How to remove internally routed brakes and replace them.

Applesandoranges

Hi All, just a question regarding mtb brakes as i am a novice when working worth them. I have a set of Sram DB5s on my five that are internally routed. I want to get them off the bike abd sold on ebay and use the money to buy a set of shimanos slx/xtrs depending how much i can get for them. Can i tske the brakes off without cutting cables or whatever. How would i go about doing it?

Second question, could i fit a set of new shimanos with internal routing without requiring a bleed? Also how hard is it to fit where internal routing is concerned? I work on my bikes myself believe it or not but anything to do with cables i never have luck with.

Ive put up with the db5s for so long and i cant stand them they are not conistant, basically are just avids from what ive been told, anyhow they have done me so long but now im driving will be going to trail centres that are not as flat as my local woods and i don't trust them at all.


But they are surprisingly expensive brakes, will never touch sram brakes again.

cooldad

You'll have to disconnect either the lever or caliper, and I'm sure they'll need a bleed afterwards.

Internally routed brakes sound stupid to me, I'd just route the new set externally, but easiest way to do it internally is probably disconnect brake housing at the lever, slide a mechanical brake cable into the hose, pull hose through the frame, making sure the cable goes with it (but not all the way, you are using this as a guide).
Undo new brake at the lever & slide the cable back into the hose, push hydro cable back through the frame, cut hose to length, fit olive & barb, install hose into lever.
Bleed brake

Guys I ride with really rate Sram Guides, prefer them to Shimano.

rockmonkeysc

Be prepared to swear a lot when fitting new internal hoses

Applesandoranges

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Be prepared to swear a lot when fitting new internal hoses

I gave up onit mate , and got my mechanic to do it , Its a absaloute nightmare job I found.

Applesandoranges

cooldad wrote:

You'll have to disconnect either the lever or caliper, and I'm sure they'll need a bleed afterwards.

Internally routed brakes sound stupid to me, I'd just route the new set externally, but easiest way to do it internally is probably disconnect brake housing at the lever, slide a mechanical brake cable into the hose, pull hose through the frame, making sure the cable goes with it (but not all the way, you are using this as a guide).
Undo new brake at the lever & slide the cable back into the hose, push hydro cable back through the frame, cut hose to length, fit olive & barb, install hose into lever.
Bleed brake

Guys I ride with really rate Sram Guides, prefer them to Shimano.

I agree with you okay they look better and cables are out the way but who really cares about that. It's a unceccasry problem I think . Hmm I know people who prefer SRAM but I'm definitely not one of them. They are fantastic when they work, and when they work they probably are better than shims.

I've had lots of SRAM and avids on different bikes
I've owned and ive never liked a set. Simply due to realiability , even on a fresh bleed I've never found them consistent, some days they work others not as well .with my old slx brakes had them 5 year only ever having 2 bleeds with no issues at all.

Applesandoranges

Applesandoranges wrote:

cooldad wrote:

You'll have to disconnect either the lever or caliper, and I'm sure they'll need a bleed afterwards.

Internally routed brakes sound stupid to me, I'd just route the new set externally, but easiest way to do it internally is probably disconnect brake housing at the lever, slide a mechanical brake cable into the hose, pull hose through the frame, making sure the cable goes with it (but not all the way, you are using this as a guide).
Undo new brake at the lever & slide the cable back into the hose, push hydro cable back through the frame, cut hose to length, fit olive & barb, install hose into lever.
Bleed brake

Guys I ride with really rate Sram Guides, prefer them to Shimano.

I agree with you okay they look better and cables are out the way but who really cares about that. It's a unceccasry problem I think . Hmm I know people who prefer SRAM but I'm definitely not one of them. They are fantastic when they work, and when they work they probably are better than shims.

I've had lots of SRAM and avids on different bikes
I've owned and ive never liked a set. Simply due to realiability , even on a fresh bleed I've never found them inconsistent, some days they work others not as well .with my old slx brakes had them 5 year only ever having 2 bleeds with no issues at all.

Applesandoranges

Applesandoranges wrote:

Applesandoranges wrote:

cooldad wrote:

You'll have to disconnect either the lever or caliper, and I'm sure they'll need a bleed afterwards.

Internally routed brakes sound stupid to me, I'd just route the new set externally, but easiest way to do it internally is probably disconnect brake housing at the lever, slide a mechanical brake cable into the hose, pull hose through the frame, making sure the cable goes with it (but not all the way, you are using this as a guide).
Undo new brake at the lever & slide the cable back into the hose, push hydro cable back through the frame, cut hose to length, fit olive & barb, install hose into lever.
Bleed brake

Guys I ride with really rate Sram Guides, prefer them to Shimano.

I agree with you okay they look better and cables are out the way but who really cares about that. It's a unceccasry problem I think . Hmm I know people who prefer SRAM but I'm definitely not one of them. They are fantastic when they work, and when they work they probably are better than shims.

I've had lots of SRAM and avids on different bikes
I've owned and ive never liked a set. Simply due to realiability , even on a fresh bleed I've never found them consistent, some days they work others not as well .with my old slx brakes had them 5 year only ever having 2 bleeds with no issues at all.

02gf74

Personally I love them but agree it is an unnecessary solution to a non existent problem. In olden days when we had internally routed brake cables, get a split in the plastic and the steel would rust. This caused the outer to expand so a lot of swearing involved to remove them.

Applesandoranges

02GF74 wrote:

Personally I love them but agree it is an unnecessary solution to a non existent problem. In olden days when we had internally routed brake cables, get a split in the plastic and the steel would rust. This caused the outer to expand so a lot of swearing involved to remove them.

I was going to say with having holes in the frame to allow internal routing will this make the frame some how weaker than if they were not there. Tbh I think that cables running external can look pretty good. I'm glad that my.five is only routed through the swingarm rather than the whole frame. Also what happens if one gets say a cable leak in the frame ? Dot could do some nasty damage over time I suspect.

JBA

Applesandoranges wrote:

I was going to say with having holes in the frame to allow internal routing will this make the frame some how weaker than if they were not there. Tbh I think that cables running external can look pretty good. I'm glad that my.five is only routed through the swingarm rather than the whole frame. Also what happens if one gets say a cable leak in the frame ? Dot could do some nasty damage over time I suspect.

I strongly suspect the frame designers/manufacturers have given a bit of thought to having holes in the frame.

How would you get a hose (not cable) leak inside the frame? Brake hoses are robust things and tend not to randomly split.

You're worrying about nothing and overthinking things.

02gf74

Applesandoranges wrote:

. Also what happens if one gets say a cable leak in the frame ? Dot could do some nasty damage over time I suspect.

Only would be a concern if frame is carbon fibre, or may be not as I don't know how the two react. Pretty sure steel and alloy would not matter.

And in any case I doubt the hose would randomly split inside the frame. My oldest disc brakes are over 10 years old and no signs of hoses failing.