Have questions or want to discuss cycling? Join Now or Sign In to participate in the BikeRide community.


Magura Clara disc brake spongy after bleeding... Videos showing piston action
#1
This bicycle bought 2nd hand, no idea of its history.

This particular caliper is front brake (Magura Louise brake handle!)

Managed to figure out how to bleed both brakes...  One Clara brake handle, one Louise! Connect syringe with Magura oil on caliper. Open reservoir on handle, fill reservoir with syringe (if not already), slowly operate handle until reservoir near empty, then fill reservoir with syringe again. Bubbles will enter reservoir during this process to "bleed" the system.

Back brakes operating nice and sharp / firm after bleeding. Front brakes very spongy, as if only one piston operating.

From what little information I can find regarding Clara or Louise brakes, I understand that these older brakes have only one (1) active piston (I think the inner one supposed to be inactive and permanently placed almost touching the disc?). However my videos show that both these pistons seem to be active.

My videos show that the outer piston presses into the disc and actually presses the disc over nearer to the inside piston. The inside piston moves a little.

The inside piston needs to be protruding more or have more travel (movement).  I've seen plenty of advice how to "reset" pistons back into the caliper by pushing them back in but no information about how to draw them out more. I assume this is not possible?

The whole action of this front caliper is so messed up!

How to correct if possible?

Links to videos and photo stills :  (uploaded to Yandex Space)


You can download the files here:

Magura Clara Caliper.jpg
https://yadi.sk/i/UE1uxXug3HdVVt

disc not centered.jpg
https://yadi.sk/i/MOAWUNk33HdVVd

inside piston 1.mp4
https://yadi.sk/i/nuNCn7e13HdVVe

inside piston 2.mp4
https://yadi.sk/i/nrZP4r8D3HdVVk

outside piston.mp4
https://yadi.sk/i/zEtZGxyn3HdVVw

Please update me if these links do not work in some way...
  Reply
#2
Nevermind questions, rear brake handle now broken, just gonna replace & update both front and rear brakes.

Interesting that nobody replying. Undecided
  Reply


Possibly Related Threads...

Forum Jump:

[-]
10 Latest Posts
New to the Forum - Introduction
Today 05:38 PM
Would you like a pizza after cycling?
Today 02:10 AM
Hardtail as only bike?
Yesterday 05:23 PM
Spoke Count Preference
Yesterday 09:17 AM
Pros & Cons of presta valve vs schrader ...
Yesterday 03:34 AM
Are you mainly into Mountain Biking, Roa...
Yesterday 02:20 AM
New around here
07-11-2026 10:53 AM
Favorite MTB brand?
07-10-2026 03:16 AM
29"front & 26" rear? Thoughts?
07-10-2026 03:13 AM
suspicious broken part after service--is...
07-09-2026 02:45 PM

[-]
Join BikeRide on Strava
Feel free to join if you are on Strava: www.strava.com/clubs/bikeridecom

[-]
Top 5 Posters This Month
no avatar 1. Flowrider
27 posts
no avatar 2. meamoantonio
17 posts
no avatar 3. GirishH
17 posts
no avatar 4. ReapThaWhirlwind
15 posts
no avatar 5. Mr. Beanz
13 posts