Installing hydraulic disc brakes
 

Hi,

I'm thinking about getting hydraulic disc brakes installed on my Salsa Warbird, which has internally routed cables. Can someone give me a ballpark estimate of how much the installation might be?

Dave

I would recommend you talk to the LBS that you plan on having the work done at. I could tell you it would be $10 for installation, but they may disagree.

It could be anywhere from $30-$100. If they just go on smoothy and don't require a bleed, they might charge you something like $30. If they are problematic and they need to do a bleed, on both ends, expect close to $100.

Since you can't do your own work, it makes sense to ask your LBS. Internal routing is no big deal. Having old cables and housing in place makes it easy to reroute hoses.

That doesn't sound too bad. I don't have any of the tools to do this install (no bleed kit or anything related to hydraulic). If I took the time, I could probably learn to do it, but don't feel like working with DOT fluid. In theory, what tools would I need beyond a bleed kit, maybe an olive installer or some kind of cable cutter?

Dave

if you go Shimano - their systems use mineral oil (instead of DOT fluid)

yeah, I've heard that. At this point I'm committed to SRAM, would be far too expensive to change a whole drivetrain.

You're putting brakes on...what does that have to with the drivetrain? There are thousands of bikes out there with SRAM drivetrains and Shimano brakes. You're not committed to anything.

So are you saying I could run GRX STI shifters?

Dave

So can you run SRAM hydraulic brifters with Shimano hydraulic disc brake calipers?

Or are you just talking about using Shimano hydraulic brifters and brakes with SRAM cranks, cassettes and derailleurs (I did not thing you could mix rear derailleurs).

True

$100

If your bike has mechanical disc brakes now, you'll need new brake/shift levers, with hoses and calipers. That's a major expense. I've built several bikes with Force AXS hydraulic. Sram has videos that show how to do it. Hose cutters and a bleeding edge bleed kit are needed for Force. Using DOT 5.1 fluid is actually easier, since it wipes off with a damp rag. I didn't even bother with nitrile gloves. If done right, the fluid should never contact the bike frame, but if it does, just wipe off with a damp rag.

My bad. If this a drop bar bike you are stuck with whatever brand your are currently using. No, you can't use Shimano SHIFTERS with SRAM drivetrain parts. A J-tec Shiftmate would probably allow it but I haven't used them for years.

what year is your bike? The current warbird has hydraulic disc brakes.
https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/road/Warbird

Did you just mean pads and rotors?

Just because it does now, does not necessarily mean it did then. You can even buy those as a frame I believe.

Possibly guilty of being a FanBoi, but Hope makes calipers that work with both Shimano and SRAM. I've not used those, but their Flat Bar setups have performed well for me even in the extreme cold that my Fat Bike sometimes sees. They list at 100 GBP and Merlin has them for just under $100 US

I haven't looked at the current Warbird build to make sure but it's very likely the current Journeyer came up a level to replace the lowest build on the Warbird. In prior years the top Journeyman and lowest Warbird both were Apex 1 cable. But I think the highest Journeyer is now GRX 600 with hydraulic

Install aside, current hydraulic brifters are just astonishingly expensive. you want how many hundred for a syringe and a ratchet?

Back to the OP's question: one of the local shops near me advertises $40 per hydraulic brake to install levers, calipers and bleed and adjust the brakes. So $80 for the set. I've also been charged around $40 per brake by other shops for bleed/adjust, so I'd expect to pay a similar amount for new install.

This price doesn't include installing rotors or doing anything to the drivetrain (if you have a mechanical drivetran and are installing new levers... you should probably also replace the shifter cables and will need to set-up/adjust both derailleurs). You'll also need to re-tape the bar.

Instead of $40 front, and $40 back it should be $10 front and $70 for the back brakes. lol

I replaced my sram brakes on my Blur with four piston shimano brakes. The front was super easy. Probably 15 minutes. It was all external.


If I could walk to my LBS within 10 minutes I would pay someone $40 to do the back brakes.

It was enough of PITA to cut/barb/pull/bleed the back. ha-ha Expect I am too lazy to drive my bike to the shop ( 20 minutes one way ), wait a few days and then have to pick it up.

The shop I worked in charged an extra 25 bucks for internally routed hoses. They are a PIA regardless of what others say. Front and rear install with bleed would be 140 bucks. It is billed as a two hour job. If it takes less than that then the billing is adjusted.

I would go down to the local shop and see what they charge. You can ask random people on the internet but your local shop will actually have your pricing. Every shop can have different pricing based on a lot of different factors.

I went to my local REI at lunch. As a member, they will charge $40 front and $40 rear. Looks to be a better deal than buying all the tools, though eventually I'll need a bleed kit.

Dave

I recently upgraded my mountain bike with new Magura brakes. The only tools I needed were a set of Allen wrenches, a box cutter, and, for kicks, a bleed kit. The kit and he tools cost $30, installation took about 30 minutes, and I did it at the nearby park. Had I been more careful, I wouldn't have needed the bleed kit.

Did your hoses come pre-filled? I see that is an option on some of the brake lever/caliper sets on the internet.