[TwoPumpChump]

Anyone else have this problem?

Just installed some new pads and there is not enough distance between the new pads and the rotor. I tried backing out the free stroke adjustment screw several turns and nothing seems to happen (pads stay put).

The only experience I was able to find on the interwebs about stroke adjustment was a mechanic explaining the same issue: post #12 http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/sho...&highlight=xtr

I guess I will have to let out some fluid like in the old days but it sure would be nice if this adjustment worked.

 

[Cleared2land]

Your brake caliper pucks have expanded due to the wearing old brake pads. All that you need to do is open your bleed port on the master cylinder reservoir cover and push the brake pucks back into the caliper. This will push brake fluid back up through your master cylinder and out the bleed port if it was already full.

Then pump your levers a few times to expand the pucks and mate the new pads to the rotor. You can then top off the reservoir if necessary. Prolly need to do a caliper centering adjustment and you should be good to go!

 

[TwoPumpChump]

Yep, that's what i did. I was a little surprised when no fluid came out of the lever reservoir. I guess these brakes don't need to be topped off to work properly. I'm going to give them a full bleed next week when my bleed kit gets here at which time they will be topped off.

I did a little more searching and found several more reports of this stroke adjustment screw doing nada on Shimano brakes. I tried it on a different pair of XT brakes, and again, nothing happened. Tanks for nuttin Shimano.

 

[aerius]

The free stroke screw is NOT a pad to rotor contact distance adjustment, it does NOT change the distance between the pads and the rotor.
What it does do is change how much the brake lever moves BEFORE the brake pads start moving.

It does indeed work, but the effects are rather subtle, it's not going to make your brakes go from mushy to super firm or engaging with 1mm of lever travel to engaging right before the lever hits the bars. On my M820 Saint brakes, it changes the lever movement by maybe half an inch at the tip going from full in to full out on the adjustment screw.

 

[Cleared2land]

I guess these brakes don't need to be topped off to work properly. I'm going to give them a full bleed next week when my bleed kit gets here at which time they will be topped off..

Your statement "I guess these brakes don't need to be topped off to work properly." is partially correct assuming a few conditions. As long as you keep the bike upright, don't ride on a trail that's very rough and don't crash or lay the bike over. In other words, if you can keep the master cylinder upright and don't allow residual air in the reservoir find its way into the master cylinder piston or brake line, you should be ok. Keeping the reservoir topped off to the max, will ensure you have no 'OH SH!T' moments. That is assuming that you have a properly bled system.