# Juicy 3 vs Juicy 5 vs Juicy 7



## dirtjumper202 (May 11, 2007)

So im debating on brakes which one to get, im sorta tight on money so would like to spend no more then 120 for a rear 160mm break. I ride tight dirt jumps with not much time to stop so the looking for quick stopping, also ride park/street so something to hold on the fufu's and abubaca's my Avid bb7 has given up before on me.

........any online places to buy from would be nice.


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

Your BB7s have "given up before" on you? It what way? I mean, they lack the modulation that can only be achieved with hydros (the SD7 lever is a good substitute, however), but I don't believe that you didn't have enough power out of them. If I had the lever close enough to my bars, I could easily lock the rear wheel with a pinky. And I like my brakes really tight; on or off, I don't want much squish in between that. 

Your profile says that you have BB5s. BB5s are NO comparison to BB7s, 8 inch rotors or otherwise. BB5s compare to Hayes MX4s at most. 

You could get hydros, but it seems like you're looking for the same thing I look for in a brake-responsive and acute power easily obtained by a light squeeze on the lever=BB7s.

Tim


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## dirtjumper202 (May 11, 2007)

sorry i haven't been on the forum for a while i need to update things.

I have the bb7 with 165 rotor and have run the 180 i have too, i have done tire taps or abubaca's where the brake didn't hold well enough and simplely slipped. I know i could be the pads but its happened with new pads too......i run the brake so i don't need to pull much for it to grab, but there the problem of rub too.

Also i just want some hydro's since there no comparison to cable, also that cable ones are going on a bike thats up for sale so i need something new for this bike


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## DJskeet (Oct 19, 2007)

I had almost the same problem with not ebing able to lock up the break enough (07' bb7) but ya just gotta fiddle with them a lot. Turn the top little red knob all the way up, tightten the cable, and turn the side dials on the caiper until it is almost half a mm from rubbing.

Also what happended to me was the caliber was actualy crooked while the disk was strait, so every time I locked up the brake it basicaly warped my disck a little. Since then I got a smaller rotor and its a lot songer, also tried my best to straiten the caliber.

I fiddle with my brakes at least once a month to get them strait.


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

DJskeet said:


> Also what happended to me was the caliber was actualy crooked while the disk was strait, so every time I locked up the brake it basicaly warped my disck a little. Since then I got a smaller rotor and its a lot songer, also tried my best to straiten the caliber.
> 
> I fiddle with my brakes at least once a month to get them strait.


You have to use the CPS (Caliper Positioning system). Avid recommends that the rotor be twice as far from the inboard side as it is from the outboard side. Then you have to lock the rotor by completely tightening the outboard adjuster so the rotor is immobilized. Then tighten the CPS bolts. Your caliper is now correctly aligned and you can mess around with pad adjustment to get optimal braking power.

What top little red knob? I don't see any knobs on top of the caliper.

Tim


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## DJskeet (Oct 19, 2007)

tibug said:


> You have to use the CPS (Caliper Positioning system). Avid recommends that the rotor be twice as far from the inboard side as it is from the outboard side. Then you have to lock the rotor by completely tightening the outboard adjuster so the rotor is immobilized. Then tighten the CPS bolts. Your caliper is now correctly aligned and you can mess around with pad adjustment to get optimal braking power.
> 
> What top little red knob? I don't see any knobs on top of the caliper.
> 
> Tim


Ohhh I was talking about the knob on the lever.

Edit, nevermind, I know what you are talking about now, thanks for the advice that actualy helps a lot.


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

DJskeet said:


> Ohhh I was talking about the knob on the lever.
> 
> Edit, nevermind, I know what you are talking about now, thanks for the advice that actualy helps a lot.


Oh got it, yes. That knob on SD7 levers actually changes leverage at the lever. It does not take up slack in the cable. It is simply an adjustment to change how the lever feels. I like mine rock hard, but some like their brakes a little mushy, to make them feel more like hydros.

