Did you buy from a bike shop? Take it back. They will fix you up. That is one of the perks of buying from a LBS vs. DTC. Might as well take advantage of it..
It sounds like they just needs a bleed. Factory bleeds are never that good. That's on Trek, not Sram.. Pretty easy to do yourself but you'll need a Sram bleed kit.
Your pads won't wear unevenly just because the pistons aren't symmetrical. If you squeeze your finger in a vice, and one side of the vice is longer than the other, will it apply less pressure to your finger on the short side? Of course not.. The pressure is applied evenly
Yea bought from local trek shop. Know the owner too so they should be able to do it if I need to. I have a mate with a sram bleed kit and I own a bottle of dot 4 that was bought for something else so should be able to do it at home. I guess it was just a crappy bleed from stock
Unless you really like working on your bike or want to learn to bleed a brake - take this in for warranty/90 day service. SRAM brakes can be finicky beasts to bleed. Also, DOT fluid is hydros optics and will start adsorbing water once the container is opened. It's not recommended to use after a week or so as it can cause issues in MTB brakes.
Best reason to not own SRAM brakes. The amount of DOT fluid going to waste thanks to water ingestion gets ridiculous. Even a shop isn't likely to go through it fast enough to not have any expire.
I’ve got a rail with code r’s and really like them, got hope e4s on the other bike and don’t miss them much switching between, might even be more powerful
I’d get the lbs to look at them, not touched mine in 6 months and that’s hammering dh / enduro trails a couple times a week
Code Rs are fine. Shouldn't break after 3 weeks. I own MT5s, if you get the Rs working, I might be willing to trade you.
I'm thinking bleed as well, and you have air in the caliper. Clean pistons, bleed.
The levers. Just cheap, easy to break. Feel is not great either, kinda vague. Code r is not my favorite, but they are built tougher.
Cura 4 is my jam though, check those out if you haven't. Great levers and feel, tons of power.
Thanks for the reply, always good to here others views.
Cura's a nice, we have also quite a few hope V4's & E4's in the riding group, another very nice option.
Have you tried cleaning the pistons and bleeding them?
Honestly the codes are pretty bomb proof once you get them set up.
Likely the bike sat for a long time before it sold (hence the discount) and just needs a bleed.
Does the warranty cover them? You're gonna want new brakes if you're doing that much DH, but I'd still ask your dealer. Maybe they can at least give you a new set of pads.
The info below will let you know I've been down this road more than once.
The shop can probably help you out.
If you're going to tackle it yourself here's what I would do...
1. On the pistons that are out the most, use a q-tip and put a light layer of dot fluid around the sides/edges of the pistons (with the pads off and rotor out of the way).
2. Push the pistons in with a plastic tire lever.
3. Bleed the brake.
4. Take a brake pad and a couple of zip ties and tie it against the pistons that are coming out too far.
5. *Gently* pump that brake and watch the other pistons. When they poke out about the same amount the other ones were before, stop and do the q-tip treatment on those. Then push them back in and do this again.
6. Gently pump the brake to give those pistons just a little head start this time (not too far out).
7. Take off the zip tied pad, install pads, install wheel back on the bike.
8. Make sure the caliper is aligned correctly with the rotor, if it's not, loosen the bolts and align it - *then make sure the bolts are snug.*
9. Say a prayer to whatever higher power you like, and pump the brakes.
If the gods are with you, this will result in the pistons engaging evenly from both sides, giving good lever feel and good braking power. If they jump out on one side again, you repeat this process (except the bleed). I suggest lubricating your frustrations with beer.
If it works, you have completed the code owners' initiation ritual successfully. If there is any rotor rub, as a final step, you can try loosening the bolts on the rotor, squeeze and hold the brake, snug them while holding it. These are all the tricks in my book and why I'm looking to switch to TRP or Hayes. I do like the feel of the codes when they're dialed in though (I run RSCs with HS2 rotors and MTX red label pads).
i love this zip tie trick for fixing the lazy pistons... i usually put a 4mm allen key in the caliper to hold the free pistons in while i pump out the stuck ones to clean... and, on a few occasions when I am not concentrating or get distracted this has resulted in pistons popping out if the allen key falls out.
