Sram Level brakes
- Thread starter Ant1969
- Start date
A few things to consider first:
1. Are your current brakes setup well i.e. decent bleed, pads not contaminated ?
2. What kind of riding do you do and what bike ?
3. How heavy are you ?
4. Where/when do you find the brakes don't have enough stopping power i.e. are you wanting more initial bite (feel of power) or do they fade on long descents, for example ?
Unless your issue is brake fade on long descents, I doubt ice-tech rotors will change anything, even then they may not. Large discs would help but make sure your fork is rated for 200mm discs first (see above re type of bike).
1. Are your current brakes setup well i.e. decent bleed, pads not contaminated ?
2. What kind of riding do you do and what bike ?
3. How heavy are you ?
4. Where/when do you find the brakes don't have enough stopping power i.e. are you wanting more initial bite (feel of power) or do they fade on long descents, for example ?
Unless your issue is brake fade on long descents, I doubt ice-tech rotors will change anything, even then they may not. Large discs would help but make sure your fork is rated for 200mm discs first (see above re type of bike).
Nambra
Definitely should have gone to specsavers
Good advice from both Minlak and creaky. Having owned Guide brakes I can tell you that changing from organic to metal pads makes a huge difference. Just make sure the rotors are suitable for metal pads.
Also, the levels may need a bleed - once a year is usually about right. The DOT brake fluid is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture over time, which impacts performance.
Also, the levels may need a bleed - once a year is usually about right. The DOT brake fluid is hydroscopic and absorbs moisture over time, which impacts performance.
JTmofo
XC Enthusiast
I am a huge Hopetech fanboi..... but I haven't changed my Guides RS for Hope because its wasn't worth the money.
Buy a bleed kit and learn how to bleed Guides properly (and often) and you have nearly as much stopping power as E4 with a little less lever feedback and feel.
I am pleasantly surprised well my Guides pull me up......
Cheers all will change to metallic discs and get them bled to start with as the duscs are rated for both. As gor me i ride bushtrail singletrack some hairy some tame and the brakes fade on longer stewp descents and it dont help im a fat bastard but rectifying that at present but slowly lol cheers Ant
Minlak
custom titis
As the designated Hope re-enforcer (It is my job to follow behind JTmofo and re-enforce how good hopes are). This is exactly my thinking on my current Sram RS brakes. I cant see the justification for paying for HOPES at the moment. I have the 2016 RS Guides and about to get them replaced under warranty(2016 had a design issue and this is brand new old bike). Then just going to use them
link1896
Mr Greenfield
I've ridden a mates Tech 3 V4. maybe 10-15% more power then RSC, but RSC will die a lot earlier form dirt getting into the master piston seals, I have little faith. If you already own RS/RSC its not worth swapping to Tech3/V4 at the price difference. I'd love to myself
Ant, swap to metallic or semi metallic pads at the same time you go bigger rotors. Is your fork rated for 200mm front rotors?
Ant, swap to metallic or semi metallic pads at the same time you go bigger rotors. Is your fork rated for 200mm front rotors?
Yes mate it is
link1896
Mr Greenfield
Sram centerlines are great.
https://www.sram.com/avid/products/centerline-rotor#sm.0003iv6pv1ag5fi9tnj21nwpuccmm
tkdbboy
Likes Dirt
Check out DiscoBrakes components. Their pads, discs and items in general are bang for buck.
They usually have a 20 or so percent off sale so keep an eye out for that.
I'm only using their plain 200 and 180 rotors which have been great. Planning to use their pads when mine wear out.
Edit: DiscoBrakes , not uberbikes. Damn Fridays
They usually have a 20 or so percent off sale so keep an eye out for that.
I'm only using their plain 200 and 180 rotors which have been great. Planning to use their pads when mine wear out.
Edit: DiscoBrakes , not uberbikes. Damn Fridays
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Oddjob
Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
You can improve your brakes in order of effectiveness:
1. A good bleed.
2. Good sintered pads. Clarks, goodridge and swisstop are good. Search for feedback on other brands.
3. Bigger rotors preferably floating so they resist warping when hot. Hope are best but I've had success with Clarks.
4. Braided brakelines. Goodridge with stainless steel hardware is best. The Discobrake lines look good too.
By the time you've done all that you can practically buy new brakes. But if you started with something like Saints or Hopes...
Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
1. A good bleed.
2. Good sintered pads. Clarks, goodridge and swisstop are good. Search for feedback on other brands.
3. Bigger rotors preferably floating so they resist warping when hot. Hope are best but I've had success with Clarks.
4. Braided brakelines. Goodridge with stainless steel hardware is best. The Discobrake lines look good too.
By the time you've done all that you can practically buy new brakes. But if you started with something like Saints or Hopes...
Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
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The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
The key word here is "almost", indicating that there are exceptions. And here is a probable exception. IceTech rotors have quite long arms on the aluminium spider, which foul on some calipers. Avid Elixir and DB calipers definitely do not play with IceTech rotors, because the caliper depth hits the tips of the spider arms. I haven't observed attempts to fit the Levels with them, but given they are the current direct replacement for the Elixir and DB series brakes, and appear to share similar caliper dimensions, including the critical depth, it is a fair assumption that they will be similarly incompatible.