Finally got the hang of setting up hydraulic disc brakes after a customer's comment

A regular at the shop in Portland told me I was rushing the lever bleed on his Shimano XT brakes, saying 'you gotta let the bubbles rise for a full minute, not just a quick pump.' I started timing it with my phone and the lever feel is SO much more solid now. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a job you thought you already knew?

4 comments

4 Comments

ivan7742mo ago

Wait, you were NOT waiting a full minute for the bubbles? What were you doing before, just a couple seconds? That's wild. I bet half the spongy levers out there are from that exact rush job. Makes me wonder what else I'm doing too fast.

faith_hart202mo ago

My old keyboard had a sticky spacebar from rushing the bubble step. Letting it sit the full minute fixed it completely, so now I'm a believer. Guess some steps just need that extra time.

finleyl399d ago

Honestly the full minute thing sounds like overkill to me. A few seconds is plenty unless you're shaking it like a maniac or using dollar store cleaner. My last keyboard lasted 4 years with like 10 second bubble times before a key finally gave out, and it wasn't even spongy it just got sticky from soda. The science says most bubbles do their work in the first 15-20 seconds anyway, after that you're just watching foam sit there. Bet half those "spongy levers" are from people mashing their keys too hard or eating over their boards, not from bubble time.

foster.jordan2mo ago

Half the spongy levers" feels like a stretch, idk. I mean, a couple seconds has always worked fine for me and my stuff turns out okay. Maybe it's just me but the full minute seems overkill.