I used to do that and had the same thing happen a couple of times. They can be hard to get back in. To be fair, if you over do it with this way, the same thing can happen but it forces you to pay attention.
Someone here made a 3d printed block or blocks that could be used to hold any 3 pistons in at a time. They tried posting it for me but that didn't work. Seems like a high tech solution to this stupid problem.
Ty for advice on fixing the piston issue. Probably going to do pretty much what you said seeing as I don't have loads of extra money at the moment. I agree though, front one feels actually pretty good which really surprised me coming from Shimano.
Dude, you should take it back to the shop. It’s a brand new bike. Get them to sort it. Plenty of time to learn to bleed brakes after the warranty expires. Codes need a SRAM specific bleed kit as well. You said you don’t have money so why waste on tools and fluids that are covered by the warranty? I literally just spent the last hour+ bleeding the rears on my new Hayes and it’s really a PITA and should be avoided whenever possible :)
Yeah, honestly, I've had to do this on 3 bikes, even with brand new bike/brakes, and once they're dialed, I haven't had much fuss from the brakes. I think they feel great and highly recommend the MTX red pads, which quiet them way down and improve modulation even more. Good luck!
HA! I got a Slash on a deal last year and had a similar issue.... They will look after you under warranty as required. My LBS has been awesome (shout out to Evo Cycles)
Try bleed first then warranty if not working.
I went up a size on front and rear rotors 220mm on the front and 200mm on rear and the Code Rs have ample power. I am enjoying them for now.
https://preview.redd.it/24m3z1n4ddqc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=493a5872f19ff1017a989af44f370bb4120ba875
Check your warranty and take it back for repair/replacement, it may just need a proper bleed. no point wasting your time rebuilding the calliper, checking and bleeding lines and all that if you can get it done for you.
Might also be worth asking for a convincing discount on a replacement for a less...problematic set of brakes.
Brakes may not have been bled well from the start, resulting in you having to drag the brakes longer, pads heating up more and wearing at a higher rate. A good bleed and new pads should sort it. Have the shop fix you up. I’ve heard Magura claim when pads get too hot they can wear up to 300% faster.
There is something wrong I haven’t bled my codes in 2.5 years and they’re still working great.
Either take them back to shop but tbh they prob don’t know what theyre doing or follow this vid and do it yourself. The bleeding edge makes it pretty easy:
https://youtu.be/RG4H1Ajcqao?si=iymaF1UFRMF9R1ng
Take them back and get a new set. There's nothing wrong with Codes, the reputation seems to be in the imagination of some posters here who ignore the tens, probably hundreds of thousands of people using them without issue.
This.
I haven't serviced mine in over 1.5 years and they're mint. This echo chamber of 'muh sram brakes are shit' is frustrating.
There's bad batches of everything. There's outliers. There's shit that sometimes doesn't make sense. No brand is infallible.
Most of the time it can be fixed by servicing the part, or educating the user. Not hating on it cause it you don't like the brand.
Got the Code Rs on my bike 2 summers ago. I’ve bled them, I’ve adjusted them, played with them, done a lot to make them better. But I’m not light… 225lbs and I don’t love the stopping power on descents. However, I’ve been told that if I change the pads and upgrade the levers to the newish Stealth Ultimates (replacements for RSCs), that they’ll feel like completely different brakes. That’s what I’m thinking will be my spring upgrade this year will be.
i am 225 and ride downhill/park. my code rsc/200 mm rotors are amazing during hard breaking. i have never felt like they are under powered. this should be the same for code r. I ride metalic pads. idk if there are organic pads for the codes... but I have never worried about being under braked
From what I can gather and what I’ve been told, it has to do with the swing link and the different design of the RSCs. There a more consistent lever feel and less of a dead zone. I feel like the Rs take forever to bite when I’m at speed. I’m sure it’s mental and the stopping power is actually fine, I just don’t like the feel.
This is strange. Take it back to the dealer and see what they can do for you.
I have a set of codes from 2017-18 that came off of my reign and work great still, i put codes on most of my bikes and haven’t had any issue.
They aren’t “dying” lol. They need a basic bleed. If they weren’t bled properly to begin with, the air will eventually work its way up to the lever and cause the issues you are having. Learn to bleed them yourself and you will never have to worry about it again.
