sram code rsc bleeding

[Razorx]

I’m currently having some trouble with SRAM Code RSC brakes and bleeding them. I like it when the brake engages very early — that there isn’t much dead space in the lever before it bites.


SRAM’s advice is to screw the contact point adjustment “all the way out” before starting the bleed process. But when I follow their instructions, I can never set the bite point as early as I want. No matter how much I adjust the bite point, the lever still pulls relatively far in before it engages.


SRAM also suggests that as a final step, after closing the Bleeding Edge port, you should apply a bit of pressure to the syringe at the lever. I find that very tricky, because as soon as you unscrew the syringe from the lever, a lot of oil just spills out.


So the last time I tried, I went against their instructions. Instead of screwing the bite point adjustment on the lever all the way out, I did the exact opposite. I screwed it so the bite point was all the way in — so it almost touches the handlebar when I press the lever.
My thinking was that this would give a bit more space for oil behind the pistons and therefore remove the dead space at the lever.


Then, for the last part of the bleeding process, I finished from the Bleeding Edge port at the caliper. I removed the syringe and reinstalled the screw at the lever, and then I “pressurized” the system from below through the Bleeding Edge port. While holding a bit of pressure, I closed the Bleeding Edge port.


I was very happy with the result. The lever engaged almost immediately, and the adjustment range for the bite point became much better.


However, after about two weeks it feels like the bite point has slowly started to move closer to the lever again. I’m wondering if I should just try adding a bit more oil from the Bleeding Edge port again and not the the whole process?

 

[Weeksy]

so you can do exactly what you did, but also you can advance the pads slightly, remove the wheel and pull the lever once, that moves them closer together.... Then you'll have pad clearance issues/rubbing potentially, but the lever pull will be INSTANT ! lol. As always, it's a slight compromise depending on your goals.

 

[mooby77]

so you can do exactly what you did, but also you can advance the pads slightly, remove the wheel and pull the lever once, that moves them closer together.... Then you'll have pad clearance issues/rubbing potentially, but the lever pull will be INSTANT ! lol. As always, it's a slight compromise depending on your goals.

or better still get rid of em Codes are PITA

 

[Weeksy]

or better still get rid of em Codes are PITA

Not really, they're prefectly decent mostly. Used them for years and years without any issues at all.

 

[mike172]

or better still get rid of em Codes are PITA

They really aren't.

 

[dirt-diggler]

I think with codes once you work out how to bleed them to feel how you want then it becomes easy.

I don't touch the bite point adjust when I bleed them, I always remove the lever end syringe first and close the bleeding edge port, once the front syringe is removed I reckon re open the bleeding edge port and force a little fluid back up and then shut it. This always works for me and has done for many years, I have code's on all of my bikes.

 

[mike172]

so you can do exactly what you did, but also you can advance the pads slightly, remove the wheel and pull the lever once, that moves them closer together.... Then you'll have pad clearance issues/rubbing potentially, but the lever pull will be INSTANT ! lol. As always, it's a slight compromise depending on your goals.

Ive had issues advancing the pads like this, especially with Maverns, Hope Tech4v4 the same. Found it best to use a proper bleed block and do a proper bleed, pistons lubricated (massaged), pushing and pulling fluid several times (I probably do 10+ pull/push cycles).

After a ride or two I always do a lever and caliper burp using a bleed block again, and re-pressurise the system at the caliper as Sram recommends again.

I let the syringe settle after forcing fluid in, rather than over bleeding (forcing fluid in with the syringe then closing the system with the syringe depressed with my thumb) as that can cause the diaphragm to seep/leak.

If the lever is pulling in too far again its probably air or you need new pads, or you might need to do a piston massage. I have two sets of RSC Ultimate's on an Enduro and Demo and they have been maintenance free aside from a yearly bleed/massage.

In fact I was going to replace my maverns with codes. Cool story.

 

[RustyIron]

after about two weeks it feels like the bite point has slowly started to move closer to the lever again.

This is a common complaint among riders, and I've found it particularly frustrating with SRAM brakes. The symptom is exactly what one would expect. In a nutshell, the design engineers at SRAM selected their square-cut seal to deform a certain amount and to retract a certain amount. The pistons pull back exactly the way they want. They want all that pad clearance, and they want all that lever travel. There is no randomness involved.

