Manual disk brake calipers to hydraulic disk brake calipers

DAMIEN1307

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Well, I finally went and did it...lol...I have been riding with manual cable actuated disk brake calipers for over a couple years now for about 1500 miles in total.

I bought a pair of hydraulic disk brake calipers from Amazon.com and put them on my bike this late morning, to early afternoon.

It's is just a direct replacement manual caliper to hydraulic caliper, nothing to recapitulate or having to adapt anything to do this.

These calipers have the hydraulic fluid already in them and are still used with your existing brake cable setup to actuate the hydraulic cylinders.

I just came back from a 10 mile test run with them and I can report that there is a dramatic difference in slowing and stopping power when pulling on the dual brake lever control.

I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought these for safety reasons, which was my motivation in upgrading my bikes systems...I was also sure to order a four pack of replacement brake pads while I was at it...Here is what I bought and put on, so far, very satisfied with the results.


 
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You should consider the ebike pads

They're the best ones I've found so far.

Kool Stop XTR M965/966 Disc Brake Pads for Electric Bikes https://a.co/d/8XjZ7ot
For now, I can stop on a dime and leave nine cents change...lol.

I will see how long these pads last miles/time wise, especially for the price I paid of 8 bucks for four sets of replacement pads...Those "Kool Pads" i'm sure are very "Kool"...For the guys that are charging outrageous money for them...lol...lol.

Almost 20 bucks for just one brake???...Almost 40 bucks for both brakes front and rear???...Bull Cookies, Buffalo Chips, and Meadow Muffins...lol...lol.

The most I would ever pay for those would be 20 bucks for both the front and rear pads and thats stretching it...lol.
 
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For now, I can stop on a dime and leave nine cents change...lol.

I will see how long these pads last miles/time wise, especially for the price I paid of 8 bucks for four sets of replacement pads...Those "Kool Pads" i'm sure are very "Kool"...For the guys that are charging outrageous money for them...lol...lol...Almost 20 bucks for just one brake???...Almost 40 bucks for both brakes front and rearr???...Bull Cookies, Buffalo Chips, and Meadow Muffins...lol...lol...The most I would ever pay for those would be 20 bucks for both the front and rear pads and thats stretching it...lol.
I went through the stock in less than 6 months. With the KoolStop ebike pads they're aren't even less than1/4 way worn after nearly 2 years. The stopping power is incredible.
 
I went through the stock in less than 6 months. With the KoolStop ebike pads they're aren't even less than1/4 way worn after nearly 2 years. The stopping power is incredible.
I should also add to this, even with the manual pull calipers I had, I replaced the front pads twice and the rear pads only once in 2.5 years and 1500 miles worth of riding...The front pads were only changed for the second time just last week I might add...The rears haven't been changed for over a year now and still have plenty of pad left on them when I inspected them when replacing the calipers.

I'm quite satisfied with that longevity for resin pads and for the little they cost to replace.

For the price Kool Pads is charging, I would expect them to last 4 times as long as what I am already using, and I'm sure they don't...lol.

I don't know how many miles a year you ride, but I have seen your videos...I ride mine much faster than you do, cruising most of the time at 35 MPH on average, and I would think I would wear out my brakes faster than you at the speeds I am going, yet seem to have much longer brake pad life than you do with stock pads for some strange reason.
 
Well, I finally went and did it...lol...I have been riding with manual cable actuated disk brake calipers for over a couple years now for about 1500 miles in total.

I bought a pair of hydraulic disk brake calipers from Amazon.com and put them on my bike this late morning, to early afternoon.

It's is just a direct replacement manual caliper to hydraulic caliper, nothing to recapitulate or having to adapt anything to do this.

These calipers have the hydraulic fluid already in them and are still used with your existing brake cable setup to actuate the hydraulic cylinders.

I just came back from a 10 mile test run with them and I can report that there is a dramatic difference in slowing and stopping power when pulling on the dual brake lever control.