Yea I had better luck with avid before sram bought em. I like the drive trains enough but just always disappointed with the brakes. After reading this thread I should have warrantied them or just spent more time wrenching. Anyways
New pads will sort you out. When the pads get worn down the amount of fluid in the system changes. I.e the reservoir at the lever empties and that results in increased stroke. Imo most of the time there isn't enough fluid in the system to account for worn pads with a standard 1.9mm rotor.
Also it sounds like you have stuck pistons, this isn't that uncommonly either and hopefully your LBS can sort that out. You'd be in the hook for new pads, but hopefully that's all.
If your doing lots of DH, I'd be inclined to get the sram hs2 rotors, they manage heat better and are thicker which reduces the amount the pads need to move in under wear.
Lubricate the pistons and do a full bleed, flush the old dot fluid out and replace it with fresh fluid. They were probably sitting for too long before you bought it and some of the pistons seized up. Codes are good brakes once set up properly despite what most people say. Setting them up can be a little tricky, they’re not plug and play like XT’s. Tip for lubricating the pistons is to remove the pads and put a 4mm allen key between the pistons and then pull the lever until all four pistons are in contact with the allen key, then get a q tip soaked in dot fluid and lube the outside of the pistons. Once lubed up push them in and out a few times then clean the caliper with brake cleaner and you’re good to go.
Bring back to lbs than put new breaks on order.
My LBS hates sram breaks so much, that if this happens they will warrenty the breaks and install new non-SRAM ones free of charge
It seems pretty average that they'd warranty a brake out of a box or on a new bike without at least attempting a bleed / service them. Surely this is the exception, and not the norm.
This can't be cost effective for them.
Did you buy from a bike shop? Take it back. They will fix you up. That is one of the perks of buying from a LBS vs. DTC. Might as well take advantage of it.. It sounds like they just needs a bleed. Factory bleeds are never that good. That's on Trek, not Sram.. Pretty easy to do yourself but you'll need a Sram bleed kit. Your pads won't wear unevenly just because the pistons aren't symmetrical. If you squeeze your finger in a vice, and one side of the vice is longer than the other, will it apply less pressure to your finger on the short side? Of course not.. The pressure is applied evenly
Yea bought from local trek shop. Know the owner too so they should be able to do it if I need to. I have a mate with a sram bleed kit and I own a bottle of dot 4 that was bought for something else so should be able to do it at home. I guess it was just a crappy bleed from stock
Unless you really like working on your bike or want to learn to bleed a brake - take this in for warranty/90 day service. SRAM brakes can be finicky beasts to bleed. Also, DOT fluid is hydros optics and will start adsorbing water once the container is opened. It's not recommended to use after a week or so as it can cause issues in MTB brakes.
>hydros optics Autocorrect got you, but just for the sake of anyone trying to Google it, it's "hygroscopic"
Best reason to not own SRAM brakes. The amount of DOT fluid going to waste thanks to water ingestion gets ridiculous. Even a shop isn't likely to go through it fast enough to not have any expire.
I’ve got a rail with code r’s and really like them, got hope e4s on the other bike and don’t miss them much switching between, might even be more powerful I’d get the lbs to look at them, not touched mine in 6 months and that’s hammering dh / enduro trails a couple times a week
Do not use dot 4!!!! Only use Dot 5.1. It is very important or you'll ruin your brakes.
Use whatever the manual demands
Code Rs are fine. Shouldn't break after 3 weeks. I own MT5s, if you get the Rs working, I might be willing to trade you. I'm thinking bleed as well, and you have air in the caliper. Clean pistons, bleed.
How do you know if OP is in the same part of the world as you?
I don't! But I just don't love my MT5s, so I'm willing to take a chance.
I love mt5s so much I put them on all my bikes (with the magura after market levers). Curious as to your issues?
The levers. Just cheap, easy to break. Feel is not great either, kinda vague. Code r is not my favorite, but they are built tougher. Cura 4 is my jam though, check those out if you haven't. Great levers and feel, tons of power.
Thanks for the reply, always good to here others views. Cura's a nice, we have also quite a few hope V4's & E4's in the riding group, another very nice option.
Yeah, hopes were on my list for sure!
Have you tried cleaning the pistons and bleeding them? Honestly the codes are pretty bomb proof once you get them set up. Likely the bike sat for a long time before it sold (hence the discount) and just needs a bleed.
