DIY demonstration of hydraulic brake lining replacement and easy adjustment

Disc brakes are now gradually becoming mainstream, and more and more models will be equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. Powerful braking force, smooth feel, and even high efficiency on rainy days are its advantages. It requires relatively high technical skills, so many people are afraid of DIY in this part. In fact, if the oil injection part is not involved, the process of simply changing the ream is not so difficult. Today, let us teach you how to use common tools to replace the ream and make simple adjustments!

DIY demonstration of hydraulic brake lining replacement and easy adjustment


List of tools

Pointed pliers, a new lining, and a hexagonal wrench are all you need to carry out the replacement.

About the caliper

First of all, find the location of the caliper. There is a safety pin on the top, the pin may be a screw or a simple wire pin, use the correct tool to remove it, pay careful attention and do not use too much force here, to avoid injury.

The place pointed out in the picture is the safety pin for the lining and the caliper.
This bike uses a simple wire pin version, which can be straightened with the pointed pliers and pulled out.
105 system caliper
This caliper uses screws, and the tool used here is a flat-head screwdriver.

The body of the caliper is fixed to the frame with two large screws. You can loosen these two screws to remove the caliper, so that you can work without taking off the wheel, but then you have to readjust the caliper position. You can choose your own way of working that is convenient and you are most accustomed to. If the wheel is taken out, remember when installing it back knock twice on the outer tire to confirm that both axles are completely in the hooks. (Make sure the wheel is straight)

image of caliper
Below, the red object in the picture is the disc brake caliper, which is fixed to the frame with two large screws.

Remove the lining plate

There are two major points here:

The first point: after the caliper leaves the disc, do not press the brake handle again, otherwise it will cause the piston to close, and it will be difficult to take off the lining plate or even cause an oil leak.

The second point: To check how to dismantle and how to put it back on, the best way is to take a photo first as a reminder, as you may forget where things go.

After taking off the wheel, there is no disc blocking it, so pressing the brake handle will close the gap and even cause an oil leak.
photo record
Sometimes when you do something else in the middle of the process or get mixed up, you may forget how it was originally installed.
Before dismantling, take a picture to record it.

Next, take off the lining plate. There are many kinds of lining plate, and each can be different. The model we are using is the most common style, with a spring plate clamped in the middle.

Then take the old lining piece to the bike store and ask for the exact same one. Any difference in size, shape, or model number will not fit, so people who buy their linings online should be especially careful about this.

take out the whole set to make the piece
After removing the pins, you can easily take out the entire set of lining plates.
lining close up
Once you have removed the old one, you can go to the bike shop and get a new one!
shimano技術手冊來令片部分
There are many different types and brands of lining. The shopkeeper may not be able to tell you the correct one if you have nothing to show.

Putting back the lining plate

We need to understand the working concept before we put it on. The hydraulic disc relies on the piston to squeeze and hold the disc, so, after we put on a new, thicker disc, we need to push the piston back to have enough space to accommodate the new disc.There is aspecial tool for pushing the piston back, but most people don't have one at home, and they don't carry one when they are traveling. Here are two suggested ways.

Special tool: IceToolz 54B1 hydraulic disc brake piston push rod
special tool:IceToolz 54B1 hydraulic disc brake piston push rod
without pushing back the piston, directly install the new incoming film
Install the new lining plate directly, obviously there will be no space to put the disc directly into the disc (wheel)

In the first method, you can directly install the lining piece, by using a flat-head screwdriver to squeeze the lining piece and pushing back the piston. The disadvantage is that it will slightly damage the lining.

Use a flathead scewdiver to squeeze back the piston
You can use a flat-head screwdriver to push it back

The second method, if there is no special tool when you are out in the field, you can remove the quick release rod, push it deep into the piston, and then push the piston back to the end, now you can re-install the liner.

Use the quick release lever to push back the piston
If the shape of the quick release rod is suitable, it can also be used as a tool to push back the piston when repairing out in the field.

When putting it back, make sure the holes on both sides of the piston and the pin holes on the caliper are in line, so that light can come through. Check again to see if there is room for the disc before putting the pins in.

opening holes in the same line
Once the holes in the pins on the calipers, the two lining plates, and the hole in the spring plate (if any) are all in the same line, the pins can be inserted and fixed.

Reinstall in the same way as it was before disassembly or go back and look at the photos if you forget. First find the approximate position where the disc will not rub and lock the caliper (this is when doing it without removing the rear wheel, while removing the caliper to replace the liner), or put back the rear wheel so that the disc enters the gap between the caliper liner. When this step has been done, you can press the brake lever again. Press the brake lever a few times until it feels right.


Adjust the position of the caliper so that it does not rub on the disc

Next, loosen the caliper screw slightly. The calipers have some room for left and right adjustment, so that the discs will be pressed evenly when the brakes are applied, and that they will not rub on the lining when loosened. This step requires good eyesight and concentration!

調整卡鉗位置
Once the large screw of the two clamp locking brackets is loosened, it can be finely adjusted left and right.
Adjust it to a position where the discs will not rub and the discs will not be deformed when braking, and finally remember to lock the screws back in place.

You can also tighten the screws when you press the brakes, and then fine tune the settings. Test a few times to make sure the wheels are centered, the screws are locked and secured, and there is no problem with the operation and no strange noise.

The above is a relatively basic demonstration. If there is a problem with the specifications, leaking oil or air getting in, skewed disc wear, then it is recommended to take the bike to a service center. The brakes are very important when it comes to your safety, so use good quality materials, be very careful with the adjustments, and do seek expert advice if there is any doubt.

Bone Talk
Receive exclusive news, updates & more.

Please enter a valid email address.