A Few MTB Parts Questions

[Allyc85]

The left hand brake brake lever seal on my Tektro Hydraulic system has started leaking at the lever seal, and I was wondering if swapping to Shimano levers would be a direct swap, or if I would need different hoses?

Next the lockout has broken on the cheap and stty Suntour forks, and I was wondering if RockShox XC 32 TK Solo Air Forks were a good, but cheap replacement?

Also are there any good MTB maintenance books, as I am a complete noob when it comes to bikes!

Cheers

Edited by Allyc85 on Monday 24th March 18:16

[Justin S]

Just get a new set of Deore brakes for £65 ish , from merlins, Chain Reaction and others. Wouldn't bother messing with tektro brakes when they go bad.
Suntour forks are very heavy coil sprung, usually. Have a look at some Rebas from Rockshoxs. Really nice forks. Sometimes On One flog them cheap as well as the others listed above.
As for books, I believe Park do something and You Tube is a great moving source of info.

[Allyc85]

Cheers for the info.

Would I need new brake hoses too, or are they generally the same size?

[matt-ITR]

It would be cheaper and easier just to replace the whole brake, not just the lever.

Most hydraulic brakes are complete, ie. lever, caliper and hose - all bled and ready to use.

[neenaw]

As above, bin the Tektro brakes and get a set of Deore's for about £70 or so. They'll be much better than the Tektro's. You would get a complete set of levers and callipers which will be pre-bled so the only thing you may need to do is shorten the hoses to suit your bike. This is pretty straightforward and doesn't require any special tools.

For the forks, take a look at On-One or Merlin as they usually have cheap forks. Reba's are good value and a good fork as well. If you're running a 26er, there are some real bargain forks about.

For general maintenance, check the Park Tools website, it's got loads of good advice.

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help