tektro draco brake bleed and pad replacement

steed69

Hi guys and girls took up mountain biking about 7 months ago and i decided to replace the brake pads and also bleed my front brake on my tektro draco hydraulic system as they just aren't performing as well as they used to , plus i really want to learn to look after my own bike......... after watching a few vids on you tube and reading up on park tools i attempted the repairs and everything went to plan or so it seemed until i pulled the brake lever and it was pretty much the same as before i started i followed all the instructions to the letter and am a bit baffled.... also my back brake was done professionally the week before and the difference between the two is really noticeable......both brakes (sorry i dont have the technical knowledge to explain what i mean) work well its just the brake lever on the one done professionally only needs to be pulled in a little bit and it makes the back brake work really well where as the front brake lever has to be pulled in quite a bit more to work as well as the back one.

i replaced the pads first and then bled the sytem
i defo used the correct pads as they were recommended by crc
i used a tektro maintenance kit for the bleed
the brake pads i removed where worn down about 80% so defo needed replacing
i think i may have messed up with the bleed some how but i defo followed the vid to the finest detail and there was no surprises while carrying it out.
any hints or tips on where i may have gone wrong or something i need to do to get the brake the same as the back one would be greatly appreciated (except take it to a professional haha)

thanks
stephen

cooldad

Does it just move further or is it spongy.

steed69

it just moves further

The Rookie

Then the pads may not be setteld on the disc, watch the pads as you pull the lever and compare front to rear, are the fronts moving visibly more?

tarbot18

I spent hours of fun in the shed trying to adjust my tektro dracos to work properly they needed constant bleeding pad adjustment etc etc in the end i bought some new deore s front and back for £100 6 months ago only time ive had to touch them is to replace pads.......

carbonkid

had the same problem with tektro brakes on my sons gt chucker, after many hours of tinkering i gave up and came to the conclusion that they are just rubbish brakes and impossiable to get right.

The Rookie

Never had a problem bleeding tektro brakes, they aren't the best but they are perfectly competant.

chuckla

Never had issues with mine! Try adjusting the leaver so you don't have to pull it back so far, there's a grub screw that's adjustable with an Allen key,

dswood1

New to the forum, and tektro brakes too. Several videos online show the process to be simple. I got the proper bleed kit, and followed the instructions. When I hook the hose/syringe to the caliper and open the caliper valve, I cannot push in or pull out any air/oil. If I push harder, the hose eventually blows off (spraying mineral oil everywhere) as if the valve is not open, which I know it is, because after 1/4 turn, a tiny amount comes out.

So, in laymen's terms, my guess is there is a blockage somehow, as I cannot get anything to come out of the resivoir on the upper handle. Any suggestions?

abarth_1200

You need to watch your video again, you can just open the caliper bleed screws and expect it to work, there is another bleed screw at the lever.

Your basically trying to pull against a vacuum, you need fluid going in one end and out the other. I take it you got 2 syringes in your kit?

Initialised

The trick with Tektro/TRP bleeding is:

After getting rid of the air in the system remove to top tube and replace the plug on the lever.
Now push in a bit more fluid at the caliper then tighten the bleed screw.

There was a thread on these here forums I pick this one up from when I was having bother getting a Tektro brake firm enough.

Full Process from viewtopic.php?p=15577701:

MQuijada wrote:

Hello all. I'm new here, but like you guys I was looking for information on how to bleed the Auriga Comps. I tried everything from following the manual, to using my automotive bleed system, yet kept having problems with the lever being spongy after bleeding. Here's how I figured out how to bleed the system and get a nice firm lever:

1. I ordered the Tektro bleed kit from http://www.jensonusa.com. I assume other websites have them as well. You'll use the syringe, tubing, and Minerol Oil in the kit. (The brass parts are for if you want to cut your hose)

2. I made a fluid catcher for the lever end with a rubber fitting, some tubing, and a small plastic jar. Hang the jar on the handlebar so it's secure.

3. I slipped on a piece of rubber bushing over the syringe tubing. This will slide down the tubing and tighten the connection to ensure the syringe tubing doesnt come off.

4. Take your box wrench and slide it on the caliper bleed nipple. Then take your loaded syringe and attach it to the nipple. Slide the rubber bushing down to secure the syinge tubing in place.

5. With your torx wrench, unscrew the bleed screw at the lever and insert your catch tube.

6. At the caliper, unscrew bleed fitting 1/4 turn and start to gently push new oil through the caliper and up through the line. You will start to see fluid rise from the lever and fall into your catch container. During the bleed, gently tap on the caliper to knck any air loose. Also, pull the lever a couple of times and quickly release it to snap back into position. This will help to release any trapped air as well.

**This is where my process differs quite a bit**

7. Once no more air can be seen coming out of the lever, undo the catch container at the lever end and screw the torx screw back into place.

8. At the caliper end, gently push more mineral oil into the caliper until it seems it cannot receive anymore fluid. Screw closed the bleed screw with the box wrench and take off the syringe.

9. Wipe down the caliper clean with Alchohol.

10. At the lever end, you should now feel a firm lever. If your lever feels too firm, grab your torx wrench and a rag, and very slowly unscrew the torx screw until a little mineral oil leaches out. Tighten the screw and check lever firmness. If you wish to continue softening up the lever, repeat the process. Once done, clean the lever with alchohol.

I hope this helps other people because it took me a while to get the process down and end up with a nice firm lever.