bicycle126312

For the Shimano Ultegra Di2 ST-R8070, how do you remove play in the shifters?

From watching various videos, they're talking about one for free stroke and reach, however, the top hex nut doesn't seem to exist on mine. I seem to have some sort of bleed port or something though, I'm a bit at a loss for how to do this.

I just want the break to engage sooner, instead of having to pull it in half the way before it starts to actually engage the brake, I want it to engage as soon as possible, that works better for me.

Iride01 

Things like this are pretty easy to find if you go toShimano's Tech Docoment Site and look for the DM for whatever component you have a question about.

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/R8...050-05-ENG.pdf

If these are the ST-R8070 which has hydralic brakes, then page 146 tells how to adjust the stroke. If a cable pulled ST-R8050 for rim brakes, then page 145. There is also a free stroke adjustment further down on page 147.

Not sure about your use of the word "play". If you have play, that might be air in the lines if you are saying it takes some pull before you get resistance. Or if side to side of the lever, it's just a little busted. Perhaps though the free stroke adjust is what you mean for play.

Screws should be on the side of the STI you didn't take a pic of.

bicycle126312

There are indeed two screws on the underside. I only saw one initially and expected the other to be on the top or sides somewhere, as depicted in various videos that I saw. Strange.

Thanks!

In any case, by "play" I mean that I have to pull the lever in approximately half the way until the brake actually grabs. At this point it easily grabs hard. There is no play from side to side whatsoever, I'm only talking about the travel the lever has to move before the brake gets applied.

I'd like the brake to start grabbing basically immediately as you start pulling it, or as close to that as possible.

Andrew R Stewart 

"I'd like the brake to start grabbing basically immediately as you start pulling it, or as close to that as possible." bicycle126312

A worthy goal that is near impossible to attain in real life. Disk wobble, pad fit in caliper, slop (called play by some) in the various pivots and contact surfaces all combine to make instant on pad gripping disk also result in pad rub when not applying the brake.

This has been one of my dislike with disk brakes, the lever pull before pads grip the disk enough to feel slowing down is more than I like too. But sometimes we just have to get use to a difference Andy

Polaris OBark

Bleed them with the orange spacer between the pads. If you do this, remember to unscrew the bleed port before you push the pistons back into the caliper when replacing pads, or you will discover how to pop the overflow bladder (or whatever they call it).

Iride01 

I have the same ST-R8070's. I have not made any stroke adjustments and as far as I can tell the pads start moving as soon as I start pulling on the levers. Just like rim brakes have to travel a little bit before engaging the rim to brake, so do disc brake pads have to travel some before engaging the disc.

Have you checked with the people that built out your bike? Maybe for some reason they added some free stroke thinking it would be preferred.

KerryIrons

Maybe you think that is what you'd like but it actually makes it harder to modulate the brakes because your fingers are at the limit of their reach. If you set things up so that you can almost pull them to the bar when you apply full pressure, you will get the maximum control of your braking.

alcjphil

If you manage to adjust your levers to engage the brakes the way you want them to you will probably suffer constant brake rub wearing out brake pads and disc rotors constantly. I checked my gravel bike just now. It has very similar GRX levers and my brakes engage when the levers are pulled about 1/2 of the way to the bars. This is the way they are supposed to be to allow better brake pad clearance and prevent brake pad rub on the rotors