SRAM Brakes Contact Point Adjustment FULLY explained guide code g2 and piston removal for beginners

This video goes over SRAM Brakes Contact Point Adjustment in detail. It talks about how Contact Point Adjustment works. It also breaks down the parts that make it work by dismantling the brake lever.
SRAM's Contact Point Adjustment is basically the same as Shimano Freestroke but uses a different mechanism to provide the same functionality. Personally, I feel SRAM's method has advantages over Shimano's, as it provides more brake lever stroke, which in turn allows a person to better customize the feel of the brakes.
If you would like to see how Shimano's Free Stroke works for XTR, XT brakes, you can see it in the video at the link below.
• Shimano XT M8000 M8100...
This video also shows how to completely service the brake lever by fully dismantling the lever and reassembling it in order to change critical parts such as the brake lever piston.
If you would like to see a video guide on how to bleed SRAM brakes, you can find it at the link below.
• SRAM Guide Ultimate bl...
The brakes in this video are the guide ultimate, but the video applies to pretty much any SRAM brake with a dial based contact point adjustment (ex: guide, code, G2 brakes)
The guide brake in this video have metal titanium pistons in the handles, which work WAY better than the plastic SRAM pistons. I've been riding SRAM brakes with metal pistons since 2017/2018, and they have been flawless in every way. I highly recommend them, as they solve the heat variance issues that make SRAM brakes feel stuck, slow, or mushy during very hot days or when the brake handles are exposed to the sun for long periods of time. (I've literally had to wrap the brakes with ice packs on race day in the past because of this)
As always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments section, and I'll reply the first chance I get.
Chapters
00:00 intro and tools
05:06 How Contact Point Adjustment Works
15:06 Brake lever disassembly and parts that make it work
30:07 Brake lever assembly

[@kithkani]

Great breakdown on the contact point adjustment, perfect for visual learners like myself, Cheers!

[@zoubtube]

Glad it was helpful! let me know if there are any questions

[@allenjanes5976]

Gosh. Thanks man. This is a good video . Im running code rsc on my stumpy. Definitely helped me adjust to my liking.

[@zoubtube]

Very glad to hear it worked out for you. It might be small feature but it can have a big return when finding that right spot! Now go out there and enjoy them! 👍

[@clarkie005]

Another excellent in depth explanation of sram brakes. Must say the only sets of guides i had i hated about 5 years ago. Power and modulation was terible and you had to constantly bleed them. Went to shimano which power wise was superior but hated that wandering bite point. Now on hopes which have everything and love them.

[@zoubtube]

The big issue I had with the guides was with the pistons swelling from heat. one moment they worked perfectly, then horrible. once I changed to the metal pistons they have work great for me, super consistent. I've had, and have, the same issue with shimano's. I just put up with it. I've never owned nor tried hope brakes. around here I don't know anyone that has them. I've always thought of hope brakes as more enduro/downhill focused, which we don't around here. I'll look into them for my next build though.

[@28Jcarlo]

Thank you!! Just went out for a ride and accidentally locked up my breaks causing me to crash 😂

[@zoubtube]

oh oh! hopefully it wasn't an endo! if it was please make sure my GF doesn't find out. I'll never hear the end of it. I can hear it already " See, I told you so, all this mtb'ing nonsense is dangerous and unsafe. not only do you get hurt but now you encouraging others to do the same" 🙄

[@jack91522]

The bleed block was meant to push the pistons all the way back. Wouldn't it make sense to use a slightly thinner bleed block when adjusting the final pressure so that you have that nice tight lever feeling?

