TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Servicing hydraulic brakes is a pain in numerous ways. Not only does each manufacturer have a slightly different bleed kit, but hose ends are specific to different brands. To service the brakes on the American market takes a variety of bleed kits that invariably get mixed up.
Clarks, and its U.S. distributor J&B Imports, will be highlighting Clarks' universal brake bleed kit in a few months. The kit works with all hydraulic brakes on the U.S. market. Different ends thread in any caliper or lever, and a check valve makes sure no air gets in the system.
"With our kit you don't need to worry about a specific bleed kit — one kit works with all brakes. All you need to do is switch the barbed ends," said Tony Wright, Clarks' managing director. "The check valves mean you don't have to worry about air getting back into the system."
To match the bleed kit, Clarks also supplies a universal ends kit that packs all the olives, banjos and hose fittings to build up replacement hoses.
"Buy our 30-meter shop replacement brake hose and our universal end kit and a shop can create any hose for a fraction of the cost of buying a complete hose," Wright said. "There is no more looking around for the right end; all the correct ends are in the kit."
Clarks also sells brake pads in packs of 20 to further lower the cost of servicing brakes. "It's even possible to mix SRAM and Shimano brake pads to get the 20-pad discount," Wright said.
