I've serviced my brakes and there still very woolly.

I serviced my front brakes this weekend, changed the seals as there was salt and other white powder behind the dust seal sticking the brakes. Replaced the pads, changed all the brake fluid and bled them correctly but still they are spongey as hell. Don't get any bite until the leaver is almost closed, can anyone help?

Anyone.. please help me...
Had to drive in via the Merc today.. added half a hour to my journey.

Originally Posted by Grinch

Anyone.. please help me...
Had to drive in via the Merc today.. added half a hour to my journey.

Have you tried really pumping the brake lever for a while?

Originally Posted by wyrdness

Have you tried really pumping the brake lever for a while?

Been doing loads of pumping.. I'm a bit sick of it now.. I was planning on draining it all and starting again... though there might be air trapped up buy the leaver and resivour lines... as I'm not getting any air when I'm bleding them.

Originally Posted by Grinch

Been doing loads of pumping.. I'm a bit sick of it now.. I was planning on draining it all and starting again... though there might be air trapped up buy the leaver and resivour lines... as I'm not getting any air when I'm bleding them.

I've been told that binding the lever to the bar overnight can cure that, but I've never tried it. Can anyone confirm it?

Have you got a bleeder valve? I have one you can borrow. Makes bleeding a little easier. Don't completely empty the reservoir as it will take ages again. Just keep topping up to rebleed. Try tying the brake lever back to the bars over night. The pressure in the lines will make any trapped air rise to the reservoir.

Give me a bell and I will pop the valve round and give you a hand if you want. Sorry I could not help at the weekend mate, but I was seriously snowed. Mrs Scoobs has got me a whole host of decorating to get on with. Joy!

Originally Posted by Scoobs

Have you got a bleeder valve? I have one you can borrow. Makes bleeding a little easier. Don't completely empty the reservoir as it will take ages again. Just keep topping up to rebleed. Try tying the brake lever back to the bars over night. The pressure in the lines will make any trapped air rise to the reservoir.

Give me a bell and I will pop the valve round and give you a hand if you want. Sorry I could not help at the weekend mate, but I was seriously snowed. Mrs Scoobs has got me a whole host of decorating to get on with. Joy!

Thanks that would be great, I've tried the 'tying the leaver back' trick and it still very spongy. The whole thing sucks...

1. Are both calipers free to move sideways on the mounting plate posts? I found that too much grease in the holes can actually cause a hydraulic lock and stop them moving. This means the disks end up moving to meet the caliper rather than the caliper to the disks.

2. Have you had new hoses recently? I saw that the Suzuki service schedule calls for them to be replaced every two years! Mine are now 5 1/2 years old and the brake lever is somewhat spongy, but still a two finger stopper (though three by pref as my pinkies are small and short).

I say this from having gone through all this myself recently - complete change of fluid and thorough bleed - and still spongy.

turn bars t the left full lock.tap all the lines and calipers with a screw driver handle or similar to dislodge air bubbles. remove res cap. careful with the fluid! very very slowly squeeze the brake lever.any bubbles which have risen up the lines to the mcyl will rest on the end of the mcyl piston and as u slowly move the lever they get pushed forward a tiny bit until they escape up the tiny little hole leading to the reservoir. repeat until ur happy/fed up. Might be worth removing the calipers and leaving em dangle vertically with an old pad between the new ones to take the place of the disc while u do this.Think like a bubble!

Originally Posted by jonacol

turn bars t the left full lock.tap all the lines and calipers with a screw driver handle or similar to dislodge air bubbles. remove res cap. careful with the fluid! very very slowly squeeze the brake lever.any bubbles which have risen up the lines to the mcyl will rest on the end of the mcyl piston and as u slowly move the lever they get pushed forward a tiny bit until they escape up the tiny little hole leading to the reservoir. repeat until ur happy/fed up. Might be worth removing the calipers and leaving em dangle vertically with an old pad between the new ones to take the place of the disc while u do this.Think like a bubble!

I'll give that a go, and I have hel braided lines, had them replace 2 years ago. And its new grease on the mounting posts which seem to move just fine......