Disco brake Pads!

Tom Barton

Well that was a lesson learnt!

I bought some of the ceramic 3x life pads for my formula oros from these chaps not long ago thinking sagely (I thought) 'right winter is coming, durable brake pad time for my shiny new bike'. They lasted ok through a damp summer (1st set) and i put their shortish life span down to the wet and rain (bout 2 months but was expecting more from the sales spiel) but today - with the other new set on I annialated the front and back pads in one (albeit wet and muddy) ride (Mashup at Afan!).

Not best impressed really! I'd hate to think what I would have done to a regular pair of their pads (my poor rotors!!) Anyone else found these disco pads to be short on life or have I had a bad pair?

Either way - just forking out for some goodridge sintered ones now!!

Rant over! The mashup was fantastic btw - weather in all!

stevet1992

My normal compounds run fine ... Used them for a good 2 months easily clocking up 80 miles + a week (on the commute and offroad)

Mccraque

myself and 2 mates recently bought some from DB....mine were fine until today in the Surrey Hills....whereby they disintegrated totally within an hour! Mine are Oro's

My mates have an even worse experience. In both cases the tolerances on the pads are so bad that they wont fit in the mechanism and require filing down at the edges!

bobpzero

maybe give these guys a go http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=2812e2be8595f3d77ade921454f0858d

Johnny Napalm

My mates have an even worse experience. In both cases the tolerances on the pads are so bad that they wont fit in the mechanism and require filing down at the edges!

I had to do the very same thing with the Avid pads I recently bought...would never have got them to locate without a file.

Longevity? Chocolate compound would've lasted longer! I won't be having anymore of them...that's for sure.

I've been considering Superstar, but I'm a little wary of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

joshtp

Johnny Napalm wrote:

My mates have an even worse experience. In both cases the tolerances on the pads are so bad that they wont fit in the mechanism and require filing down at the edges!

I had to do the very same thing with the Avid pads I recently bought...would never have got them to locate without a file.

Longevity? Chocolate compound would've lasted longer! I won't be having anymore of them...that's for sure.

I've been considering Superstar, but I'm a little wary of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.

fear not, my superstars, have, so far been exelent in the sandy, grity, wet mud of swansea.

Alex

Superstar will be fine so long as the pad material remains stuck to the backing plate.

switchback18

I use the DB organic compund pads for Hope Mono Minis, they last really well, and stop as well as the original Hope pads. I ride at Dalby a lot which has a reputation for eating pads, but I've never had a problem.

With organics if you don't bed them in they wear out quick. To bed in, I find a steepish hill & stop as quick as I can about 10 times. You want some heat in them to get the surface hardened up. Never had any problems with the pad material detatching, did have that with original Hope pads once when they seemed to be going through a bad spell.

Tried Superstar pads once, ages ago. They wore out quicker than the originals so didn't use them again, then switched to Discobrakes & have used them ever since.

Comparisons between riders are difficult though, I did a damp ride in the Peaks last year with hardly any effect on my pads, and another rider used 3 sets in the 30 miles we covered. Right down to the metal. My newish middle chain ring wore out though...

Thread8

i always use either superstar or aztec for replacements, never had any problems with either, just gotta make sure you bed them properly

cloudynights

i have formula ore brakes,tried disco sintered,ore pads destroyed them within a few rides have tried goodridge which were slightly better,now im on superstar sintered and these look like there gonna last longer only had them on for a couple of rides but they still look like new

blister pus

Nowt wrong with disco pads sintered so far, wearing well in fact.

lugsey2k5

i tired DB for my xts and they were useless. the spring retainer didnt work and they wore out within weeks.
i now use superstar kevlar compound and there great. took them to spain with some massive decents and bearly made a mark on them. seem to be managing fine over the last few wet rides too

nwmlarge

had no issues with disco pads

scale20

Cant go wrong with Aztek pads, can be a little pricey but never had any fault with them.

grandad3

Ive had disco and superstar pads. Both need to be bedded in by braking gently ten times or so to heat them up then pour water over them.
Need to get em pretty warm so when you pour the water over the pads the water boils. job done. Works for me since done this.

monkeysm8

Disco brakes pfft. Bought 2 sets of sintered for my Avids and the bloody compound came away from the backing plate on the first ride. I shall not be using them again!

blister pus

Send them back and get a replacement / refund if that's the case, you'll find any of the cheaper options have roughly the same returns ratio with the same 'coming away from the backing plate' complaint.

bergie

Agreed,with the pad failing that way they would replace them and want to know about it.
I would love to know what pad works when you havent had a chance to bed them in and you ride in the surrey hills.I can go virtually 8 months of the year on a set of pads and then one crappy ride and they are toast in 1 hour.Ive tried superstar which im convinced come from the same factory as disco pads and they are just the same.Last ages if the conditions are kind,less then an hour in the crap.
so much depends on where you ride and what conditions and to a lesseer degree how you brake.
instead of calling out disc brake pads as useless perhaps its better to tell us what you have found that is better then disco.Im still looking.

silvermatt

I've used discobrakes (organic) and superstar (sintered). I doubt there is anything between the brands the key thing is choosing the right compound for the conditions. If you're using organic in wet and especially muddy conditions you'll wear them out in a flash. Its definietly worth switching to sintered. If you've always stuck with orgainc you'll be amazed at the performance difference in the wet as well. Also I've had no problems switching to sintered despite the rotor saying organic only. I figure I'll swap back to organic in the summer if I get worried about overheating. When bedding in make sure your rotors are clean. I used wet and dry to give a quick rub that removes any crud and gives a slightly rough finish. Then a few quick runs up and down the road and you're done.