Glad I could help,
Tim


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## teoz (Oct 8, 2007)

not way that bb5s can be compared with mx4s!!! mx4s are piece of crap! bb5s are great brakes for the price and not much worse than bb7s. bb5s are better than mx3s and maybe even better than mx2s


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## dirtjumper202 (May 11, 2007)

well who wants to help choose a hydro brake?


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## wako29 (Apr 3, 2007)

no kidding, did you guys completely miss what the point of the thread was? From what I have learned, Juicy 5s and 7s are the same thing, just the 5s weigh a LITTLE more and don't have the adjustable knob on the lever. Big deal. However, the 3s aren't as nice from what I remember. I doubt you will be upset if you get J5s or 7s. Good brakes with very nice stopping power


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## teoz (Oct 8, 2007)

yeah, juicy5 would be the best buy of those 3 brakes you mentioned in title but take a look at shimano deore M535 brakes, I wasn't so sure how would they preform but after my friend get rear M535 i was impressed how brutally it brakes. Compared to juicy5 he had before shimanos are bit better, thats my opinion.

btw: sorry for little offtopic before


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## jpine93 (Aug 7, 2007)

i have juicy 5s. Good stopping power but seriously lack adjustment. The juicy 7s have the pad adjustment, so i would go with those.


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## dirtjumper202 (May 11, 2007)

teoz said:


> btw: sorry for little offtopic before


lol no problem, I get off topic a lot its my ADD

is there any differnce from 2006-2008 for the Juicy 5 and 7?....since online i can get a 07 juicy 7 for 130 an 2008 juicy 5 for 120


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## JMH (Feb 23, 2005)

I have all those brakes on different bikes. IMO, there is no good reason to buy the 7s over the 5s.

The 3s are really basic and a cheaper design. The painted black finish is merely "okay" and they don't feel quite as good as the more expensive brakes. But I have been running them on my street bike (ToP) for quite a while now and they have been excellent. Plenty of power and reliability for me. I didn't feel like the bike warranted the extra expense of the 5s, so I took a chance. Stoked.

JMH


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## A Grove (Nov 12, 2006)

Go for that 07 J7!! The only thing that has really changed (to the best of my knowledge) is the color.


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

08 lever is slimmed down considerably over the 07.

No difference between the J5 and the J7 other than color and the knob. I like the knob, let's me set the lever right where I want it, nice and easy. This knob IS NOT the reach. It also DOES NOT affect the pad position. The J5 weighs like 2g more than the J7. The J5 lacks no more adjustment than the XTR, the old XT, Hayes Mag, Hope, non-BAT Magura, etc. The reach is adjusted via allen, the free-stroke can be altered by pumping out the pistons, overfilling the system, etc. The free-stroke on the J7 is adjusted by the red knob.

The J3 is cheaper. Lever can't "hyper-extend." The caliper casting is cheaper. The general feel is... vague, soft, etc.


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

teoz said:


> not way that bb5s can be compared with mx4s!!! mx4s are piece of crap! bb5s are great brakes for the price and not much worse than bb7s. bb5s are better than mx3s and maybe even better than mx2s


My bad, I thought the MX4s were the top of the line mech brakes for Hayes. MX2s are then?

Tim


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## tibug (Dec 5, 2006)

wako29 said:


> no kidding, did you guys completely miss what the point of the thread was? From what I have learned, Juicy 5s and 7s are the same thing, just the 5s weigh a LITTLE more and don't have the adjustable knob on the lever. Big deal. However, the 3s aren't as nice from what I remember. I doubt you will be upset if you get J5s or 7s. Good brakes with very nice stopping power


The point of the thread is to recommend good brakes for the OP. In order to answer the OP's question, I needed to know what was wrong with the brakes he had so I could recommend brakes that would not have that problem. I haven't recommended anything because I still think that he needs to properly adjust his BB7s. I'm not believing that a properly adjusted BB7 would "give up" on him, so I'm not going to suggest that he spend the money for better brakes. And what did you think the point of this thread was??? To give opinions about brakes that you don't even own and probably have never tried?

Tim


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