[@zoubtube]

A thinner bleed block can be used for the bleed, which will increase the bite point (how fast and hard the pads will lock onto the rotor). Many people do this because they like a very quick and hard feel to their brakes. But there are also downsides, such as rotor rub. The slightest warp in a rotor and you will hear it rubbing more than if you used the stock bleed block since you're bringing the pads closer to the rotors. It's not the end of the world, as it's an easy fix. But depending on the rotor this might get annoying. You will also lose a sense of modulation, which some people like as well. There is no right answer here. It's all personal preference. Whatever is right for YOU, on the bike you ride and on the trails you ride it on, in the end, it's all that matters. The most important thing is to make sure you start with a good bleed 👍

[@diamondsink2000]

I do this too

[@64chrisg]

awesome breakdown. thx.

[@zoubtube]

Glad to hear the video was informative for you. let me know if you have any questions and until then there are more videos to come.

[@diegocabrera4056]

one thing that sometimes is really hard is to get out of the pistons of the caliper, to service the caliper, i follow step by step sram manual, but i need to put air because it doesnt easy as they show, mos of the time with brakes that never were serviced

[@zoubtube]

you ain't' kidding. one of my first video's was working on a shimano XTR caliper with a cracked piston. if the piston is off centered by a fraction of a hair it surprising how much force it takes to remove or install them

[@chulpark3328]

very Good! l like Zoub Tube Thanks!!

[@zoubtube]

thank you very much for the comment. It's greatly appreciated 👍

[@BSE75]

to get more pressure in the system after you bleed the system. i first remove syringe from the brakelever and close it with the screw. then on the caliper side i build pressure up with the syringe and close the system with the bleeding edge, then with the allen key. this is the opposite way like sram recommended and the feeling of the brakes are so much better this way....day and night difference.

[@zoubtube]

Any issues with brake rub? It seems that if one is not careful with how much pressure they add to the system with this method, it would be possible to over-pressurize it, which would add pressure to the pistons, which then might make the pads rub against the slightest defect on the rotors. You struck my curiosity 🤔👍

[@BSE75]

@@zoubtube i have no brake rub on 3 bikes. 2mm rotors. You still have room after bleeding befor the piston reach the first contact to your break pads. at the Moment i am testing it with the contact screw adjuster. You can turn it 3 times . I turned it 2 Times to the arrow side that i have even more pressure and hell the Brake is sharp on point. After this or next weekend I can say more if the temperatur cause any Issue with the contact screw adjuster and the higher pressure. but there is no brake rub here too. i used the sram bleed block. die trying XD btw thank you for your vids/guides

[@Kamza_]

Thank you for the excellent video! One question though. I like as short free stroke as possible so I am bleeding with the contact point all the way IN so as the pads wear out I can adjust by 'thightening' it but after some time I have to rebleed anyway. Would you have an idea how to fix this so I don't have to bleed/presurize the brakes every few months?

[@zoubtube]

I'm glad to hear you found it informative. I have a video that that goes through the process of bleeding these brakes. If your eating pads at a rapid rate, then I have to assume you are riding much more aggressive trails than we have here in SE MI. If this is the case, then it will be inevitable that you will reach a point where the CPA won't be effective faster than I would. What you can do in between bleeds is top off the lever. You only need one syringe to do this. This will ensure that you don't have small bubbles in the system, which will soften the feel of the brakes. Below is a link to a video that shows this. It's on a shimano brake but the principle is the same Guide Bleed video kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIito5SMnpeardE. Top off video kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGjLmHyebr-GjtE

[@boogergreenglen]

Thank you for this! I had two SRAM G2 brake contact point adjuster getting stuck where i cant roll them forward or back. I dont know if i overlooked this in your tutorial but what is the best solution? I do see an internal service kit they sell for the RSC/G2. Thabk you!

[@zoubtube]

Take a needle nose plier and LIGHTLY try and turn the dial by one click in the opposite direction that it is stuck in. don't force it. The plier will give you enough leverage to easily move it if its stuck in on f the end positions. if it doesn't; move, then service the handle as seen in the video. it a very easy job and the only special tool required costs like $5. Chances are you won't need to buy the service kit to fix this problem

[@boogergreenglen]

@@zoubtube thank you so much! It worked! I had a small plastic chisel, lined it up with the scroll wheel and hammered it down to loosen it.