Riders can futz around by "pressurizing" the system or by removing a wheel and "overextending" the pistons, but that's just a temporary measure. As pad wear occurs and the system goes through many cycles, the pad clearance returns to normal and your left with a lot of lever travel.

Remember, the piston extends through the seal when the movement is greater than the deformation of the seal and the friction between the two. This is how the piston extends as the pads wear.

You can increase the piston extension by reducing the friction between it and the seal. Accomplishing this is similar to reducing friction on many mechanical devices. Disassemble can clean everything antiseptically. You'll often find a build-up of crud on the pistons. Clean this off entirely. Then polish the pistons. I've found automotive polishing compound to be satisfactory. Most of the time, this is sufficient to solve the symptom that is bothering you. I like to go one step further and apply a little bit of silicone grease. The silicone is immiscible in glycol brake fluid and mineral oil. It's perfect for this application.

You know you've done a good job when you can extend the pistons out with the brake lever, and easily push them back in with your finger. If you can't easily push them back in with your finger, you're not finished.

All brakes can develop this symptom over time, as things get dirty and the seals get old and hard. A little bit of thoughtful maintenance can improve things greatly.

 

[Dax]

Bin them. Those codes are dangerous. Had the contact point disconnect from the lever and cause zero brake effort.

 

[KillerbeeDH]

I did the exact opposite. I screwed it so the bite point was all the way in — so it almost touches the handlebar when I press the lever.

What you are trying to do is reduce free stroke.

I think you are confused about the adjustments. Reach adjust is what moves the lever significantly in relation to the bar. Moving this before bleed will not affect your final "free stroke" in the slightest. The bite point adjuster has a completely different function, mostly reducing "dead stroke", which is different than free stroke.

In any event, the simplest way to accomplish what you are trying to do is turn bite point all the way out, remove the wheel (or the caliper) and squeeze the lever to the bar 1-3 times. You may have to re-center the caliper after this, but you never have to open the system. You can have the smallest free stroke you want, pad rub is what you will run into. Just remember this will not be permanent, and you may need to repeat as the pads wear.

 

[Razorx]

What you are trying to do is reduce free stroke.

I think you are confused about the adjustments. Reach adjust is what moves the lever significantly in relation to the bar. Moving this before bleed will not affect your final "free stroke" in the slightest. The bite point adjuster has a completely different function, mostly reducing "dead stroke", which is different than free stroke.

In any event, the simplest way to accomplish what you are trying to do is turn bite point all the way out, remove the wheel (or the caliper) and squeeze the lever to the bar 1-3 times. You may have to re-center the caliper after this, but you never have to open the system. You can have the smallest free stroke you want, pad rub is what you will run into. Just remember this will not be permanent, and you may need to repeat as the pads wear.

Yes i might be confused hehe... Yes i want almost none freestroke.

Both pads are very close to the disc so not much more to do.


So whats the diffrence in dead stroke and free stroke

 

[KillerbeeDH]

Yes i might be confused hehe... Yes i want almost none freestroke.

Both pads are very close to the disc so not much more to do.


So whats the diffrence in dead stroke and free stroke

Dead stroke is how far the lever is pulled with no movement of the pistons. All brakes have this, though it is minimized in design on the drawing board. The caliper pistons start to move when the master piston covers the bypass port.

Free stroke is the movement of the lever from this point to pad contact.

Most people just use the term free stroke as it is the larger of the 2. While most brakes have a very small dead stroke, for some it is significant.

Hope tech 4 handles, for example, have significant dead stroke, and the pad contact adjuster only reduces dead stroke.

 

[top6491]

I’m currently having some trouble with SRAM Code RSC brakes and bleeding them. I like it when the brake engages very early — that there isn’t much dead space in the lever before it bites.


SRAM’s advice is to screw the contact point adjustment “all the way out” before starting the bleed process. But when I follow their instructions, I can never set the bite point as early as I want. No matter how much I adjust the bite point, the lever still pulls relatively far in before it engages.


SRAM also suggests that as a final step, after closing the Bleeding Edge port, you should apply a bit of pressure to the syringe at the lever. I find that very tricky, because as soon as you unscrew the syringe from the lever, a lot of oil just spills out.


So the last time I tried, I went against their instructions. Instead of screwing the bite point adjustment on the lever all the way out, I did the exact opposite. I screwed it so the bite point was all the way in — so it almost touches the handlebar when I press the lever.
My thinking was that this would give a bit more space for oil behind the pistons and therefore remove the dead space at the lever.


