Brake pads?

mountain2000

How long should `from the box` pads last when you buy a new bike? Are they cheep alternatives to after market pads?

cooldad

Depends and depends.

mountain2000

cooldad wrote:

Depends and depends.

Ok then, i have avid elixir 5s, had them for about 3 months and have done some heavy braking, dh and steep long decents. they was working perfectly which they still do but i get a horrible dragging noise and feel under heavy braking. Have a knacked the pads or could they have been rubbish from box, Everything is tight and clean. Is this just contaninated pad? everything else looks fine and they dont drag and sound awful at low speed

rhext

Unfortunately, 'depends' is the right answer. You can kill a set of pads with one muddy ride, or they can last for months.

My advice would be to take them out and have a look. It'll be pretty obvious if you've worn them out or they've got something stuck in them. From what you describe, it sounds like you might have worn them out: but that doesn't mean they were rubbish or that you have done something that knackered them. They are disposable components and they can wear out alarmingly quickly if you use them a lot.

As for the cheap aftermarket alternatives: I use Superstar components. I've got Shimano brakes, and the standard Superstar pads are about half the price and indistinguishable from the originals once fitted. I recently splashed out on some sintered and kevlar pads (just to try out the different ones), and I reckon they're worth the small price premium.

Don't worry too much about taking the pads out. Disc brakes are presented as being a bit 'black magic', but they're not. Plenty of info on the internet re how to do it for your particular brakes. When you take them out, though, remember to put something between the pistons (you should have been given a spacer when you bought the bike, but if you weren't then an eraser or suitably sized piece of wood will do). If you don't do this, then sod's law say's you'll pull a brake lever while the pads are out and then spend a happy and delicate few minutes trying to separate the pistons again without damaging them.....

cooldad

Are they worn or just noisy - seems to be a thing with Avids.

mountain2000

rhext wrote:

Unfortunately, 'depends' is the right answer. You can kill a set of pads with one muddy ride, or they can last for months.

My advice would be to take them out and have a look. It'll be pretty obvious if you've worn them out or they've got something stuck in them. From what you describe, it sounds like you might have worn them out: but that doesn't mean they were rubbish or that you have done something that knackered them. They are disposable components and they can wear out alarmingly quickly if you use them a lot.

As for the cheap aftermarket alternatives: I use Superstar components. I've got Shimano brakes, and the standard Superstar pads are about half the price and indistinguishable from the originals once fitted. I recently splashed out on some sintered and kevlar pads (just to try out the different ones), and I reckon they're worth the small price premium.

Don't worry too much about taking the pads out. Disc brakes are presented as being a bit 'black magic', but they're not. Plenty of info on the internet re how to do it for your particular brakes. When you take them out, though, remember to put something between the pistons (you should have been given a spacer when you bought the bike, but if you weren't then an eraser or suitably sized piece of wood will do). If you don't do this, then sod's law say's you'll pull a brake lever while the pads are out and then spend a happy and delicate few minutes trying to separate the pistons again without damaging them.....

Thankyou very much, very helpful. My own suspitions are that they have worn out because they have had alot of use in a short amount of time and got very very hot.

mountain2000

cooldad wrote:

Are they worn or just noisy - seems to be a thing with Avids.

I woundnt say there worn there only 3 months old, but i wouldnt say its just because there avids, if it is that then avid have got some serious quality control issues

cooldad

No I mean there seem to be quite a few threads on noisy Avids.
Normally stock pads are organic - soft, so can wear very quickly.
Sintered last a lot longer, are harder, but can be noisier.
Superstar ones are a bargain. Always used their sintered ones but just ordered a set of organics as an experiment.

rhext

mountain2000 wrote:

rhext wrote:

Unfortunately, 'depends' is the right answer. You can kill a set of pads with one muddy ride, or they can last for months.

My advice would be to take them out and have a look. It'll be pretty obvious if you've worn them out or they've got something stuck in them. From what you describe, it sounds like you might have worn them out: but that doesn't mean they were rubbish or that you have done something that knackered them. They are disposable components and they can wear out alarmingly quickly if you use them a lot.

As for the cheap aftermarket alternatives: I use Superstar components. I've got Shimano brakes, and the standard Superstar pads are about half the price and indistinguishable from the originals once fitted. I recently splashed out on some sintered and kevlar pads (just to try out the different ones), and I reckon they're worth the small price premium.

Don't worry too much about taking the pads out. Disc brakes are presented as being a bit 'black magic', but they're not. Plenty of info on the internet re how to do it for your particular brakes. When you take them out, though, remember to put something between the pistons (you should have been given a spacer when you bought the bike, but if you weren't then an eraser or suitably sized piece of wood will do). If you don't do this, then sod's law say's you'll pull a brake lever while the pads are out and then spend a happy and delicate few minutes trying to separate the pistons again without damaging them.....

