SRAM GUIDE RSC 2015 User manual

2015
GUIDE RSC
Service Manual

SRAM LLC WARRANTY
EXTENT OF LIMITED WARRANTY
Except as otherwise set forth herein, SRAM warrants its products to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for a period of
two years after original purchase. This warranty only applies to the original owner and is not transferable. Claims under this warranty
must be made through the retailer where the bicycle or the SRAM component was purchased. Original proof of purchase is required.
Except as described herein, SRAM makes no other warranties, guaranties, or representations of any type (express or implied), and
all warranties (including any implied warranties of reasonable care, merchantibility, or fitness for a particular purpose) are hereby
disclaimed.
LOCAL LAW
This warranty statement gives the customer specific legal rights. The customer may also have other rights which vary from state to
state (USA), from province to province (Canada), and from country to country elsewhere in the world.
To the extent that this warranty statement is inconsistent with the local law, this warranty shall be deemed modified to be consistent
with such law, under such local law, certain disclaimers and limitations of this warranty statement may apply to the customer. For
example, some states in the United States of America, as well as some governments outside of the United States (including provinces in
Canada) may:
a. Preclude the disclaimers and limitations of this warranty statement from limiting the statutory rights of the consumer
(e.g. United Kingdom).
b. Otherwise restrict the ability of a manufacturer to enforce such disclaimers or limitations.
For Australian customers:
This SRAM limited warranty is provided in Australia by SRAM LLC, 1333 North Kingsbury, 4th floor, Chicago, Illinois, 60642, USA. To
make a warranty claim please contact the retailer from whom you purchased this SRAM product. Alternatively, you may make a claim
by contacting SRAM Australia, 6 Marco Court, Rowville 3178, Australia. For valid claims SRAM will, at its option, either repair or replace
your SRAM product. Any expenses incurred in making the warranty claim are your responsibility. The benefits given by this warranty
are additional to other rights and remedies that you may have under laws relating to our products. Our goods come with guarantees
that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and for
compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the
goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
To the extent allowed by local law, except for the obligations specifically set forth in this warranty statement, in no event shall SRAM or
its third party suppliers be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages.
LIMITATIONS OF WARRANTY
This warranty does not apply to products that have been incorrectly installed and/or adjusted according to the respective SRAM user
manual. The SRAM user manuals can be found online at sram.com, rockshox.com, avidbike.com, truvativ.com, or zipp.com.
This warranty does not apply to damage to the product caused by a crash, impact, abuse of the product, non-compliance with
manufacturers specifications of usage or any other circumstances in which the product has been subjected to forces or loads beyond its
design.
This warranty does not apply when the product has been modified, including, but not limited to any attempt to open or repair any
electronic and electronic related components, including the motor, controller, battery packs, wiring harnesses, switches, and chargers.
This warranty does not apply when the serial number or production code has been deliberately altered, defaced or removed.
This warranty does not apply to normal wear and tear. Wear and tear parts are subject to damage as a result of normal use, failure to
service according to SRAM recommendations and/or riding or installation in conditions or applications other than recommended.
Wear and tear parts are identified as:
Notwithstanding anything else set forth herein, this warranty is limited to one year for all electronic and electronic related components
including motors, controllers, battery packs, wiring harnesses, switches, and chargers. The battery pack and charger warranty does not
include damage from power surges, use of improper charger, improper maintenance, or such other misuse.
This warranty shall not cover damages caused by the use of parts of different manufacturers.
This warranty shall not cover damages caused by the use of parts that are not compatible, suitable and/or authorised by SRAM for use
with SRAM components.
This warranty shall not cover damages resulting from commercial (rental) use.
•Dust seals
•Bushings
•Air sealing o-rings
•Glide rings
•Rubber moving parts
•Foam rings
•Rear shock mounting hardware
and main seals
•Upper tubes (stanchions)
•Stripped threads/bolts
(aluminium, titanium,
magnesium or steel)
•Brake sleeves
•Brake pads
•Chains
•Sprockets
•Cassettes
•Shifter and brake cables (inner
and outer)
•Handlebar grips
•Shifter grips
•Jockey wheels
•Disc brake rotors
•Wheel braking surfaces
•Bottomout pads
•Bearings
•Bearing races
•Pawls
•Transmission gears
•Spokes
•Free hubs
•Aero bar pads
•Corrosion
•Tools
•Motors
•Batteries