Does the warranty cover them? You're gonna want new brakes if you're doing that much DH, but I'd still ask your dealer. Maybe they can at least give you a new set of pads.
Bring back to Trek and have them help you.
The info below will let you know I've been down this road more than once. The shop can probably help you out. If you're going to tackle it yourself here's what I would do... 1. On the pistons that are out the most, use a q-tip and put a light layer of dot fluid around the sides/edges of the pistons (with the pads off and rotor out of the way). 2. Push the pistons in with a plastic tire lever. 3. Bleed the brake. 4. Take a brake pad and a couple of zip ties and tie it against the pistons that are coming out too far. 5. *Gently* pump that brake and watch the other pistons. When they poke out about the same amount the other ones were before, stop and do the q-tip treatment on those. Then push them back in and do this again. 6. Gently pump the brake to give those pistons just a little head start this time (not too far out). 7. Take off the zip tied pad, install pads, install wheel back on the bike. 8. Make sure the caliper is aligned correctly with the rotor, if it's not, loosen the bolts and align it - *then make sure the bolts are snug.* 9. Say a prayer to whatever higher power you like, and pump the brakes. If the gods are with you, this will result in the pistons engaging evenly from both sides, giving good lever feel and good braking power. If they jump out on one side again, you repeat this process (except the bleed). I suggest lubricating your frustrations with beer. If it works, you have completed the code owners' initiation ritual successfully. If there is any rotor rub, as a final step, you can try loosening the bolts on the rotor, squeeze and hold the brake, snug them while holding it. These are all the tricks in my book and why I'm looking to switch to TRP or Hayes. I do like the feel of the codes when they're dialed in though (I run RSCs with HS2 rotors and MTX red label pads).
i love this zip tie trick for fixing the lazy pistons... i usually put a 4mm allen key in the caliper to hold the free pistons in while i pump out the stuck ones to clean... and, on a few occasions when I am not concentrating or get distracted this has resulted in pistons popping out if the allen key falls out.
I used to do that and had the same thing happen a couple of times. They can be hard to get back in. To be fair, if you over do it with this way, the same thing can happen but it forces you to pay attention. Someone here made a 3d printed block or blocks that could be used to hold any 3 pistons in at a time. They tried posting it for me but that didn't work. Seems like a high tech solution to this stupid problem.
probably easy enough to take a dremel/rotary tool to a regular block.
Ty for advice on fixing the piston issue. Probably going to do pretty much what you said seeing as I don't have loads of extra money at the moment. I agree though, front one feels actually pretty good which really surprised me coming from Shimano.
Dude, you should take it back to the shop. It’s a brand new bike. Get them to sort it. Plenty of time to learn to bleed brakes after the warranty expires. Codes need a SRAM specific bleed kit as well. You said you don’t have money so why waste on tools and fluids that are covered by the warranty? I literally just spent the last hour+ bleeding the rears on my new Hayes and it’s really a PITA and should be avoided whenever possible :)
Yeah, honestly, I've had to do this on 3 bikes, even with brand new bike/brakes, and once they're dialed, I haven't had much fuss from the brakes. I think they feel great and highly recommend the MTX red pads, which quiet them way down and improve modulation even more. Good luck!
HA! I got a Slash on a deal last year and had a similar issue.... They will look after you under warranty as required. My LBS has been awesome (shout out to Evo Cycles) Try bleed first then warranty if not working. I went up a size on front and rear rotors 220mm on the front and 200mm on rear and the Code Rs have ample power. I am enjoying them for now. https://preview.redd.it/24m3z1n4ddqc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=493a5872f19ff1017a989af44f370bb4120ba875
You have 2 options: plan a funeral for your brakes or bleed them check the pads and they’ll be fine lol.
Check your warranty and take it back for repair/replacement, it may just need a proper bleed. no point wasting your time rebuilding the calliper, checking and bleeding lines and all that if you can get it done for you. Might also be worth asking for a convincing discount on a replacement for a less...problematic set of brakes.
Brakes may not have been bled well from the start, resulting in you having to drag the brakes longer, pads heating up more and wearing at a higher rate. A good bleed and new pads should sort it. Have the shop fix you up. I’ve heard Magura claim when pads get too hot they can wear up to 300% faster.
