New Brake Pads

Dav3m

Anyone else suffer the same problem? Whenever I put in new brake pads (from superstarcomponents) it takes ages for them to bed in. Initially the disk even rubs against the pads. Am I doing something wrong? First few rides with new pads are always uncomfortable and unpleasent as I'm riding with extra resistance!

BigJimmyB

In a word, no.

Are you bedding them in as suggested?

Dav3m

BigJimmyB wrote:

In a word, no.

Are you bedding them in as suggested?

What is the suggestion to bed them in? To be honest I put of replacing the pads until the last possible moment as I hate riding with the new pads. When I put the new pads in - it's almost as if there is too much pad (the pad is too deep) and takes several rides to wear the pads down to the normal size.

snotty badger

Thet were slighty thicker than my original juicys pads. The wheel did drg a little but only for a few miles.

sniper68

Are you pushing the pistons fully back before removing the old pads and fitting the new?
10-15 hard stops and SS pads are bedded in in my experience.

woodnut

...also I find it helps them bed in if you wee on them while they are hot

ddraver

I ve put in two full sets of the superstar kevlar pads - I ve bedded two in in the way they said on the back of the pack (what ibbo says basically) - they ve worn out in three rides or so..

The other two I just stuck in when the others had worn out and rode from scratch doing long descents with them with them smoking and stinking - they ve been absoloutely fine....???

sniper68

ddraver wrote:

I ve put in two full sets of the superstar kevlar pads - I ve bedded two in in the way they said on the back of the pack (what ibbo says basically) - they ve worn out in three rides or so..

The other two I just stuck in when the others had worn out and rode from scratch doing long descents with them with them smoking and stinking - they ve been absoloutely fine....???

SS kevlar are crap IMO.Did a set in 20 miles in the Dark Peak.In fairness SS do state on the web-page that Kevlar are no good for gritty riding(after I gave a review)I use their sintered,always bed them in and they last yonks 8)
I once used some SS organics that I had to fit half way around a ride and trashed them in less than 10 miles.It was very wet and boggy though so they didn't get a chance to bed in.

Northwind

I love the kevlars myself, never ridden anywhere you'd call gritty with them but they give me great performance and good life. They've been fine in regular mud, and survived being deathgripped on all the way down aonach mor Not to mention about 10000 metres of descent in a week in the pyrenees, or being dragged through the swamp that was the 10UTB race course. Great pads IMO. BUT, and there's a but, they give good power almost immediately even when not well bed in which means it's pretty tempting to not do it right, it's not like some other pads like Shimano OEM sintereds which just don't work properly til properly bed in. So that's a bit of a pitfall.

But, it's true some people have found specific pads are a little thick. The Shimano and Formula ones definately aren't, I've used those myself but mainly Avid users have commented on having issues with them (I checked against a new set of XTR and the Shimano ones are identical in thickness)

Some brake systems won't be happy if you just push the pistons back, I found I had to open the bleed nipple on my Oros to get them right back. So, it could be that. Definately worth doublechecking.

sniper68

Northwind wrote:

Some brake systems won't be happy if you just push the pistons back, I found I had to open the bleed nipple on my Oros to get them right back. So, it could be that. definitely worth doublechecking.

Too much fluid in the system Avid are generally,IME,guilty of this also.

Northwind

Well, I'd bled the Oros up a week before with totally new pads then replaced them after my holiday so the fluid level ought to have been OK. But yep, a lot of the time it'll be because the system was bled with worn pads so doesn't have the capacity to "push back". Some brakes don't deal well with being backed off either, like Tektro Aurigas, the diaphragm in the reservoir can't shrink fast enough- it works fine when it's just compensating for falling fluid levels but that's a slower process.

peter413

Can I just say there is no problem with Elixirs nor Codes IIRC, just Juicy's

cat_with_no_tail

peter413 wrote:

Can I just say there is no problem with Elixirs nor Codes IIRC, just Juicy's

Actually, I had a nightmare getting my new superstar code pads to fit. After going through a couple of sets of Avid pads with no problems whatsoever the SuperStar pads are so much thicker I was another one who needed to drainsome fluid in order to be able to push the pistons back far enough to fit.

After bedding in as suggested, they've now started absolutely HOWLING on big descents, even in dry.

TBH, I'm hoping it's just the new rotors bedding in that's causing the screeching, but it's not the new rotors causing the rubbing that much is for certain.

BigJimmyB

Mine are Elixir Sintereds.

Follow instructions on back of packet and you're done. Water does the job just as well as wee-wee, but letting them cool naturally is OK too!

Herbie The Dog

BigJimmyB wrote:

Mine are Elixir Sintereds.

Follow instructions on back of packet and you're done. Water does the job just as well as wee-wee, but letting them cool naturally is OK too!

Always let them cool naturally...never, ever use water or wazz or coke or other fluids to cool brake pads, pistons, rotors etc.

Metally things expand when they get hot and if rapidly cooled may break/snap/warp.

*AJ*

SS pads bed in much much quicker than any others ive tried.

your doing something wrong IMO, or its not the pads that are the issue.

BigJimmyB

Herbie The Dog wrote:

BigJimmyB wrote:

Mine are Elixir Sintereds.

Follow instructions on back of packet and you're done. Water does the job just as well as wee-wee, but letting them cool naturally is OK too!

Always let them cool naturally...never, ever use water or wazz or coke or other fluids to cool brake pads, pistons, rotors etc.

Metally things expand when they get hot and if rapidly cooled may break/snap/warp.

Sorry, was just trying to say wazz not necessary!

Indeed air-cooling is the way to go.

Herbie The Dog

BigJimmyB wrote:

Herbie The Dog wrote:

BigJimmyB wrote:

Mine are Elixir Sintereds.

Follow instructions on back of packet and you're done. Water does the job just as well as wee-wee, but letting them cool naturally is OK too!

Always let them cool naturally...never, ever use water or wazz or coke or other fluids to cool brake pads, pistons, rotors etc.

Metally things expand when they get hot and if rapidly cooled may break/snap/warp.

Sorry, was just trying to say wazz not necessary!

Indeed air-cooling is the way to go.

No need to apologise. I did see someone's rotor snap once after a descent of Mount Teide in Tenerife. Stopped on the side of the trail and squirted his water bottle straight onto it. Snapped like a good 'un. And we were only half way down.

Northwind

Cat With No Tail wrote:

After going through a couple of sets of Avid pads with no problems whatsoever the SuperStar pads are so much thicker I was another one who needed to drainsome fluid in order to be able to push the pistons back far enough to fit.

That's really not a problem of the pads.