Thankyou very much, very helpful. My own suspitions are that they have worn out because they have had alot of use in a short amount of time and got very very hot.

Heat isn't a problem as long as they don't start to fade while you're using them. Most manufacturers recommend that you brake hard a few times with new pads to get them nice and hot so that they match to the disk surface and apparently it 'glazes' the pads to help them resist wear (little dubious about that myself, but who am I to argue).

But if you get them too hot, then you can boil the brake fluid - at which point the brake stops working usually at just the point when you need it most. Good news is that if you let go the lever and try again, you can usually bring things to a controlled stop, but once it's boiled once it's usually time for a brake bleed.

mountain2000

cooldad wrote:

No I mean there seem to be quite a few threads on noisy Avids.
Normally stock pads are organic - soft, so can wear very quickly.
Sintered last a lot longer, are harder, but can be noisier.
Superstar ones are a bargain. Always used their sintered ones but just ordered a set of organics as an experiment.

Oh i see thankyou, ive been looking around and it seems the standard stock pads are not very good, i think i have just burnt them out so to speak. I shall have a look at the pads youve recommended thankyou

mountain2000

rhext wrote:

mountain2000 wrote:

rhext wrote:

Unfortunately, 'depends' is the right answer. You can kill a set of pads with one muddy ride, or they can last for months.

My advice would be to take them out and have a look. It'll be pretty obvious if you've worn them out or they've got something stuck in them. From what you describe, it sounds like you might have worn them out: but that doesn't mean they were rubbish or that you have done something that knackered them. They are disposable components and they can wear out alarmingly quickly if you use them a lot.

As for the cheap aftermarket alternatives: I use Superstar components. I've got Shimano brakes, and the standard Superstar pads are about half the price and indistinguishable from the originals once fitted. I recently splashed out on some sintered and kevlar pads (just to try out the different ones), and I reckon they're worth the small price premium.

Don't worry too much about taking the pads out. Disc brakes are presented as being a bit 'black magic', but they're not. Plenty of info on the internet re how to do it for your particular brakes. When you take them out, though, remember to put something between the pistons (you should have been given a spacer when you bought the bike, but if you weren't then an eraser or suitably sized piece of wood will do). If you don't do this, then sod's law say's you'll pull a brake lever while the pads are out and then spend a happy and delicate few minutes trying to separate the pistons again without damaging them.....

Thankyou very much, very helpful. My own suspitions are that they have worn out because they have had alot of use in a short amount of time and got very very hot.

Heat isn't a problem as long as they don't start to fade while you're using them. Most manufacturers recommend that you brake hard a few times with new pads to get them nice and hot so that they match to the disk surface and apparently it 'glazes' the pads to help them resist wear (little dubious about that myself, but who am I to argue).

But if you get them too hot, then you can boil the brake fluid - at which point the brake stops working usually at just the point when you need it most. Good news is that if you let go the lever and try again, you can usually bring things to a controlled stop, but once it's boiled once it's usually time for a brake bleed.

Hmmm i i wouldnt say they need a bleed because they still work and work well and surly boiled fluid woundnt make a horibble dragging noise. I think the pads are contaminated

cooldad

Won't be fluid unless you have really squishy levers.
Have a look at Superstars website for pads, theyare also on Ebay as Tibolts.

rhext

Sorry, didn't mean to imply you'd need to bleed them.....just alerting you to the symptoms to look out for if you're in the habit of getting them smoking hot!

mountain2000

cooldad wrote:

Won't be fluid unless you have really squishy levers.
Have a look at Superstars website for pads, theyare also on Ebay as Tibolts.

Just so you know, i changed the standard pads for nukeproof avid trail pads and it has solved the problem and everything seems 120% better. BUT i must say there was plenty of meat left on the standars avid pads and not really any sign of damage so ive come to the conclusion that either the stock avid pads are rubbish or i just `burnt` them out, either way im happy now. Thanks for your help

mountain2000

rhext wrote:

Sorry, didn't mean to imply you'd need to bleed them.....just alerting you to the symptoms to look out for if you're in the habit of getting them smoking hot!

Just so you know, i changed the standard pads for nukeproof avid trail pads and it has solved the problem and everything seems 120% better. BUT i must say there was plenty of meat left on the standars avid pads and not really any sign of damage so ive come to the conclusion that either the stock avid pads are rubbish or i just `burnt` them out, either way im happy now. Thanks for your help

And smokin hot there do get my friend :-)