Brake fluid

This is a very stoopid question to be asking, I'm sure, but I (with a little help!) am changing the brake hoses today for HEL braided lines, and have been told that I also need to drain and replace the brake fluid - didn't think of that - d'oh!

I know you get different types of fluid, so could anyone tell me what I should be getting?

Thanks

There are basically 2 choices...

DOT3 or DOT4

Unless you have a major problem with the brake fluid boiling or are likely to go racing, I would stick to the (very slightly cheaper) DOT3.
Brake fluid in cars is the same as in bikes, so you should be able to get it in Halfords ro similar.
Good luvk with bleeding the brakes - it can sometimes be tricky and it is very useful to have 2 pairs of hands to do it... Bleed kits seem to differ in effectiveness too.

HTH

Dot 4 is the standard fluid used. Personally I wouldn't use anything else.

Originally Posted by coombest

There are basically 2 choices...

DOT3 or DOT4
HTH

AND DOT 5 OR 5.1 THESE ARE FOR RACE OR BLOO*Y FAST ROAD RIDING BUT USUALLY USE DOT 4 ITS CHEAPER AND YOU CAN PICKIT UP FROM ANY CAR OR BIKE SHOP

sorry about using caps lock people i am not shouting just using a dos stock controll system and it needs caps

[Scoobs]

Originally Posted by Itching 2 go

AND DOT 5 OR 5.1 THESE ARE FOR RACE OR BLOO*Y FAST ROAD RIDING BUT USUALLY USE DOT 4 ITS CHEAPER AND YOU CAN PICKIT UP FROM ANY CAR OR BIKE SHOP

That's not right I2G. 5 and 5.1 are different animals. One of them will be ok the other won't! It will knacker the seals! Can't remember which way round it is though.

Stick to DOT 4. That's what it says on the reservoir cap. You won't go wrong then.

Originally Posted by Scoobs

That's not right I2G. 5 and 5.1 are different animals. One of them will be ok the other won't! It will knacker the seals! Can't remember which way round it is though.

Stick to DOT 4. That's what it says on the reservoir cap. You won't go wrong then.

you are right dot 5 needs ceramic seals and will need changing every couple of months dot 5.1 you can use with normal seals as it wont damage them and requests that you change it anually

Thanks for the advice dudes

I actually went for the 5.1 in the end (thanks for the recommendation Itchy), after chatting to someone else. I know now that I'll have to change it more often than the DOT 4, but it seems to be a better quality fluid for only a few quid more.

Right, off to my my hands dirty....

One other quick question to anyone that's had experience with the HEL braided hoses. Did you find that they seemed too long? I'm in the middle of fitting them at the mo, and they are a fair bit longer than the standard ones. Surely the idea is that you have as little slack as possible to allow for more effective braking??

They were just the right length for me. I have the HEL 3 line kit (2 for the front, 1 for the back).

The line for the back was much shorter than the others (obviously). The front left line is slightly longer than the front right.