Showerthought: A customer's complaint about my brake bleed method was totally right

A guy brought in a bike with spongy SRAM brakes I'd just worked on. He said, 'The lever still feels like mush, you didn't get all the air out.' I used to just pump the lever a bunch and call it good. Now I always do the syringe push-pull method from the caliper up, and it takes an extra five minutes. Has anyone found a better trick for stubborn SRAM systems?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakeb253d ago

Ever try tapping the brake line with a plastic screwdriver handle while you're doing the syringe method? Gets those tiny bubbles moving up. I used to be like @laura_black31 too, just pumping the lever, but that last bit of air in the master cylinder is a killer. For really stubborn ones, I'll sometimes hang the bike so the brake hose is straight up and down, then do the push-pull. Makes a huge difference.

nancyramirez3d ago

Pump the lever and call it good" is my entire life, not just my job.

laura_black313d ago

Honestly, the "pump the lever a bunch and call it good" method is my whole career in a nutshell.