I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought these for safety reasons, which was my motivation in upgrading my bikes systems...I was also sure to order a four pack of replacement brake pads while I was at it...Here is what I bought and put on, so far, very satisfied with the results.


Thanks for sharing! 👍

I'm considering upgrading my mechanical disk brake to hydraulic, but had never heard of these. They seem a hybrid system — hydraulic calipers activated by cable pull, correct? Do they require bleeding? Any drawbacks compared to a conventional hydraulic system? 🤔
 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
I should also add to this, even with the manual pull calipers I had, I replaced the front pads twice and the rear pads only once in 2.5 years and 1500 miles worth of riding...The front pads were only changed for the second time just last week I might add...The rears haven't been changed for over a year now and still have plenty of pad left on them when I inspected them when replacing the calipers.

I'm quite satisfied with that longevity for resin pads and for the little they cost to replace.

For the price Kool Pads is charging, I would expect them to last 4 times as long as what I am already using, and I'm sure they don't...lol.

I don't know how many miles a year you ride, but I have seen your videos...I ride mine much faster than you do, cruising most of the time at 35 MPH on average, and I would think I would wear out my brakes faster than you at the speeds I am going, yet seem to have much longer brake pad life than you do with stock pads for some strange reason.
In my case it isn't the mileage, it's coming down 30% grade hills with STOP signs at the bottom of them. On a few occasions with the Stock pads, I went through STOP signs because I couldn't slow down enough. I had pad dust all over my disc. With the ebike Kool Stop pads, I'm able to easily come to a stop on those same hills.

So from this one can conclude in the flat lands the cheaper pads are fine. In the mountains, one has to ask: Is your life worth $40?
 
In my case it isn't the mileage, it's coming down 30% grade hills with STOP signs at the bottom of them. On a few occasions with the Stock pads, I went through STOP signs because I couldn't slow down enough. I had pad dust all over my disc. With the ebike Kool Stop pads, I'm able to easily come to a stop on those same hills.

So from this one can conclude in the flat lands the cheaper pads are fine. In the mountains, one has to ask: Is your life worth $40?
I'm not going up and down the mountains I'm surrounded by, but part of Alamogordo is built up into the foothills where I am, so I am always going up and down the foothills...So far, So good, even when the calipers were not hydraulic assisted...I have always been able to stop well even at speed...With the hydraulics, I stop even faster now and I barely have to sqeeze the brake lever to do so now.

They seem a hybrid system — hydraulic calipers activated by cable pull, correct? Do they require bleeding?
There is a bleeder screw on them but I didn't have to do any bleeding at all...They worked perfectly right out of the box...I just made sure to put the cable into the actuator arm and pulled up on it to where the wheel would just be able spin freely and tighten it right there, it only takes just a hairs width pull was all that was required for full braking...Works perfectly and couldn't be more pleased...Wish I had done this change over sooner than I did...lol.
 
Well, I finally went and did it...lol...I have been riding with manual cable actuated disk brake calipers for over a couple years now for about 1500 miles in total.

I bought a pair of hydraulic disk brake calipers from Amazon.com and put them on my bike this late morning, to early afternoon.

It's is just a direct replacement manual caliper to hydraulic caliper, nothing to recapitulate or having to adapt anything to do this.

These calipers have the hydraulic fluid already in them and are still used with your existing brake cable setup to actuate the hydraulic cylinders.

I just came back from a 10 mile test run with them and I can report that there is a dramatic difference in slowing and stopping power when pulling on the dual brake lever control.

I'm glad I bit the bullet and bought these for safety reasons, which was my motivation in upgrading my bikes systems...I was also sure to order a four pack of replacement brake pads while I was at it...Here is what I bought and put on, so far, very satisfied with the results.


Well you better invest in another set of brake rotors, cause them shimano brake shoes look aggressive. Also dont they make some tooling for filling & bleeding that type of hydrualic brake caliper? Too me at $50 for the brake upgrade was a no brainer & great one at that. Nice setup!!! But there is 1 thing wrong!!! Wheres our pics?
 
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