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRAKE SERVICE OVERVIEW........................................................................................................................................................... 5
LEVER SERVICE ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
PARTS AND TOOLS NEEDED FOR SERVICE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
GUIDE RSC EXPLODED VIEW ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
LEVER BLADE REMOVAL..................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
PISTON ASSEMBLY REMOVAL......................................................................................................................................................................................................10
PISTON ASSEMBLY INSTALLATION ...........................................................................................................................................................................................13
LEVER BLADE INSTALLATION ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
CALIPER SERVICE ...........................................................................................................................................................................20
PARTS AND TOOLS NEEDED FOR SERVICE .........................................................................................................................................................................20
CALIPER EXPLODED VIEW ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................20
TROUBLESHOOTING.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................21
CALIPER BRAKE PAD REMOVAL................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
CALIPER PISTON REMOVAL .........................................................................................................................................................................................................23
CALIPER PISTON INSTALLATION............................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
DISC BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR BED-IN PROCEDURE..............................................................................................................28

SAFETY FIRST!
We care about YOU. Please, always wear your safety glasses and
protective gloves when servicing SRAM products.
Protect yourself! Wear your safety gear!

5Brake Service Overview
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
• Always wear safety glasses and nitrile gloves when working with DOT fluid.
• Place an oil pan on the floor underneath the area where you will be working on the brake.
• Used DOT fluid should be recycled or disposed of in accordance to local and federal regulations.
• Never pour DOT fluid down a sewage or drainage system or into the ground or a body of water.
• DOT fluids will damage painted surfaces. If any fluid comes in contact with a painted surface (i.e. your frame) or printing on the
brakes, wipe it off immediately and clean it with isopropyl alcohol or water. Damage to painted and/or printed surfaces by DOT fluid
is not covered under warranty.
• Do not allow any brake fluid to come in contact with the brake pads. If this occurs, the pads are contaminated and must be replaced.
• For best results, use only Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid. If Avid fluid is not available, only use DOT 5.1 or 4 fluid.
Do not use mineral oil or DOT 5 fluid.
Brake Service Overview
SRAM brake systems need to be serviced periodically to optimize braking function. If brake fluid is leaking from any area of the brake,
there may be damage or wear and tear to the internal moving parts. If the system has been contaminated with the wrong fluid, there
may be damage to all rubber and plastic internal parts. If your brake was damaged in a crash, there may be damage to the lever blade,
pushrod, and housing assemblies. Inspect and replace these parts to restore proper brake function.
Your product's appearance may differ from the pictures contained in this publication.

6Guide RSC Exploded View
Guide RSC Exploded View
Lever Service
Parts and Tools Needed for Service
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Oil pan
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Clean, lint-free rag
• Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid or DOT 4 Fluid, or Avid
DOT Grease
• Needle nose pliers
• 242® Blue Loctite®
• Pick with a 90 degree bent tip
• T8 , T10, & T25 TORX® wrench
• T8 & T10 TORX® bit socket
• 8 mm flare nut wrench
• 2 mm & 4 mm hex wrench
• Torque wrench
• SRAM® Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool
(for setting pushrod distance and installing internals)
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
Reservoir cap
Bladder
Detent
ball
Detent spring Piston assembly
Sleeve
Coupler
Lever body Lever return spring
Contact adjust knob
Reservoir bolt
Lever blade
SwingLink™
SwingLink bushings
Bleed port screws
SwingLink
push rod
Pivot pin
Pinch
bolt
Lever pivot
bolts
Compression nut
Hose boot

7Lever Blade Removal
Lever Blade Removal
NOTICE
DOT fluid will damage painted surfaces. If any fluid comes in contact with a painted surface (i.e. your frame) or printing on the brakes,
wipe it off immediately and clean it with isopropyl alcohol or water. Damage to painted and/or printed surfaces by DOT fluid is not
covered under warranty.
Use a T25 TORX® wrench or a 4 mm hex wrench to remove the
brake clamp bolt from the discrete clamp, MMX, or XLoc™ (XLoc
requires removal of the shifter) and remove the brake lever from
the handlebar.
Pull the hose boot o the compression nut and slide it down the
hose.
Use an 8 mm flare nut wrench to remove the hose compression
nut.
Pull the brake hose and compression fitting from the brake lever
body.
Pour the brake fluid into an oil pan. Squeeze the lever blade to
pump out the excess brake fluid from inside the lever body.
NOTICE
If the system has been contaminated with mineral oil or DOT 5
fluid, flush all the parts with soapy water, rinse, and allow all parts
to dry prior to rebuilding. Install all new seals and a new hose.
For best results, use only Avid High-Performance DOT 5.1 fluid. If
Avid fluid is not available, only use DOT 5.1 or 4 fluid.
1
2
8 mm flare nut wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
3
4