Then, for the last part of the bleeding process, I finished from the Bleeding Edge port at the caliper. I removed the syringe and reinstalled the screw at the lever, and then I “pressurized” the system from below through the Bleeding Edge port. While holding a bit of pressure, I closed the Bleeding Edge port.


I was very happy with the result. The lever engaged almost immediately, and the adjustment range for the bite point became much better.


However, after about two weeks it feels like the bite point has slowly started to move closer to the lever again. I’m wondering if I should just try adding a bit more oil from the Bleeding Edge port again and not the the whole process?

So what I do is, after cleaning and lubricating the pistons, I install the pads and put the wheel back on. This shows me the gap between the pads and rotir, which we want to close. With the piston bite adjustment fully out (pads retracted) I insert a screwdriver in the middle of the pads, between the two pistons on each side. I apply pressure to push the pads up next to the rotor and then pump the brake lever. This allows the pistons on that side to close the gap a few millimeters. I do this in each side a couple times till the pistons are as fully extended as possible. I can then use the bite adjust to close the gap ever further if needed, but that usually gets them so close to the rotor that level delay is almost nonexistent. I wanted them to feel as good as my XT brakes, and now they do.

 

[Razorx]

So ive been bleeding my brakes in so many ways so my skin is about to fall of my fingers because of all the dot fluid
Yesterday i tryed something new which made everything feel so much better. I wrote down every step so i could remember next time i´ll do this... Here it goes.

Not sure why the list got numbers starting over and over again,. Just go step by step and ignore the numbers i guess.

​

1. Remove the wheel and brake pads.
2. Insert a 4 mm hex key and push the pistons out far enough so you can clean around them using brake cleaner.
3. Once everything is clean, take a cotton swab with DOT 5.1 fluid and lubricate around the pistons.
4. Push the pistons back into the caliper.
   (Optional: For best performance, “massage” the pistons several times so they move smoothly in the caliper. It’s best to work each piston individually.)
5. Clean everything again with brake cleaner.
6. Install the old brake pads and a pad spacer.
   (This allows the pistons to extend slightly more than with SRAM’s bleed block, which I found beneficial.)

---

1. Set contact point adjust to maximum out.
2. Set reach adjust to maximum out.
   (Make a note of your preferred reach setting.)

---

1. Always use fresh DOT 5.1 fluid, as it is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture.
   (Not sure exactly how fast this happens, but it’s not worth taking the risk.)
2. Double-check that all syringe connections are properly secured.

---

1. Fill the lever syringe with fluid (about 50 ml is enough to flush one brake).
   Lock the syringe and create vacuum several times until all micro-bubbles are gone.
   Unlock the syringe, push fluid until it just reaches the tip, then lock it again.
2. Fill the bleeding edge syringe with a small amount of fluid and repeat the same process:
   create vacuum, remove all micro-bubbles, push fluid to the tip, and lock it again.

---

1. Attach both syringes and unlock them.
   (Open the Bleeding Edge port ONE full turn.)
   Push fluid from the lever syringe down to the caliper syringe.
   When all old fluid is flushed out, lock the Bleeding Edge syringe and discard the old fluid.

---

1. Refill the Bleeding Edge syringe with fresh fluid and remove all micro-bubbles again.
2. Push fluid from the caliper (Bleeding Edge) up to the lever and back down 2–3 times.
   Keep the syringes upright to avoid introducing air.
   (This step properly bleeds the hose.)

---

1. Lock the syringe at the lever.
2. Use a zip tie (or similar) to hold the brake lever pulled in.
   Gently pull on the syringe at the caliper to extract any remaining bubbles.
   (You may need to repeat this several times.)

---

1. When no more bubbles appear, remove the zip tie.
   At the same time as you slowly release the lever, gently push fluid from the Bleeding Edge syringe.

---

1. Lock the Bleeding Edge syringe and remove it from the caliper.
   (Optional thought: you could keep it installed to pressurize the system from below instead of from the lever.)

---

1. Open the syringe at the lever and gently pull up and push down a few times.
2. Pump the brake lever a few times.
3. Apply slight pressure on the lever syringe and then lock it.

---

1. Disconnect the syringe and quickly reinstall the Torx screw.
   Clean everything thoroughly with brake cleaner.

---

1. Adjust the reach to your preferred setting.
2. Adjust the contact point to your preferred setting.