|   Broke Brake out of the Box | G-reg
Jul 26, 2003 7:35 PM | | I just picked up some Hayes HMX COMP disks for my all-round-play bike. They were only 170 from a big mail order, a buyout of OE overstock they say. Well, the rotors/calipers/cables are all familiar items. But the levers make me think of the phrase, "You get what you pay for." The body is plastic, and flexes when you pull the lever hard enough. The split clamp bolts look like woodscrews that self tap into the plastic lever body, probably not helping the flex issue. The levers themselves have 3-4mm (not exaggerating) of play in just about every plane around the pivot and the piston. Did I get hosed with a bad set of levers, or are they all this crappy. And the kit didn't come with any shims for setting up the calipers. Ranting aside, the power and modulation feel like other Hayes it's just the levers that seem waaaay under par. Are all the various Hayes levers interchangeable(piston-size, leverage rations, etc), and do they sell them separately anywhere? |
| Find a way to return them, if it isnt too late. | sdbullock
Jul 26, 2003 8:11 PM | | Avid mechs can be had for 140 a set on Jenson, though they dont come with levers, They will ultimately prove to be MUCH better than those Hayes mechs. Or, if all else fails, $25 will get you a set of SD7 levers, and these will make those Hayes at least tolerable. |
| Hmmmm... | Sparty
Jul 26, 2003 8:25 PM | | Is that a mechanical (cable) brake lever in the picture? It looks like a hydraulic lever to me. You mention piston size, which further makes me wonder if you're talking about hydro brakes. The HMX is Hayes designation for their mechanical brake, right?
--Sparty |
| Those look like... | Quattro
Jul 29, 2003 5:59 AM | | The HFX Comp levers(hydro). |
| Hey! I had those brakes.... | Ryan C.
Jul 26, 2003 9:50 PM | | and boy did they suck. I shared your skeptisism on the plastic levers, they did flex a lot. Unfortunately, The lever and lever body are not compatible with the Mag brakes (only the master cylinder cartridge). They may, however, be compatible with the HFX-9 brakes which use an aluminum body (hmmmm, but they use a different MC cartridge, so maybe they're not compatible). I had a heap of problems with HFX Comp brakes. Busted two lines (the silver ones, looks like you have the more durable black lines) and ended with a leaky bladder that constantly allowed air to get into the system, which I came to realize when I practicly had to bleed the brakes every ride. I might have just been unlucky, but Hayes stopped making that brake, so maybe others had problems? Who knows. I got rid of the lever play by putting a 2mm washer underneath the brake lever pivot bolt and then tightening it a little more.
Sounds like you got those brakes cheap, so I wouldn't be too concerned. Unfortunately, those brakes were such a nightmare for me that I'm leery to try another hydraulic brake for while. I'm an Avid convert now.
-Ryan |
| re: Broke Brake out of the Box | G-reg
Jul 27, 2003 7:59 AM | | Thanks Ryan, that was the info I was looking for. I'm going to try and shim the lever, but if it starts sucking in air they are gone. I'll upgrade at some point and have some spart parts. |
| These things continue to amaze | G-reg
Jul 28, 2003 6:21 AM | | As soon as I can wip these brakes off my bike and mail them back I'm going to. I was going to shim the levers, bleed them, and shorten the rear line. But on my ride to the shop I noticed the pads would move in the caliper fore and aft with the rotor. If you squeeze the lever and move the wheel you are braking, there is a degree or two of rotation as the pads slop around in the rotor. So screw the shimming/bleeding. These brakes are goin' back. Moral of the story, you get what you pay for. Don't pay a cent for the Hayes Comps. |
| Actually, slight movement of the pads under the condition... | AndyH
Jul 28, 2003 7:22 AM | | ...you describe has been noted to be "normal" and has been noted to happen with several brands of disc brakes. |
| These things continue to amaze | G-reg
Jul 28, 2003 8:18 AM | | "there is a degree or two of rotation as the pads slop around in the rotor." I ment to say "there is a degree or two of rotation as the pads slop around in the CALIPER." And I'm pretty sure it's not normal. |
| I know I've read about this happening with other discs [NM] | AndyH
Jul 28, 2003 10:34 AM | | |
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