Posible to Upgrade Mechanical Brakes to Hydraulic Brakes

[rsghowellnj]

JimInPT .... thank you for your response.  I will wind up ordering from Bolton as well.  I appreciate your feedback.  With regards to adjustments, I realize that adjustments will have to be made over time and at the beginning with cable stretch that all makes sense.  You bring up excellent points that making adjustments on the Juintech calipers are made simply without tools.  In the end, that sounds like it is going to be a better experience in the end.  Again thank you for your input.

[rsghowellnj]

Here is a good video showing how easy it is to do this upgrade yourself --> https://youtu.be/4Xa0zp37eXc

[Kari]

Kari,

Area13 appears to ship international.  I would drop them an email to info@boltonebikes.com to see if they will ship to your location.  I'm not sure if anyone else has come across  a Hydraulic Caliper in Europe that can advise you better.

It's just really expensive with delivery fees, customs fees and taxes.

[Omidia Ramin]

I got the hydraulic brakes from big game bikes, they're great, they have a motor cut off which for me was a deal breaker and shipping to canada is included!!

Highly recommend.

[Kari]

I got the hydraulic brakes from big game bikes, they're great, they have a motor cut off which for me was a deal breaker and shipping to canada is included!!

Highly recommend.

I also placed an order there yesterday. Additional charges were lower than I recalled.

[JTK77]

If you like excellent brakes I would suggest Magura MT5E. Pair them with big quality rotors and you have awesome braking power and modulation.

[Eric7]

Sharing my experience.  I am planning on putting in some V Brake Adapters that increase the cable pull length relative to lever pull - they are sometimes referred to as "Travel Agents"

https://amzn.to/3vGV5Jj

With this device - I don't have to adjust the cables often to compensate for wear and there is more clearance for the disc brake rotors.  And I feel like I don't need to use hydraulic brakes.  I don't do anything so technical that absolute precise brake control is needed.

I have experience with them on my touring nonelectric bike and it works well adapting my racing brake levers to V brakes.

It helps that my whole life I have a stronger than average grip.

[rsghowellnj]

I ordered the Juintech M1 hydraulic calipers from Area13 Ebikes and Jeff was kind enough to ship out that same day!

[Altema]

I installed my Juintech brakes this week. Maybe it's because I kept the Tectro brakes finely adjusted, but the Juintech brakes did not give me any more braking power. I contacted Area 13 about the issue, but they have not responded.

[malajo]

Why should it give more stopping-power?

Sent from my 2107113SG using Tapatalk

[JimInPT]

I installed my Juintech brakes this week. Maybe it's because I kept the Tectro brakes finely adjusted, but the Juintech brakes did not give me any more braking power. I contacted Area 13 about the issue, but they have not responded.

I've seen the same conclusion in more than one review of hybrid-hydraulic upgrades from all-mechanical, including Citizen Cycle doing it on his Rad Rover using the same Juintech calipers.  Not sure, but I think even Kyle from Area 13 mentioned this in his video of the kit and how to install it.

I think the reason is simply the amount of force that can be delivered to the caliper using a mechanical grip/cable vs. all-hydraulic where mechanical advantage can be designed into the lever mechanism's piston on the handlebar to put significant pressure into the line.  I used to do a bit of work with hydraulics and there is simply no other way to apply as much power in such a small space; it's amazing technology, as can be seen on any run-of-the-mill bulldozer.  Not just hydraulic-piston cylinders either; I've worked with hydraulic motors far smaller than electric motors rated at similar horsepower - if you need power in a small space, it's the way to go, at the cost of a potentially-messier and more-expensive system.

Anyway, I haven't installed mine on my MiniST2 yet, but I'm not expecting a dramatic improvement either.  What I'm hoping to find is much less need for adjustments, easier adjustment using that thumbscrew on the calipers and perhaps less chance of squeaking and other pad/rotor issues since the pads on the hydraulic caliber close in from both sides at once vs. the mechanical mechanism moving only one pad, thereby distorting the rotor just a tiny bit under braking.

So, no need to panic, but it'll be interesting to hear what Area 13 might say.

[rsghowellnj]

The Juintech M1 hydraulic calipers worked PERFECT!

[JimInPT]

Wow the The Juintech M1 hydraulic calipers seems like a really easy upgrade to do myself.  Has anyone been successful with this upgrade on a RAD bike that they could share their experience and how well they work?