[@zoubtube]

@@boogergreenglen Great job! As you experienced, the dials can get jammed if tightened at the ends. Most of us have a natural tendency to want to overtighten mechanical parts, thinking it'll result in a better outcome. I've done this many times in the past when working on all sorts of stuff in homes, cars, electronics, etc., which ended up with broken head bolts, stripped screws, etc. Lessons learned over the last few decades are less, and in many cases, is actually more. 😉 Now go out here and enjoy those fine breaks. 👍

[@rayF4rio]

I have Sram Red AXS (2023). Screwing in my rear brake contact point adjustment screw (one 360 degree turn) results in piston movement and dragging brakes. Sometimes cycling the lever a bunch of times relieves the dragging, but once I ride for a few hours the brake starts dragging. I was thinking I need to manually push the pistons all the way back in after making a contact adjustment? I did the bleed with the contact point all the way out - maybe try it with the contact point 1 turn in? Zero front brake issues. I store my bike in a cabinet outdoors (75 degrees) and ride in about 95 degree weather - Philippines. But I do the bleed in my office where the temps are 72. 😁

[@zoubtube]

Apologies for the late response. It is possible for pistons to get stuck in all brakes, but with sram, this can happen more often due to ambient heat. This was particularly true with their brakes from 2015 to about 2021ish. In particular, when the brake handle is sitting in direct sunlight on a hot day, the material of the piston in the handle is made of swells. Once it cools down, it will work as normal. But if it swells up to a point where it stays jammed, you will need to manually force it loose by opening the system. Hope this helps

[@rayF4rio]

@@zoubtube thanks. I resolved the issue. I ran the lever reach adj screw in and out a few times, there was a Sticking point, but screwing it in and out freed it up. Not sure if was the piston inside the lever or the screw which was sticking, but once I screwed both top and bottom screws a few times the system behaves as advertised. Weird, maybe the reach screw had excess locktite? Felt kind of like that. Since then no further issues on long hot rides. But everytime my legs get really tired, I alway check the lever to see if it's stuck again. But it's just my legs. 🤣

[@naerz9749]

Thanks for this useful video as always. I have a question tho, do you need to cut the hose and put new barb and olive? Or its safe to rescrew it if no need to cut the hose ? Thank you in advance

[@zoubtube]

Very glad to hear the video was helpful for you. As long as there are no leaks, then technically yes to your question. But you need to check the connection after a bleed to make sure that there aren't any leaks. Can I ask why you are changing the barb if your not going to shorten the cable?

[@naerz9749]

@@zoubtube Thanks for your answer! I was wondering that because sram manual explecitly says that olive and barb is one time usage and must be replace by cutting the hose each time you unscrewed from the lever. My rear hose is at the limit length too

[@zoubtube]

@@naerz9749 I've done this a few times over the years for similar reasons. but again, make sure to check that there are no leaks at the end of the handle where it connect to the cable. many times you can be forced to cut the hose due to the olive. but if your able to remove the olive then reusing a bard isn't much of an issue as long as it sits properly on the cable and doesn't leak

[@vin374]

I’ve had it with SRAM brakes. Not impossible but annoying to bleed. Also with my last set of G2 with constant pressure on the lever it would creep to the bar….no matter how much bleeding it still kept creeping

[@zoubtube]

Non bleeding edge sram brakes are a PITA to bleed for sure. Bleeding edge makes the process so much easier and cleaner. Though I don't have data to prove this, I think most issues that have to do with "feel", with all bike brakes, are related to the lever piston seals. (im excluding obvious things like piston swelling, caliper piston cracking, reservoir cracking, etc, which to me are product failure issues). The lever piston seals absorbs a large amount of pressure applying the brakes. These seals are made of a very thin and pliable rubberish material. I have no idea what the tolerances are. But considering these seals are molded at either the hundreds or thousands per hour, I have to assume that the tolerances are pretty wide for this industry. Narrowing them down would probably cost to much. There have been quite a few times when i've swapped pistons and seals for my bikes, as well as for others, over the years and the difference in stiffness between seals can be felt by hand. I'm sure this variance can make the difference between a stiff brake feel and a completely soft and sloppy feel. Doubt it'll ever improve.

