Need help with front brakes on my boardman mtb

Karlos4

Hi I have a boardman comp mtb and last nite I removed the front wheel to clean it then when I refitted the wheel I had no brake lever pressure at all, the lever pulls all the way back with hardly any stopping of the wheel.
I'm all new to this so what have I done to make this happen?
Thanks karl
Ps hi all this is my first post 8)

cycleclinic

Have you pushed the piston back as if you have somehow done that you will have to pump the lever until brake feel comes back. If your brake is mechanical then the problem is different.

nicklouse

And the brakes are?

Or what Boardman MTB? Year?

Karlos4

Brakes are hydraulic
Model 2011

oxocube1

They will be Avid Elixir 1s if it's a 2011 Comp.

Inspect the lever, hose, and caliper for any leaks of fluid. Did the brake lever get compressed when the wheel was out? And does the pressure return in the brake if you continually pump it for 20-30 secs?

Karlos4

Yeah lever did get compressed while wheel was off and I've just tried pumping brake lever 30 odd times but still no feel

oxocube1

By the sounds of it, the pistons have pushed out (towards the disc rotor) further than they should be which is why you now have no pressure as you have the same volume of fluid occupying a larger space inside the system. You will need to do the following:

1. Remove the wheel and slide a spacer (ideally plastic) between the pads.
2. Pull on the brake lever relatively hard and hold for a few seconds about 5 times.
3. Replace the wheel and pump the brake, it should have reverted back to normal.

Be sure to do all of the above with the bike the right way up. You ideally want a spacer that is a tight fit so the pads have something to push against, this in turn should make the gap between the pads wider meaning that the pistons have moved back into the calliper.

Good luck!

Karlos4

Thanks for your reply I will try it before I go to bed,I'll let you know how I get on.

Karlos4

Yeah tried like you said still no pressure on brake lever,must be a leak or something,
Looks like a trip to my local bike shop tomorrow as I need bike ready for Sunday
Thanks for trying oxocube anyway.

The Rookie

oxocube1 wrote:

By the sounds of it, the pistons have pushed out (towards the disc rotor) further than they should be which is why you now have no pressure as you have the same volume of fluid occupying a larger space inside the system. !

Which would beg the question how did he get the disc back in the now narrower space - sorry your explanation is a fail.

I would start by pushing the pistons all the way back and then trying to pump them out, it's possible they came out a bit to far if the pads are well worn and you leaked some fluid so you'll need to follow the bleed process to refill and may need new pads and to clean the disc if the fluid got on them.

Chunkers1980

^^ This