captainchaos

Not sure how many of you out there are into bicycles but over the last few years I started doing some tris up to and including a half-ironman last year, which after having to learn how to walk again years back after a pretty bad motorcycle accident was a pretty big deal for me. In the process I quickly learned to do pretty much everything with regards to keeping my (like everything else I own) older quality road bikes I ride and race in top shape, including even respoking a few wheels and building a couple bikes from scratch. I'm no expert but I've also fixed up and sold a ton of bikes for learning/fun and even given several to friends as gifts. Also obviously started getting stuck fixing everyone else's stuff all the time which you obviously need to put the brakes on sometimes lol. Fast forward to a recent purchase of a nice but neglected '14 Trek hybrid I bought to give to a buddy of mine who's having a tough time both with his health and with being out of work for awhile. This is a guy who built a raft in the woods and put a bulldozer engine on it to get his family here from Cuba. He's the best guy in the world and I wanted to do something nice for him. So after going through the whole bike and getting it real nice I'm down to the front brake (bled the rear and installed new pads and had it perfect in no time) which after two days of cleaning and bleeding just can't get perfect. I won't go into a separate rant about how I think for most (I said "most" not all) applications hydraulic disc brakes on bicycles (especially ones not being seriously raced) are delicate, unreliable, impractical bling, and not because I don't know how to work on them because I've learned and even put discs on another project using parts from Ace Hardware and they work perfect even though they really have no right to lol. So I finally realize one of the damn pistons is leaking in the caliper. Not enough to leak where you'd see it right away (finally noticed it on the rotor), just a little wet around one of the pistons and getting on the rotor and of course my new brake pads which are probably now ruined...

SO, I figure ok it won't get done today but I'll just look online for a rebuild kit, the bike's not that old. Yeah right...NOTHING. So I wait until Monday (today) to call Hayes and get it from them. Maybe I'm getting old but 2014 wasn't THAT long ago... Guy who answers sounds like I asked him for a rebuild kit for a set of effing wagon wheels. "It's all about Dominion (their latest model) these days." I clearly stated I wasn't the original owner right off the bat and clearly stated I wasn't even asking them to warranty anything. I just wanted to purchase a rebuild kit. (Mind you they lifetime warranty against, amongst other things, leaking calipers). After going back and forth (in fairness he did look) and pointing me towards clearly the WRONG rebuild kit he basically told me I was $hit out of luck and even in a warranty situation they'd send me some bull$hit "discount code" towards buying their latest greatest setup (which I'm sure costs more than I paid for the bike) that I'm sure once IT fails they'll not stock the parts for either. That's really weak Hayes... Certainly doesn't make someone want to go out of their way to buy anything with your name on it...

bigborer

Hayes and Magura brakes are known to be junk.

Regarding rebuild kits, you might get lucky and find a made in China kit on ebay, or just measure and buy the seals separately.

captainchaos

I looked everywhere. And I figured if the company that makes them couldn't help me it was onto a replacement from a different manufacturer, which I ended up buying off Ebay.

HOWEVER. Received an email out of the blue several days later from the same gentleman at Hayes saying he had good news. He went on to say after asking around he had found a complete rear setup (identical to the front, just a longer line), brand new in some back "secret storeroom." I said that was awesome and asked me how much it was. He said no charge, as it wasn't even on the books any longer and there was no way he could charge me for it anyway! I was humbled a few days later when it came in the mail. Thank you Matt. Doesn't happen often anymore but I'm floored when it does.