway!

Bar Shaker

If it does come down to a bleed, the dealer service manual is at

SRAM Avid Dealer Manual

Ransaka

Youtube also has a bleed video if you've never done it before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzZkEIrCBJ0

Bar Shaker

Just a quick point on this... SRAM say to replace the pads if the pad and backing plate combined are less than 3mm thick.