Avid BB5, disc probs

Fantasia

Hi

My 2 year old bike was put in for a yearly maint check and I was advised that the Avid BB5 disc brake adjustment (red wheel) had seized. They had adjusted the brakes and they were working, but not that great. When I asked why the adjuster had seized they said lack of maintenance. Is there a quick fix for this? Or is the thing goosed.

muzzan

Others more qualified may well correct this, however....

My experience with the BB5s has been very frustrating, but finally cracked it a couple of weeks ago. I would say the shop have probably shredded the torx wrench bolt. This is VERY easy to do & I managed it 1st time I tried to adjust the brakes. However, what I've done is remove the red cover on the adjuster, it seems to only be cosmetic. When this is off you can adjust the pad using a normal wrench/spanner thingy (you see my expertise shining through here).

My rear adjuster was very stiff, but once I got the adjustable pad out completely, a bit of a clean soon had it moving freely again.

Main thing to realise is that there is nothing to be worried about, they ar eput together very simply & once you have taken them apart & had a look you will see this & never have to bother a shop again.

Good luck.

ElliottDavo

As far as I know, it shouldn't be as that doesn't move in the operation of the actual braking. The pad next to the lever does all the work

Fantasia

Hi

Thanks for the info which was great - funny thing during a new brake pad fit last year the person fitting had probs and messed about for around an hour before one of the others sorted it out. Think they may have seized the red wheel adjuster during this.

The Rookie

More likely rounded out the Torx socket.....

dee4life2005

I had a good maintenance routine going on my bike (Boardman Hybrid), but as it was my first experience of disc brakes didn't realise I needed to maintain the callipers themselves as such, and as a result the red adjuster for the fixed pad had seized (rear wheel). No amount of cleaning etc. would free it up and giving it a bit of force just stripped the torx bolt. I just waited until that pad was at the limit and needing changing and then changed the whole calliper - not exactly a cheap error to make, but it's those mistakes you learn from I guess.

I now make sure to give them a few clicks in each direction once a week, just to make sure it doesn't seize up again.

Fantasia

Hi - I've never had disc brakes before either and didn't realise those red things were adjusters. It was suggested changing them to hydraulic disc brakes would be a better option. Was up at a windmill site a week ago with a very long steep downhill section - scarey stuff when the brakes are not 100%. I'm now on that learning curve - lol.

apreading

My son's BB5s have started acting up - they are fine in the dry but when it gets really wet and muddy they seem to lose all pressure every 5-10 miles or so and need the red thing rotated to tighten them up, but then they lose pressure (braking force) another 5-10 miles later. This is only on the rear. I am guessing that something is slipping when wet but has enough friction to not do so when dry. Any ideas what this is? And why does it have a Torx head, rather than a normal allen bolt? Would be much easier on the trail if it was an allen bolt...

Fantasia

Hi - I've had a lot of different makes of hybrid bikes in the past, all with standard type brakes which were really reliable, but I've had nothing but probs with the disc brakes as they seem to need ongoing adjustments.

I'm still having probs with these brakes - had them serviced because they'd seized up by the LBS around 8 weeks ago, now the red adjustment wheel has come off somewhere and is no more. Is it possible replace these disc brakes with ordinary brakes with brake blocks that at least work when you need them.