Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

It absorbs moisture so a few years means it'll be past it's best, but buy whatever cheap 5.1 you can find that won't still have loads left in a couple of years.

They beauty of DOT is that it's (one of the few) standardised things used for bikes; there is absolutely no difference between brands, just the packaging and price. Fuck Halfrauds though, go buy some from your local motorbike shop or something instead, even if it's a few quid more. It's still cheaper than buying SRAM stuff

My discs on my gravel bike (GRX calipers) are making a weird noise under heavy braking. Brakes still seem to work well but the noise is a bit odd.

Best I can describe it is the bubbling noise that a water cooler makes after you use it…pads don’t look worn and performance is still there. Any ideas?

Check your caliper alignment, and make sure the pistons are balanced so both pads strike the rotor simultaneously

The TRP Hylex has a lovely feature that you can change the lever distance via a little grub screw in the lever.

However, one of my levers keeps creeping forward a few mm a day, so I have to keep turning it in again every few days.

Will anything bad happen if I carefully unscrew the whole screw to put a blob of loctite on, then screw back in?

Guessing it'll all be fine?

Edit - screw doesn't come out, but I unscrewed it as far as I could and used a cocktail stick to put a drop onto the thread.

Like 'zer zer zer zer' ?

Can be quite a few problem, check that the caliper is tight, rotor bolts not loose, take pads out and check for uneven wear and if pads are correct fit for caliper.

Shimano fluid disc brakes, is it still safe to use baby oil in them or is it still lhm/lhm+ or trolley jack oil preferred.

It's a known bodge which works if needed, that said, flush it out and replace as soon as possible.

Seems a few (claimed) mechanics have done the baby oil and it was fine... But I have done the lhm/lhm+ in the past and has been fine to the best of my knowledge. Now that lhm is expensive (as I have run out) was looking the hydraulic oil used in trolley jacks.

I did not sign off on it as I've never done it myself. 1L bottle of Shimano fluid is cheap enough so I'll never ever have to bother using anything else.

Hence my caveat of replacing it as soon as possible, maybe I should give it a good go with baby oil and report back?

Got 2 spares to rebuild so might just do that.

Honestly not sure of the baby oil, but a search shows lots of mechanics and engineers 'allegedly' so don't know. As I have met lots of alleged mechanics who do lots of stuff that is wrong such as using copper ease and red rubber grease incorrectly.

The lhm/lhm+ stuff has similar properties, I think, but then there have been recent batches of comma brand lhm that froze when left outside in the UK, so am a bit concerned.

Tempted to see how Halfords charge for a service, see if they use Shimano oil or the Halfords version.

EDIT liter of the stuff is 14 quid...want to split a bottle? Only have three hydraulic brakes to deal with so maybe a flush and new fluid is a good point.

There plenty of cheap, bike brake specific mineral oils around so I wouldn't bother fucking about with anything else. If not Shimano then finishline or whatever else will at least be similar in viscosity and with additives for protecting seals and working at the right temperatures.

Any links?

Not that don't involve me using Google instead of you.

Not replied earlier as I was hoping for a recommendation for a supplier. Do you have Shimano hydraulic brakes, have you changed the fluid? Who did you use for a supplier.

I would have to buy lhm or hydraulic fluid, so prices are similar for a liter of the Shimano stuff.

Is bike tart a good source?

I use Shimano stuff, I'd recommend that, but any bike specific mineral oil will be bike specific at least, anything else will probably work to a degree but may or may not be too thick or thin or have additives that may not be ideal for the seals or work as well at temperature. You'd have to test your other options to see how they work if no one else has already.

Right, where do you get this magical
elixir from. Please share a source ot don't say Google as I can do that search.

I asked as as I was hoping for a recommendation for a supplier of the fluid. Even asking about biketart.

If you have nothing to add why reply?

Yep Bike Tart are fine for Shimano stuff. I've also used the fluid by epic bleed solutions, direct from their website. I also often order both from Amazon.

Direct from Madison with a trade account. You were very much not clear in your questioning or I misunderstood as it was muddled up with talk of baby oil and different fluids.

it was muddled up with baby oil and different fluids.

Sounds like a typical Saturday night

All too typical.

So decided to be lazy and just pay someone to do fluid change. As I can't find my bleed syringes and can't remember if it was used for brake fluid or mineral oil.

What should I be looking at for a simple fluid change? Would it be ok just to deliver the brake set up, caliper pipe and lever for them to do the replacement.

Balfe bikes on Essex road only sell finish line, but wouldn't say what they used as I did ask do they use Shimano oil, the mechanic say all hydraulic oils are the same. First a price of £10 was mentioned for a bleed and then the started talking about a brake service at @£60.

Halfords use their own brand stuff on their work.

Do you guys know of anywhere that will use Shimano stuff?

Have found I have a bottle of febi yellow hydraulic fluid was think just sticking that in as it is mineral oil and be done.

The workshop at Hop does, pretty sure many if not most do too.

Would they be ok with handing them a cleaned set up and replacing the fluid? There is none in there now.

As £60 is a joke when I can buy a complete sram level bike set up for £44 delivered.

the mechanic say all hydraulic oils are the same.

They're not, but the bike specific ones are close enough that they all work well enough as that's what they're meant to do. Finish line is fine, no idea if the random stuff for old cars is the right viscosity or will look after the seals or work at bike braking temperatures.
£10 is very cheap, £60 is probably too much as there won't be any real stripping down if anything but I'm not London.