Brakes not as sharp after rebuild

Hi guys,

Hopefully someone will be able to help.

I've rebuilt my front and rear calipers because they were getting quite tatty and the seals weren't great and when I got it all back together and bled they just didn't feel as sharp. They used to be quite strong with not too much pressure but the levers travelled a bit too far. Now I have to put more pressure on to get the same braking power but with less travel.

It doesn't seem right but I followed all the right steps when doing it.

Does anyone know shui or whether it's normal and I just need to get used to how it brakes now?

Any explanations will be appreciated, it's not a problem as the bike stops well but I'm just curious

[Bibio]

when you rebuilt your callipers did you clean out the seal recesses of all the corrosion?

let the pads bed in for 100miles then bleed the system again. when bleeding the system tap the brake hoses with a spanner this will disturb and bubbles that are stuck to the inner. when bleeding do the pump'open'close method.

Yes I did, they were completely spotless and the seals seated nicely.

Oh yeah I forgot about that... I could probably do with new pads anyway.
I'll do that cos I thought that once they've been bled once then that's it, rookie mistake. I'd never thought of tapping the brake lines either, that's a good tip for me to keep in mind.
Thanks very much!

[Red ones]

It sometimes helps to tie the lever tight back to the bar grip over night.

What would that do? (besides the obvious of actuating the brake haha)

Push any residual bubbles out I think

Cable tying the lever back causes the seals to settle further down the pistons - which means the pistons don't get pulled as far back into the caliper when you release the brake.

Putting the system under pressure compresses the air and causes it to be less buoyant - so it's less likely to self bleed overnight. Tapping the hoses as has been mentioned would help with that.

However, both of those would help to remedy excess lever travel or a spongy lever - it sounds like you've got the opposite - a rock hard lever. In my book that means you've done it right.

[Ch00]

Check that the rings on the pads are free of any metal. I have had that before and it stopped the pad moving freely back and forth. Gives the level a soft feeling.