8Lever Blade Removal
Use a T10 TORX® wrench to remove the reservoir cap bolt nearest
to the lever blade.
Carefully turn the lever body upside down so that the detent
spring and ball fall out of the lever body. If they do not initially fall
out, gently tap the lever against a clean rag.
Use a T10 TORX® wrench to remove the remaining reservoir cap
bolt.
Remove the reservoir cover and bladder from the lever body.
5
T10 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
6
7
T10 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
8

9Lever Blade Removal
Pour the fluid from the brake lever body into a pan.
Separate the bladder from the reservoir cover.
Spray isopropyl alcohol on the bladder and the reservoir cover and
clean them with a rag.
NOTICE
All components must be completely dry before reinstalling them.
Moisture residue from cleaning the bladder can leak out of the
bladder as it dries, which can be misinterpreted as a system leak,
when it is not.
Use a T10 TORX® wrench to remove the lever pivot bolts.
Remove the lever blade.
4
5
6
T10 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
7

10Piston Assembly Removal
Piston Assembly Removal
Use a T8 TORX® wrench to remove the SwingLink™ pinch bolt.
Use a T8 TORX® wrench to push the SwingLink pivot pin out of the
lever body.
Use a T8 TORX® wrench to remove the SwingLink.
T8 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
1
2
T8 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
3
T8 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
T8 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm

11Piston Assembly Removal
Remove the SwingLink™ bushings by hand.
Use a SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool to unthread the
piston sleeve and coupler. Insert the SRAM Guide Lever Internals
Assembly Tool into the lever body and align the keyslot of the tool
with the piston sleeve. Use the tool to unthread the sleeve and
remove the sleeve and coupler.
If the piston sleeve and coupler are stuck in the lever body use
needle nose pliers to gently remove.
Remove the sleeve from the coupler by hand.
Spray isopropyl alcohol on both the sleeve and the coupler and
clean them with a rag.
4
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
5
6

12Piston Assembly Removal
Place a rag over the lever body to prevent the piston assembly
spring from forcefully ejecting across the room.
Use your hand to push out the contact knob.
CAUTION - EYE HAZARD
Use safety glasses.
The piston assembly is spring loaded and will forcefully eject from
the lever body when the contact knob is removed.
Remove the piston assembly from the lever body.
Spray isopropyl alcohol on the lever body and the lever blade and
clean them with a rag.
7
7
8

13Piston Assembly Installation
Piston Assembly Installation
NOTICE
DOT fluid will damage painted surfaces. If any fluid comes in contact with a painted surface (i.e. your frame) or printing on the brakes,
wipe it off immediately and clean it with isopropyl alcohol or water. Damage to painted and/or printed surfaces by DOT fluid is not
covered under warranty.
Submerge the new piston assembly in Avid High-Performance 5.1
DOT Fluid by hand.
You can also use Avid DOT Grease, or DOT 5.1 or 4 compatible
grease, as a lubricant.
Install the new lubricated piston assembly into the lever body.
Spray isopropyl alcohol on the lever body and both of your gloves
and clean with a rag.
Use the SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool to press the
piston into the lever body while inserting the contact adjust knob
into the contact adjust slot.
You should hear a pop sound when the contact knob is fully seated
in place.
1
Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid 22 mm
2
3
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid 22 mm
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid 22 mm

14Piston Assembly Installation
Use your hand to place the sleeve on the coupler.
The sleeve threads must be oriented away from the base of the
coupler.
Use the SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool tool to engage
and thread the sleeve and coupler onto the piston assembly.
Engage the slots on the sleeve with the contact adjust knob and
continue to thread the SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool
tool in a clockwise rotation until it stops.
Use needle nose pliers to install the SwingLink™ bushings.
If the SwingLink bushings fall out easily, apply a small amount of
grease to the bushings to help hold them in place.
4
5
Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 20 mm or 15 mm Thru Axle
T8 TORX wrench QR
6
Needle nose pliers Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid 22 mm