I finally got mine installed today on the MiniST2 that's a little over a year old now.  The Bolton kit fits it just fine and it seems to grab firmly but I haven't road-tested yet due to wet weather.  But like many things, installation wasn't quite as simple as the Bolton installation vid shows, at least for a first-time brake upgrader.  Here's some notes for anybody interested:

- I think Rad used the same mechanical disc calipers across their model line until the new ones with full-hydraulic systems, so these should fit them all.  Mine (received a couple weeks ago) were branded with the current Area 13 logo and it looks fine.  Aside from a cutting / crimping tool (I used ViceGrips for the latter function), you'll only need a 5mm hex wrench and maybe some pliers to maneuver and adjust the cable.

- On the MiniST2, I reused the stock Rad spacer between the caliper and the frame; the two new spacers from Bolton weren't used and a Rad factory spacer was only on the front; on the rear the caliper bolts directly to the frame.  I also reused the stock bolts and didn't need any of the ones included by Bolton.  Based on this, I think the same would apply to all Rad models - just reuse the bolts and any spacers that are in place now.

- Before disassembling anything, memorize the existing hardware, take photos or notes to remember what's there and where it all goes back.

- When disassembling, pay attention to front spacer orientation (it's marked) and the bolts that hold the calipers in place on the frame, including the two washers on either side of the caliper.

- The bolts had blue medium-strength loctite on them; I put new drops on the ends of the bolts when reinstalling, just to be sure.

- There is also a very tiny little o-ring on the bolts at the bottom of the stack when the caliper/bolt assembly is removed from the frame; this keeps the washers from falling off during reinstallation, so remove it carefully and DON'T lose it, or reassembly will be a pain as washers try to fall off the bolt and roll away before the bolt threads engage the frame.

- On the rear caliper, the rearmost bolt is a BEAR to remove and reinstall due to interference from the MiniST2's frame near the brake rotor; you'll need a 6-8" long 5mm hex wrench to loosen and tighten it.  The rear front bolt (and both bolts on the front caliper) is easy; I don't own any 1/4" drive ratchets or extension that would fit with the rear bolt in place - too tight.  So be prepared to loosen/tighten that rear bolt 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time with a plain ol' skinny hex wrench, and it's a lot of turns due to being a fine-thread bolt.  Bring patience and watch your knuckles, but it's doable.

It took me about an hour in total, way more than the 10 minutes Cheerful Kyle mentions in his vid using a Rover,  to remove, replace and adjust everything but it's not difficult if you're comfortable with basic hand tools and once finished it looks good and so far seems just fine, although a road test awaits drier weather.  At this point, I think it's a decent upgrade if you want better brakes on a Rad bike.

UPDATE Apr 22nd
Just took her out for a few miles shakedown ride to test the new brakes, and I love 'em.  They work fine, are completely silent at both ends and they do provide a bit more stopping power, a noticeable amount, with just two-finger pressure on both.  Previously, I needed three fingers pulling on the rear brake for a strong stop.  As I recall, Altema reported not noticing much difference, but on my setup it's improved in both stopping power and grip strength applied.

I only needed to adjust the rear caliper a little bit for earlier engagement and more stopping power - easy to do with the adjustment knob on the caliper - a couple turns did the trick.

So far, so good and definitely recommended.

[JimInPT]

I installed my Juintech brakes this week. Maybe it's because I kept the Tectro brakes finely adjusted, but the Juintech brakes did not give me any more braking power. I contacted Area 13 about the issue, but they have not responded.

Altema, see my post just above this one; my new Juintechs from Bolton seem to have noticeably improved my stopping power on a MiniST2, but the rear brake was a little weak until I tightened the adjustment screw on the caliper about 2 turns to engage the brakes up on the grip a bit sooner.  That really improved the stopping power, so perhaps you might give that a try before removing them if you haven't already.

Front brake stopped like a brick wall right off the bat; I think I'd set the cable in the clamp mechanism just right and got lucky with that one.  It's only been a couple miles but so far I like 'em.

[Altema]

I installed my Juintech brakes this week. Maybe it's because I kept the Tectro brakes finely adjusted, but the Juintech brakes did not give me any more braking power. I contacted Area 13 about the issue, but they have not responded.

Altema, see my post just above this one; my new Juintechs from Bolton seem to have noticeably improved my stopping power on a MiniST2, but the rear brake was a little weak until I tightened the adjustment screw on the caliper about 2 turns to engage the brakes up on the grip a bit sooner.  That really improved the stopping power, so perhaps you might give that a try before removing them if you haven't already.

Front brake stopped like a brick wall right off the bat; I think I'd set the cable in the clamp mechanism just right and got lucky with that one.  It's only been a couple miles but so far I like 'em.

I may try that. I contacted Bolton and they said they would do an exchange for their full hydraulic system, so that offer is on the table. Thanks for the info!