How do you hold hydro calipers open during transporting with wheel off?

[NHAero]

I have to take the front wheel off to get my bikes in my Honda Fit. If the brake lever gets whacked, the pistons can be popped out. What do you put between the pads to prevent this?
When I bought the Hylex brakes they come with a plastic part that does this but I learned that it pops out fairly easily.

[zzy]

You could easily pick up a couple bleedblocks from a friendly bike shop. I agree tho a lever lockout would be a nice feature otherwise.

[nash]

a piece of pizza

[Cicli]

Plastic window shim I found in the junk bin.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Pretty much anything. Fold a piece of cardboard, put it in there and place or piece of tape over it

[giverdada]

back in the 90s dudes used those junk CDs that came free in the mail. norton antivirus? dance mix '99?

[charliedid]

a piece of pizza

Sausage?

[likebikes]

in reality this is a non issue.

[Bruce K]

The original plastic spacer.

And, it can be an issue. More if it's inside where things can lean up against a lever.

BK

[a4racer]

To use old plastic cards, like expired membership or credit cards cut in half and taped together. This was before cyber security, mind you.

[pdmtong]

you don not need to hold them open. rather, you need to keep the pads from touching in case someone or something moves the brake lever.

something plastic or cardboard will work just fine

[Hank Scorpio]

Go to Barnes and Nobles by the magazine area where everyone is reading but not buying the magazines. Pick up about 20 subscription cards off the floor and use the stack of them as a spacer.

[oldpotatoe]

in reality this is a non issue.

I'll tell that to the guy who drove up for our ride, no front wheel, bike fell over, compressed lever, fluid everywhere, bike back in van and he went home..we went for our ride. :eek::rolleyes:

[NHAero]

Post of the day, thanks!
I've been jamming a cedar shingle scrap in there, but that can get knocked out when jamming the bike into the car, so I was looking for a better solution without taping something in place.

I'll tell that to the guy who drove up for our ride, no front wheel, bike fell over, compressed lever, fluid everywhere, bike back in van and he went home..we went for out ride. :eek::rolleyes:

[cmbicycles]

Back a ways when coda came out with their disc brakes, they came with a piece of wood with a hole and a slot on the corners to put a rubber band through after slipping it between the calipers. Not fool proof, but better than nothing, & you could use a long zip tie if it's always going on the same bike to make it more secure.

[oldpotatoe]

Back a ways when coda came out with their disc brakes, they came with a piece of wood with a hole and a slot on the corners to put a rubber band through after slipping it between the calipers. Not fool proof, but better than nothing, & you could use a long zip tie if it's always going on the same bike to make it more secure.

Yup, rubber band works..around 'puck' and caliper, holding it in.

[austex]

Sausage?

Pepperoni fits between the pads better :hello:

[chiasticon]

I usually just stuff the wheel in between the brake pads. seems to work.

:p

[JanG]

I keep a couple of these in my car for use with my MTB front caliper:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Plumb-Pak-Hard-Plastic-Nylon-Toilet-Shims/3133325

[Anarchist]

I keep finding more and more ways that disc brakes are just better and why I have to get some ...... :rolleyes:

[oldpotatoe]

I keep finding more and more ways that disc brakes are just better and why I have to get some ......

you forgot the :eek: or :rolleyes: or ;)

[Fatty]

I have to take the front wheel off to get my bikes in my Honda Fit. If the brake lever gets whacked, the pistons can be popped out. What do you put between the pads to prevent this?
When I bought the Hylex brakes they come with a plastic part that does this but I learned that it pops out fairly easily.

What kind of brakes? Pad should retract when the lever is released. Otherwise the brakes would lock up after the first pull no?

[NHAero]

If you pull the lever without a rotor or similar between the pads the pistons force the pads out past where the seals retract them to the original position. As an analogy, you don't push down on your car's brake pedal when you have the rotor off to be replaced or turned, or you have the same result. Worst case one of the pistons exits the caliper completely and this is not good...


What kind of brakes? Pad should retract when the lever is released. Otherwise the brakes would lock up after the first pull no?

[Fatty]

If you pull the lever without a rotor or similar between the pads the pistons force the pads out past where the seals retract them to the original position. As an analogy, you don't push down on your car's brake pedal when you have the rotor off to be replaced or turned, or you have the same result. Worst case one of the pistons exits the caliper completely and this is not good...

No a piston falling out wouldn't be good. Shimano XT you get one free pass on mashing the lever. Remove wheel, pull lever to bar, release lever and pads retract enough to re-install wheel with no drama or rubbing. In the past I owned less user friendly disc brakes. A business card folded in half tucked between the pads was insurance against trail head service sessions.

[El Chaba]

I am enjoying this thread...

[ColonelJLloyd]

Shimano XT you get one free pass on mashing the lever...

They must be generally forgiving. My XT8000 group is my first experience with hydro. I switched the calipers (moto style) on mine and botched the first olive/barb and lost what I figured was a lot of fluid. I had purchased the bleed kit and oil "just in case" before I attempted it. But, I swear, once I had everything back together I squeezed the lever a few times and it was gold. Should I top off the fluid anyhow?

[NHAero]

I have TRP Hylex on a road bike and Shimano XT on my Pivot. The question was prompted by transporting the Pivot on Sunday. Although i think I was careful not to knock the lever, when I got the wheel back in there was less lever travel before the pads engaged. At home I used the Park tool that pushes the pads back in, and re-installed the wheel, and the lever travel was back to normal. So somehow I didn't get that fully free pass!

As to working on the brakes without needing to bleed them, when I got the Pivot I wanted to switch the front brake to the right side motorcycle-style (how all my bikes are set up, old motorcycle rider) and I also bought the bleed kit before i tried it, but was lucky and didn't need to do anything after the deed was done. Knock on wood!

No a piston falling out wouldn't be good. Shimano XT you get one free pass on mashing the lever. Remove wheel, pull lever to bar, release lever and pads retract enough to re-install wheel with no drama or rubbing. In the past I owned less user friendly disc brakes. A business card folded in half tucked between the pads was insurance against trail head service sessions.

[OperaLover]

I keep finding more and more ways that disc brakes are just better and why I have to get some ...... :rolleyes:

Luddites unite! I'll stick with Shimano XT cantilevers or V-brakes for the foreseeable future. :D

[adamhell]

a quarter

[Hank Scorpio]

Some Alf pogs.

[TimD]

Rapha make it, Signature Cycles sell it. $100 per wheel, I think. Don't have a link.






No, sorry, that's fake news. :rolleyes: