Calipers don't retract

bb2120

Earlier I gave my new Focus hardtail its first clean after a few days of riding on Exmoor. As I was replacing the wheels I noticed that the Magura Julies' pads had moved closer together (almost touching) whilst cleaning, stopping me from putting either the front or rear wheels back on.

I can only assume that water entered the brakes during cleaning... will I need to rebleed both brakes to get rid of the problem?

Thanks

Crazy Dave C

Did you pull the levers with the wheels removed? Use a flat screw driver or a similar implement to carefully prise apart the pads enough to refit the wheels.

bb2120

Thanks for the reply

Yes I did, but that was after I noticed the problem... I tried wedging a screwdriver between the pads this morning but to no avail. I think that I would break the caliper/pads if I pushed it in any harder...

any ideas?

RIKO

I suspect that you have pressed the lever by accident whilst cleaning the bike. I very much doubt that you will have got water in the brakes. As said above you will need to prise the two pads apart this may take some force. What I suspect is the case here is that the pistons within the caliper are at the very limits of their travel which will cause them to jam up a little, hopefully it hasn't popped out of the cylinder bore. You will probably need to persevere with a wide flat blade screwdriver. If you still have no further joy you might need to dissassemble it but you should be able to prise them apart.
In future a tip when you take the wheels off for cleaning get a bit of electrical tape and tape a 2p between the pads this will stop it happening again.

http://www.pinkbike.com/modules/photo/? ... age=107255

jimmy.com

YOU ARE PROBILY LOW ON OIL RE-BLEAD YOU BRAKES NEVA PULL LEAVER WHEN THERE IS NUFFING BETWEAN THE PADS LOL

RIKO

You are not low on oil you have over extended the piston.

http://www.pinkbike.com/modules/photo/? ... age=107255

bb2120

Thanks everyone - I'll give it a try.

rubber side up

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by jimmy.com</i>

YOU ARE PROBILY LOW ON OIL RE-BLEAD YOU BRAKES NEVA PULL LEAVER WHEN THERE IS NUFFING BETWEAN THE PADS LOL
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

1) If you don't know what you are talking about, please dont post.

2) learn to spell.

3) theres a button above left shift on your keyboard, says caps lock on it. kindly press it before posting again.

As above. Probably pushed the pistons slightly too far out. remove the pads and gently push each piston in separately, making sure the piston is going in straight.

May be worth putting the bike somewhere it cant fall over, and taking the top off the resivoir on the lever. then pushing the pistons in.

<hr noshade size="1"><center><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by EvilAlex</i>

Something round here tastes bad. Could be plain old bad taste.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"></center>www.mtb-bitz.co.uk - Bitz for you & your mountain bike. pinkbike