15Piston Assembly Installation
Place the SwingLink™ onto the SRAM Guide Lever Internals
Assembly Tool to adjust the length of the push rod on the
SwingLink.
Use a 2 mm hex wrench to tighten the push rod into the
SwingLink.
Use a 2 mm hex wrench to remove the SwingLink from the SRAM
Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool and place the pushrod into
the coupler sleeve.
7
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
8
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 2 mm hex wrench 22 mm
9
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 2 mm hex wrench 22 mm
SRAM Guide Lever Internals Assembly Tool 2 mm hex wrench 22 mm

16Piston Assembly Installation
Align the holes of the SwingLink™ and the SwingLink bushings,
then press the pivot pin into the hole until it is flush with the lever
body.
Apply a small amount of 242® Blue Loctite® onto the pinch bolt.
Use a T8 TORX® wrench to thread the SwingLink pinch bolt into
the lever body. Use a torque wrench and a T8 TORX® bit socket to
torque the bolt to 2.7-3.2 N·m (24-28 in-lb).
10
11
242 Blue Loctite 20 mm or 15 mm Thru Axle
T8 TORX wrench QR
T8 TORX bit 2.7-3.2 N•m (24-28 in-lb) 22 mm

17Lever Blade Installation
Lever Blade Installation
Use your hand to install the lever blade.
Line up the pivot holes of the lever blade with the pivot holes in
the lever body.
Make sure your lever return spring is seated properly in the lever.
The outboard end of the spring must press against the lever blade,
while the inboard end of the springs must press against the lever
body. If the return spring is not seated properly, you will not be
able to adjust the reach of the lever blade.
Apply a small amount of 242® Blue Loctite® onto each pivot bolt.
Use a T10 TORX® wrench to thread each pivot bolt into the
bearings on each side of the lever body.
1
2
242 Blue Loctite 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm
3
T10 TORX wrench 15 N•m (133 in-lb) 22 mm

18Lever Blade Installation
Use a torque wrench and a T10 TORX® bit socket to tighten each
pivot bolt to 2.7-3.2 N·m (24-28 in-lb).
Press the bladder into the reservoir cap, make sure the bladder is
properly seated into the reservoir cap. The bladder should be flush
with the cap.
Insert the reservoir cap/bladder assembly onto the lever body.
Use your fingers to install the detent ball followed by the detent
spring into the lever body reservoir hole closest to the lever blade.
T10 TORX bit 2.7-3.2 N•m (24-28 in-lb) 22 mm
4
56
7
8

19Lever Blade Installation
Use a torque wrench and a T10 TORX® bit socket to tighten each
reservoir cap bolt to 2.7-3.2 N·m (24-28 in-lb).
Spray isopropyl alcohol on the lever body and clean it with a
rag.
9
T10 TORX bit 2.7-3.2 N•m (24-28 in-lb) 22 mm
10

20Caliper Service
Caliper Service
Parts and Tools Needed for Service
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Oil pan
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Clean, lint-free rag
• Avid High-Performance 5.1 DOT Fluid or DOT 4 Fluid, or Avid
DOT Grease or DOT 5.1 or 4 compatible grease
• Air compressor with rubber-tipped blow gun chuck nozzle
• Soft rubber mat or small section of butyl inner tube
• Bleed block
• Needle nose pliers
• Pick with a 90 degree bent tip
• 2.5 mm & 5 mm hex wrench
• 2.5 mm hex bit socket
• T25 TORX® wrench
• T25 TORX® bit socket
• 8 mm open end wrench
• 8 mm flare nut crowfoot
• Torque wrench
Caliper Exploded View
E-clip
Banjo
fitting
Banjo bolt
Caliper body
bolt
Banjo bolt o-ring Caliper o-ring
Caliper
o-ring
Internal caliper o-ring
Pad pin
Caliper body
Caliper body
Caliper pistons
Caliper pistons
Piston seals
Piston seals
Brake pads
Pad Spreader
Bleed screw