TRP HyRd problems

johngti
johngti Posts: 2,508
edited February 2017 in Workshop
Bought a set of HyRds off eBay, one caliper and disc obviously brand new and one obviously slightly used. The one that was slightly used looked as if a bit of the mineral oil had leaked out. Initially set up with that one on the front and the new one on the back. Front was far too spongy and even with the brake applied fully (almost a white knuckle amount of pressure), I could still move the bike. Back brake was fine. So I got some mineral oil, topped up the reservoir as in the video on YouTube and tried again. There was a slight improvement so I tried a test ride where it became obvious that the brake was useless (rear brake happily locked the back wheel) so I swapped front and back. I'm now left with a front brake that works and a back brake that does basically nothing. What have I missed? Is there anything else I can try?

I've sanded the pads on the used caliper but not tried any heavy duty disc brake cleaner. Could it be cheap cable outers?

Front has the new brake caliper and pads and new disc on now. I think that just needs a bit more bedding in, it slows the bike down adequately but doesn't have squeal as it just comes to a stop.

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Maybe it needs bleeding, maybe it is broken...
    left the forum March 2023
  • woolwich
    woolwich Posts: 298
    If oil has leaked from the caliper it is quite likely that air has entered the system.
    Also it is weird that topping up the level of the reservoir helped. This shouldn't be the case ,unless the fluid level was previously so low that you were drawing air into the caliper.
    I think it would be wise to bleed the system and eliminate this before exploring anything else. Bleeding hydraulics is simple enough with standard brakes. It should be a breeze on a hyRd with no long pipe runs.
    Before bleeding it would be smart to strip or at least give the thing a really good examine. It would be ideal if you can isolate where the leak is. I imagine Spyre do a service kit, seal replacement should be easy enough.
    Good luck
    Mud to Mudguards. The Art of framebuilding.
    http://locksidebikes.co.uk/
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,810
    Don't use automotive brake cleaner, they can leave a light oil residue which is not good for bicycle brakes. As said above, bleed it properly and see how it is. It should feel firm, not spongy. If it feels spongy can you operate the arm at the caliper to eliminate the cable giving the spongy feel?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    If it feels spongy can you operate the arm at the caliper to eliminate the cable giving the spongy feel?

    Do not do that on a HyRD
    left the forum March 2023
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    Thanks for the advice. I'll try to bleed it and update afterwards for the sake of posterity!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,810
    If it feels spongy can you operate the arm at the caliper to eliminate the cable giving the spongy feel?

    Do not do that on a HyRD
    You can't push the lever to replicate the action of the cable pulling? I realise you'd have to do it with the caliper the right way up. But if fitted on the bike how does it know if a cable is pulling or a finger is pushing?
    Not used a HyRd so clearly not in the know.
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    Brake has been bled. Awkward blooming job that was. Had to draft the wife in to help - bought a bleed kit from halfords, didn't have the right bleed fittings so the only way of getting it done was to use a couple of rubber o-rings and force the tubes into the holes. Upshot is a VERY slight improvement, even after a thorough spraying with muc off disk brake cleaner.

    The pads are definitely making full contact with the disc albeit with a longer than I'd like lever throw. Might try some new pads, just to see if that makes any difference. And also try to find the correct screw in ferrules.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    Brake has been bled. Awkward blooming job that was. Had to draft the wife in to help - bought a bleed kit from halfords, didn't have the right bleed fittings so the only way of getting it done was to use a couple of rubber o-rings and force the tubes into the holes. Upshot is a VERY slight improvement, even after a thorough spraying with muc off disk brake cleaner.

    The pads are definitely making full contact with the disc albeit with a longer than I'd like lever throw. Might try some new pads, just to see if that makes any difference. And also try to find the correct screw in ferrules.

    The long lever throw is something you cannot change without screwing the self adjusting function. If you don't like it, abandon hydraulics altogether, as even Shimano ones are like that. The disc should lock before the lever bottoms on the handlebar and the piston race definitively ends before the lever bottoms on the bars.
    The braking action should be solid when you slam the levers, yet modulation is very good
    left the forum March 2023
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    Brake has been bled. Awkward blooming job that was. Had to draft the wife in to help - bought a bleed kit from halfords, didn't have the right bleed fittings so the only way of getting it done was to use a couple of rubber o-rings and force the tubes into the holes. Upshot is a VERY slight improvement, even after a thorough spraying with muc off disk brake cleaner.

    The pads are definitely making full contact with the disc albeit with a longer than I'd like lever throw. Might try some new pads, just to see if that makes any difference. And also try to find the correct screw in ferrules.

    The long lever throw is something you cannot change without screwing the self adjusting function. If you don't like it, abandon hydraulics altogether, as even Shimano ones are like that. The disc should lock before the lever bottoms on the handlebar and the piston race definitively ends before the lever bottoms on the bars.
    The braking action should be solid when you slam the levers, yet modulation is very good

    Thanks Ugo. Didn't know that about the lever throw - no issues at all with the front brake which is obviously the more important one. I'd just like a little more power as at the moment it's so ineffectual I may as well not have it. Any good organic pads to recommend?
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,810
    What was the lever throw like on the back when you had the other cable? Presumably that's how it should feel. The longer cable run might make it worse than the front depending in cable used.
    For bleeding parts look at Epic Bleed Solutions. The last pads I bought were from Superstar, might try Uber bike next. Look in the MTB buying section for pad recommendations. They have far more experience with discs over there.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    The original red pads wore off quickly and I have replaced them with some Nukeproof semi-metallic from CRC. They have been outstanding so far. I have put them on at the end of April and I have done lots of miles since
    left the forum March 2023
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    The original red pads wore off quickly and I have replaced them with some Nukeproof semi-metallic from CRC. They have been outstanding so far. I have put them on at the end of April and I have done lots of miles since

    Update (might be useful for someone!). Got some new clarke's organic pads and put a new length of outer on. It's now significantly harder to move the bike with a stationary brake test and a test ride proves that the rear brake will now actually slow me down which is what I need. Together, the brakes seem to stop the bike pretty effectively. In fact, power seems higher now than on my other bike. So far so good then. Next step will be a more substantial ride. I'll do that during the week.