[@vin374]

@@zoubtube I hear you. I was using the bleeding edge tool. These brakes came on a brand new 2023 Epic Evo. They were never right from the start. My LBS is too backed up and too far away to deal with. It’s gotta be a bad seal in the lever assembly. Almost like a car when the master cylinder goes bad. The pedal would creep to the floor

[@zoubtube]

@@vin374 "I hear you" now if I can only get my GF to do the same! 😉 "Almost like a car when the master cylinder goes bad. The pedal would creep to the floor" That's actually a great analogy. 👍

[@kaneda4102]

Why do they use the blood from a xenomorph for brakes?

[@zoubtube]

You ain't kidding myman. The media mod I used for this video was literally corroded from the dot fluid on the gloves while adjusting camera angles. There were white blotches and spots all over it that were rough to the touch. I was surprised at how quickly the corrosion took place. Definitely wear gloves when using it.

[@teemu3370]

I want Zoub to explain why the new Sram derailleur system is so ultimate vs good old sacrificial hanger. Decades that has been the way to go and now that I am questoning why is this super rigid system so much better, every outlet is telling me I am an idiot who just does not understand. While it may be so, I would just like to be able to understand like an adult 😂

[@zoubtube]

Thanks for the comment. Personally, I'm not 100% sold on the Eagle transmission. I fully understand its advantages, including the transfer of energy to the axle during impact. But I'm not fully convinced about replacing a derailleur hanger on carbon frames,,,Yet! A great example (though a very rare circumstance) is that one of my buddies got rear-ended last month just before our Nevada MTB trip. The bike was on a 1up bike rack, and some lady ran right into the right side of the rear end of his pickup. The 1up did its job and pivoted (yet another great reason to buy a 1up rack; they're designed to take certain impacts) and rammed into the tailgate, putting a surprisingly large dent in it. The bike ended up being okay, except for the derailleur hanger, which literally twisted. He replaced the hanger the next day (always keep spares folks, especially those with 12 speeds), and three days later we flew to Nevada and had fun. Now,, I'm not going to say that the transmission would change the outcome. But, when we looked at the shape of the derailleur hanger, both of us couldn't help but think of what would have happened if a new transmission was on the bike, as it was still a buzz then. My guess is it would have absorbed a good amount of the energy, but ultimately, at some point, it would have transferred some of that energy to the chain stay, which probably would have overloaded and potentially cracked the rear triangle. Again, this is just an assumption, and we're not about to test the theory. 😉 I will say this. In my experience, just about all drivetrains have been super solid since the release of 1x. BUT, since the release of 12 speed systems, I have NEVER come across so many bent derailleur hangers per year. I'd say it averages about 4 - 6 per year since 12 Speed were released, and none of them on my bikes, which are all 11 Speed. I fundamentally believe that the longer 12-speed derailleur cages apply too much stress on the hanger when riding the lower gears, especially during hard shifts, which fatigues the hanger metal quicker. I absolutely expect SRAM transmission to solve this problem, which is a good thing. I'm pro new technology. I fundamentally believe we should always push forward with new ideas, and I want people to think of new ways to help improve our experiences. But I also believe that the markets will guide the success of new ideas. SRAM transmission is new and, IMO, still needs to be proven whether it will work as a viable solution for the masses, especially considering the expense. As they say, Time will tell! Ultimately, we have options. What a GREAT time to be into mountain biking! 👍

[@bikesgames]

Hi!! do you mind to write on the description the link for those metal pistons...or at least reply me the keywords you use. Thanks

[@zoubtube]

Here you go. let me know if you have any other questions www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0855STKRZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@HelplmAlive]

hat makes the dial lock up? I've taken out the spring and bearing and it'd still stuck.

