If your brake bite point has started to fluctuate, the lever can be pulled all the way to the bars or if the brake is more than one year old, then it’s time to replace the brake fluid and thoroughly bleed it. If you have SRAM Guide Brakes we’ll show you how to do it correctly, removing all the air from the system.
Carsten from SRAM shows you how to bleed the Guide brake correctly in this tutorial.
For brakes that use DOT as fluid it’s important to bleed the system once a year to ensure perfect function.
Zip ties or straps to hold the brake lever near the bar
How to
Before bleeding remove the wheel and prepare both syringes. Fill one half full and the other one third full with brake fluid.
After filling the syringes with brake fluid close them off at the top… …and then pull the syringe plunger lever to create a vacuum, air will now be released from within the fluid, repeat until no more air bubbles are released from the brake fluid.Now push the released air out of the syringe. Hold the opening upwards to do this.Turn the bite point adjuster away from the arrow to the maximum position.Then turn the lever downwards and position the strap on the bars to use later.With new pads you should use the transport guard …… if they are already worn, or worn out you will need to remove the pads …….and install the bleed block.Then remove the lower screw …… and attach the half filled syringe. Now remove the upper screw and attach the other syringe.Then press through approx 5 – 10 ml from the lower syringe. Make sure that the syringe is really air free, unlike in the picture.Now using the strap, rubber band or similar hold the brake lever close to the bars. The brake calliper is bled by carefully creating a vacuum in the lower syringe and pulling the air out of the system.Release the strap and allow the lever to slowly return to its position whilst simultaneously building up pressure on the lower syringe.Now shut the upper syringe. Then remove the lower syringe and re-fit the screw.Now build a slight vacuum on the upper syringe in order to bleed the lever.Then remove this syringe, re-attach the screw and clean the lever with clean water. Return the brake lever to the original position and if necessary refit the brake pads and then put the wheel back on.
Words & Pictures: Christoph Bayer
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