I've run these brakes for years, the same set going for around 3 years or so now in various temps/altitudes/etc and never had an issue with them. The only maintenance I've done is to bleed, change pads, and lubricate the caliper pistons (more on this in a bit). The issue that early SRAM Guides had is a design flaw and has since been resolved.
The bleed process is pretty straightforward if you are familiar with bleeding brakes, but I have found that over time the pistons can get kinda gunked up and need cleaned. This is hardly an issue isolated to Hayes, but it is something I'd suggest folks do from time to time using these. Thankfully, they considered this when designing the bleed block and if you use the opposite side of the block (the one with only half the bleed block there), you can work the pistons out safely without worrying they will fall out. Just insert the bleed block, pull the lever until they are extended, then you are free to clean them. For cleaning, I usually run a small piece of rag with DOT fluid on it or drip some dot on it, then wipe it off. You can also use this to work them in/out if they start to feel sticky.
They won't stick in the sense of the Guides/Codes with lever piston issues, they just might not feel as smooth as they were before, but doing this will address that and it takes less than a few minutes. Every set of brakes I've had needed this eventually, but Hayes was the only brand to consider this and make a portion of the bleed block specific to that purpose, which was really nice.
Aug. 11, 2022, 9:58 a.m. - Shinook
I've run these brakes for years, the same set going for around 3 years or so now in various temps/altitudes/etc and never had an issue with them. The only maintenance I've done is to bleed, change pads, and lubricate the caliper pistons (more on this in a bit). The issue that early SRAM Guides had is a design flaw and has since been resolved. The bleed process is pretty straightforward if you are familiar with bleeding brakes, but I have found that over time the pistons can get kinda gunked up and need cleaned. This is hardly an issue isolated to Hayes, but it is something I'd suggest folks do from time to time using these. Thankfully, they considered this when designing the bleed block and if you use the opposite side of the block (the one with only half the bleed block there), you can work the pistons out safely without worrying they will fall out. Just insert the bleed block, pull the lever until they are extended, then you are free to clean them. For cleaning, I usually run a small piece of rag with DOT fluid on it or drip some dot on it, then wipe it off. You can also use this to work them in/out if they start to feel sticky. They won't stick in the sense of the Guides/Codes with lever piston issues, they just might not feel as smooth as they were before, but doing this will address that and it takes less than a few minutes. Every set of brakes I've had needed this eventually, but Hayes was the only brand to consider this and make a portion of the bleed block specific to that purpose, which was really nice.