[@zoubtube]

I would take apart the brake lever as seen in the video and clean both the sleeve collar threads, as well as the threads in the handle/ dirt can get inside and make the dial hard to spin. when installing the dial, sleeve and sleeve collar, I would use the sram tool to spin the dial fully in both directions to make sure it spins freely. Just remember not to leave the dial at the full end of either direction as it can get stuck there. reach one of the ends and back it off by 1 or 2 mm.

[@HelplmAlive]

@@zoubtube I'll have to take it in. Dont have that tool. :/

[@zoubtube]

@@HelplmAlive you mean this tool? planetcyclery.com/sram-guide-brake-lever-internals-tool-for-setting-pushrod-distance-and?gclid=CjwKCAjw-7OlBhB8EiwAnoOEk_5Q38L6ehBvBbuvCSbrwWk_B1OtnQOR0K1Ik4f8QSCJHCyzhYhccRoC3ZUQAvD_BwE

[@chnebleluzern]

m'kay mr. garrison

[@zoubtube]

Dude, You can't mix up Mr Makey with Mr garrison! There might even be some kind of law on this . At a minimum I'm sure you upset Mr Hat! 😁

[@marcwarren683]

I believe you are missing the main point of the contact adjustment. It doesn't increase pressure. There is a small port that allows brake fluid to flow from the brake line freely past the master piston into the reservoir. The brake pads only start to move once the master piston has passed this port and starts to build pressure in the brake line. The contact adjuster moves the master piston starting point closer or farther from this port.

[@zoubtube]

Thanks for the comment. I know where your coming from and I agree, but in the end were saying the same thing, the difference is your taking it a step further into the system. in the end though, advancing the piston in a fully sealed and air tight system will increase pressure in the whole system. though minimal for both freestroke and CPA, It's still measurable.

[@Caedo01]

You sound like Ernie Johnson

[@zoubtube]

well that solves it then, cause to my ears, I don't sound anything like I think I do when editing the vids! 😁

[@brianm.grenoble6140]

uh,,,,excellent vid for the super mech whom would actually rebuild a lever assembly BUT HE SAYS NOTHING ABOUT THE CONTACT POINT DIAL SETTING! 😢

[@zoubtube]

In the video (between 5:06 and 15:06) I go over how the dial works and how it affects the lever, which ultimately affects the braking system overall. If you have any questions on the dial on top of what is in the video let me know and I'll do my best to answer them

[@KamilWrwa]

You're wrong. The adjustment does not increase the pressure in the system. If this were the case, each wear of the pads and the movement of the pistons outwards would change the lever stroke, and this does not happen. When you are not pressing the lever, the hydraulic system is open and connected to the reservoir, when you are pressing the lever, the seal passes the opening connecting to the reservoir, closing the system and allowing pressure to build. The "pad contact" adjustment moves the lever piston only in the area before closing the reservoir, so you regulate the distance the piston travels before it starts generating pressure. Without the lever depressed, the reservoir must always be open to compensate for pad wear and temperature changes in fluid volume.

[@zoubtube]

"so you regulate the distance the piston travels before it starts generating pressure" - Ultimately increasing pressure in the system, which is what I mention, but more in a general sense as I was talking about the system as a whole. I also tried my best to prove that contact point adjustment has "NO" effect on the pads at rest. Yes, I agree that the contact point adjustment changes the point where pressure builds up, but in the end, it increases (or decreases) pressure in the system as a whole when braking without affecting the pads when at rest.

[@Jaybee1ism]

The most long winded explaination.

[@zoubtube]

you ain't kidding! would some tell this zoubs guy to just get to the point! 😁