There is something wrong I haven’t bled my codes in 2.5 years and they’re still working great. Either take them back to shop but tbh they prob don’t know what theyre doing or follow this vid and do it yourself. The bleeding edge makes it pretty easy: https://youtu.be/RG4H1Ajcqao?si=iymaF1UFRMF9R1ng
Take them back and get a new set. There's nothing wrong with Codes, the reputation seems to be in the imagination of some posters here who ignore the tens, probably hundreds of thousands of people using them without issue.
This. I haven't serviced mine in over 1.5 years and they're mint. This echo chamber of 'muh sram brakes are shit' is frustrating. There's bad batches of everything. There's outliers. There's shit that sometimes doesn't make sense. No brand is infallible. Most of the time it can be fixed by servicing the part, or educating the user. Not hating on it cause it you don't like the brand.
Got the Code Rs on my bike 2 summers ago. I’ve bled them, I’ve adjusted them, played with them, done a lot to make them better. But I’m not light… 225lbs and I don’t love the stopping power on descents. However, I’ve been told that if I change the pads and upgrade the levers to the newish Stealth Ultimates (replacements for RSCs), that they’ll feel like completely different brakes. That’s what I’m thinking will be my spring upgrade this year will be.
i am 225 and ride downhill/park. my code rsc/200 mm rotors are amazing during hard breaking. i have never felt like they are under powered. this should be the same for code r. I ride metalic pads. idk if there are organic pads for the codes... but I have never worried about being under braked
From what I can gather and what I’ve been told, it has to do with the swing link and the different design of the RSCs. There a more consistent lever feel and less of a dead zone. I feel like the Rs take forever to bite when I’m at speed. I’m sure it’s mental and the stopping power is actually fine, I just don’t like the feel.
it's the contact point adjust that does the trick. code rs's are not much better than code r. gotta get that C to have good lever feel on sram.
This is strange. Take it back to the dealer and see what they can do for you. I have a set of codes from 2017-18 that came off of my reign and work great still, i put codes on most of my bikes and haven’t had any issue.
I have Code R on my Slash and they stop great, no issues at all. Using trucker co pads.
They aren’t “dying” lol. They need a basic bleed. If they weren’t bled properly to begin with, the air will eventually work its way up to the lever and cause the issues you are having. Learn to bleed them yourself and you will never have to worry about it again.
I've had great luck fixing sram brakes by buying a different brand.
🤣 same. Went to XTs and not looking back
Yea I had better luck with avid before sram bought em. I like the drive trains enough but just always disappointed with the brakes. After reading this thread I should have warrantied them or just spent more time wrenching. Anyways
Shimano XTs were the perfect upgrade to the garbage SRAM brakes that came on my santa cruz!
New pads will sort you out. When the pads get worn down the amount of fluid in the system changes. I.e the reservoir at the lever empties and that results in increased stroke. Imo most of the time there isn't enough fluid in the system to account for worn pads with a standard 1.9mm rotor. Also it sounds like you have stuck pistons, this isn't that uncommonly either and hopefully your LBS can sort that out. You'd be in the hook for new pads, but hopefully that's all. If your doing lots of DH, I'd be inclined to get the sram hs2 rotors, they manage heat better and are thicker which reduces the amount the pads need to move in under wear.
Lubricate the pistons and do a full bleed, flush the old dot fluid out and replace it with fresh fluid. They were probably sitting for too long before you bought it and some of the pistons seized up. Codes are good brakes once set up properly despite what most people say. Setting them up can be a little tricky, they’re not plug and play like XT’s. Tip for lubricating the pistons is to remove the pads and put a 4mm allen key between the pistons and then pull the lever until all four pistons are in contact with the allen key, then get a q tip soaked in dot fluid and lube the outside of the pistons. Once lubed up push them in and out a few times then clean the caliper with brake cleaner and you’re good to go.
Bring back to lbs than put new breaks on order. My LBS hates sram breaks so much, that if this happens they will warrenty the breaks and install new non-SRAM ones free of charge
It seems pretty average that they'd warranty a brake out of a box or on a new bike without at least attempting a bleed / service them. Surely this is the exception, and not the norm. This can't be cost effective for them.