    Thanks for all of the help!
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    The original red pads wore off quickly and I have replaced them with some Nukeproof semi-metallic from CRC. They have been outstanding so far. I have put them on at the end of April and I have done lots of miles since

    Update (might be useful for someone!). Got some new clarke's organic pads and put a new length of outer on. It's now significantly harder to move the bike with a stationary brake test and a test ride proves that the rear brake will now actually slow me down which is what I need. Togeth er, the brakes seem to stop the bike pretty effectively. In fact, power seems higher now than on my other bike. So far so good then. Next step will be a more substantial ride. I'll do that during the week.

    Thanks for all of the help!

    And just to draw a line under this, took it to the cyclopark for a test ride yesterday and my word do they brakes work well now! Looking at the old pads, one of them had a very strange wear pattern - very uneven. So it appears that only one pad was making proper contact and just the edge of the other. No wonder it wouldn't stop.

    Thanks again :)
  • Robb0
    Robb0 Posts: 90
    I've got the same problem you've described with the HY RD brakes on my brand new Specialized Crux Sport - after one short race (I think I only braked 6 times) the front brake had lost almost all its power. I retensioned the cable but it didn't restore its power. LBS noticed the reservoir fluid level was low so topped it up which fixed it. No obvious sign of leakage. Then on the next ride the same thing happened. This time the pads wore out (clearly the stock pads are completely inadequate) so I replaced them. Again retensioned the cables but couldn't restore the braking power. They've gone back to the shop and it's looking like a warranty replacement job. Very disappointing that my new bike has spent longer in the workshop than being ridden.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    You shouldn't need to be retensioning the cables once set - it's likely to do more harm than good as the pads should compensate. Too much tension in the cable will mean that there's not enough return throw in the lever and they won't compensate at all.

    The early version of the calipers had a design fault which also meant that the pads wouldn't adequately compensate for wear. I had mine replaced and, since then, it has been faultless.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    I actually gave up on the rear and sold it as spares or repair. I installed a spyre in the end just because it's easy. Front HyRd is still awesome and I do like having brakes that instantly work in the wet, although the 5800 rim brakes on my Defy are pretty darned impressive most of the time too
  • Robb0
    Robb0 Posts: 90
    Ok, fixed now. The tiny grub screw on the caliper arm needed to be adjusted. The one that they removed from the user guide as you should never have to adjust it once properly set. I guess it wasn't set correctly by the factory or the shop I bought it from. I switched between my new bike with HY/RDs and my old cantilever one in the race yesterday, and I've got to say the difference was astounding - with the hydraulics I was able to control my speed easily on muddy descents, but with the cantis (which are set up properly) they were about as much use as putting my foot on the ground! :D
  • Robb0 wrote:
    Ok, fixed now. The tiny grub screw on the caliper arm needed to be adjusted. The one that they removed from the user guide as you should never have to adjust it once properly set. I guess it wasn't set correctly by the factory or the shop I bought it from. I switched between my new bike with HY/RDs and my old cantilever one in the race yesterday, and I've got to say the difference was astounding - with the hydraulics I was able to control my speed easily on muddy descents, but with the cantis (which are set up properly) they were about as much use as putting my foot on the ground! :D

    The screw that tensions the cable is NEVER the solution to a problem. It is likely that you have over-tensioned the cable, so now it feels good but it will not compensate for wear.
    left the forum March 2023
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Robb0 wrote:
    Ok, fixed now. The tiny grub screw on the caliper arm needed to be adjusted. The one that they removed from the user guide as you should never have to adjust it once properly set. I guess it wasn't set correctly by the factory or the shop I bought it from. I switched between my new bike with HY/RDs and my old cantilever one in the race yesterday, and I've got to say the difference was astounding - with the hydraulics I was able to control my speed easily on muddy descents, but with the cantis (which are set up properly) they were about as much use as putting my foot on the ground! :D

    The screw that tensions the cable is NEVER the solution to a problem. It is likely that you have over-tensioned the cable, so now it feels good but it will not compensate for wear.

    I don't know what screw you're thinking it is Ugo but I think that there's a tiny grub screw that sets the stop that you would never think to touch. It doesn't tension the cable.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • gmacwil
    gmacwil Posts: 2
    Hi I have a year old Whyte Suffolk with TRP HyRd discs, which overall work very well. The rear has always been an issue, as the caliper arm NEVER returns the full distance, leading to a brake lever flapping loosely because the cable has not returned. The pads will rub a bit as a result. I am in the process of changing the cables to compressionless ones, to see if this helps, and I had a go at rebleeding the system yesterday with no improvement. I have now looked at increasing the cable tension so that the arm doesn't return all the way, but appreciate that this may muck up the self adjusting capability. I can't work out if it is a lack of spring in the piston assembly, or a problem in the cable - it is internal routing with a few curves along the way.
    Any thoughts?
  • Hi, I've the Whyte Dorset and had the same issue. I thought it was a faulty spring. It was just road grot in the hinge making it stiff. Cleaned, degreased, regreased with lithium grease and a few pumps of the lever. Worked a treat and made me realise I need to clean the bike more.