I'm going to upgrade my brakes to the xtr m985's and normally you can buy them as a front and rear kit pre bled and ready to go.
The question I have is that I'm one of those that uses the right hand lever for the front brake. The front kit comes with a 'left' lever. Can you flip the left lever into a right, or do I need to buy the right lever separately? Thanks

the lever is not reversible.
if you are buying a front and rear set, you dont need anything extra. just put the levers where they go and the calipers where they go, and then just remove the hoses from each lever and install them opposite. done.

as ^^^^ says, swap the hoses over - most likley will need to be bled

All Avid brakes are reversible. In fact, if you notice on closeout there are often only rear brakes left (since dealers know they can switch them) and I often buy 2 rears at a discounted price and all you have to do is shorten the front hose. Avid includes the barbs to shorten the hose with their brakes.

In fact I just did this last night. I bought a pair of Elixer CR rears for $130 each landed in order to upgrade a bike from Jucy 7's. All I had to do was shorten the hose of the front and then bleed it and I was good to go.

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For certain parts stiffer is more important than lighter.

Xt and xtr brakes come with spares olives and other stuff to shorten or change hoses. My brakes came with left as front I swapped over and shortened hoses and didn't need to bleed the brakes after

Okay thanks for the responses guys.
So one way or another I'll have to cut or swap the hoses. Might need to read up on how to do that first!

Cheers

If you are careful you should not have to bleed after swapping/shortening the hose. If it was Avid, you would have to bleed it.

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Not true! I have successfully shortened and Avid CR brake this weekend without bleeding and it is just as stout as the other one. I have between my and wife bikes 4 sets of CR and 2 sets of Jucy7 and I have shortened all of them. When I first started, I always had to bleed. Now that I know what to do, I never have to bleed. The key for me was to make the cut in the hose at the correct new length then raise the caliper end of the hose and to start with the lever end facing slightly uphill. Then with a rag under the cut off piece, loosen the squish bolt keeping the lever open end pointed up. Put the screw in part of the compression fitting in the caliper end while keeping it up. Put the compression part on, insert and tighten.

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For certain parts stiffer is more important than lighter.