Sticky Brakes

maconsid

Maddening issue - My rear ultegra 6800 brakes are sticking on release! To date I've done the following:

• Lubed brake cables
• Replaced brake cables and housing
• Detached brake calipers, soaked and cleaned them with a small toothbrush!

These lessened the problem slightly, but no solution. Whenever I release the brakes to pop out a little but not all the way (I can pull them out with my hand to snap them to fully open). They stick enough that I get rim rub until they shake loose.

I haven't attempted to dismantle them yet.

There's about 15-20000km on them.

koutoubia

Probably the return spring getting ' lazy'. Not sure if you can replace the spring on them but you probably need new calipers.

clog

There is spring tension adjustment on 6800 brakes its the little allen key screw on top beside the spring.

see shimano docs here pg21

http://si.shimano.com/php/download.php?file=pdf/dm/DM-BR0003-02-ENG.pdf
  

07Lapierre

How old is the caliper?

You will have to dis-assemble the caliper completely...clean it, lube it and reassemble it.

check_six

07Lapierre wrote: »

How old is the caliper?

You will have to dis-assemble the caliper completely...clean it, lube it and reassemble it.

I had to do this with mine. Total tear-down required to remove the muck in between the different components. Make sure you look up how to do this beforehand! Did work a treat mind you.

maconsid

Thanks. I think its a tear down job which I hope doesn't result in brake-age!

Other than the that last bit of release it moves freely, so I suspect I might have to just invest when the dismantled clean doesn't solve it.

Its had a short but busy life. 20,000 km and prob as many traffic lights (I stop!)

07Lapierre

maconsid wrote: »

Thanks. I think its a tear down job which I hope doesn't result in brake-age!

Other than the that last bit of release it moves freely, so I suspect I might have to just invest when the dismantled clean doesn't solve it.

Its had a short but busy life. 20,000 km and prob as many traffic lights (I stop!)

Definitely a strip down type repair needed!

Type 17

Lots of road bike brakes of this type have small steel washers in the pivots, to prevent wear on the aluminium parts and, especially if you don't have mudguards that protect the brakes from road-spray, you can expect these steel washers to corrode and expand, making the brakes stiff.
A full strip-down and clean-up with grease used on reassembly will cure things. If your brakes are still ok, be sure to lube the pivots with oil regularly to prevent/delay the onset of stiffness - people concentrate on the lubrication/cleaning of the chain, but forget about the brakes and the front derailleur (which gets drowned by the rear wheel unless full mudguards are fitted).

T-Maxx

You need a new bike. Obviously.