Pads for Centaur Brakes

rowlers

I need some news pads as the standard ones feel wooden & don't inspire any confidence!
I want to change to the cartridge type so its easier to swap in the future...
I was going to get these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=55815
but it says they are for shimano fitment only!
Are they really a different fitment?
There is far more choice in Shimano fitment :?
any pointers?

rc856

I use Campag brakes and have changed to Koolstop and then SwissStop green.
The SwissStop are more expensive but there's 4 to a pack rather than a pair.

rowlers

RC856 wrote:

I use Campag brakes and have changed to Koolstop and then SwissStop green.
The SwissStop are more expensive but there's 4 to a pack rather than a pair.

Thanks, which pad carriers do you use? The marketing implies that they are shimano/campagnolo fitments?

rc856

Keep the Campag carriers.
The pads go in and out easily enough.

rowlers

RC856 wrote:

Keep the Campag carriers.
The pads go in and out easily enough.

I don't have carriers, just std block hence the need to swap

are all carriers interchangable?

rc856

Are the Centaur blocks not held onto the caliper with an Allen key bolt?
Haven't used Centaur but my Chorus and SR brakes are the same.
Pad slides out the holder?

pilot_pete

I have 2009 Centaur and have changed the pads a few times. Undo the Allen bolt on each Side of the calliper and remove the pad carriers. Now get a small flat bladed screw driver and slide the blade in between the pad and the carrier. The front end is open, the back has a tag to hold the pad in when braking. Be careful not to slip and stab yourself with the screw driver. Alternatively, remove the wheel and leave the carriers in the calliper whilst levering the pad out.

Once you have the screwdriver blade in a few mm you can lever the end of the pad out. If you have some needle nosed pliers you should then be able to grab the end of the pad and pull it out. In effect you want to 'peel' it out, like opening a can of sardines, not try to slide it out of the end, if you get my drift?

Clean the pad holder and get your new pad. Ensure you have the correct side (they are usually sided and have a rotation arrow on them). They are slightly curved to follow the profile of the rim, so hold it next to the calliper and visualise it fitted to the bike to make sure you have it the right way round. Wet the back of it, especially the grooves that sit in the carrier. Now slide the new pad in, ensuring the Allen bolt is still seated correctly. It will go most of the way in easily using hand force. The last bit can be tricky. I use a wood working clamp tool which has plastic jaws just to apply the final 'squeeze' to seat the pad fully. You could use a vice or similar clamp, but be careful not to damage/ mark the aluminium of the carrier. Job done.

Takes me all of ten minutes now to change a pair of pads. Hope this helps.

PP

northpole

Agree with recommendation for swiss stop green - great pads.

Peter

kingrollo

If its campag the blocks should:-

1.Never wear out
2.On the odd occasion they do - the replacements just jump in by themselves


I had campag centaur and had a mare finding replacement blocks that were compatible, and that didn't cost the earth. In the end I got some shoes and cartridges from decathlon - and then just used decathlon replacements.

rowlers

Pilot Pete wrote:

I have 2009 Centaur and have changed the pads a few times. Undo the Allen bolt on each Side of the calliper and remove the pad carriers. Now get a small flat bladed screw driver and slide the blade in between the pad and the carrier. The front end is open, the back has a tag to hold the pad in when braking. Be careful not to slip and stab yourself with the screw driver. Alternatively, remove the wheel and leave the carriers in the calliper whilst levering the pad out.

Once you have the screwdriver blade in a few mm you can lever the end of the pad out. If you have some needle nosed pliers you should then be able to grab the end of the pad and pull it out. In effect you want to 'peel' it out, like opening a can of sardines, not try to slide it out of the end, if you get my drift?

Clean the pad holder and get your new pad. Ensure you have the correct side (they are usually sided and have a rotation arrow on them). They are slightly curved to follow the profile of the rim, so hold it next to the calliper and visualise it fitted to the bike to make sure you have it the right way round. Wet the back of it, especially the grooves that sit in the carrier. Now slide the new pad in, ensuring the Allen bolt is still seated correctly. It will go most of the way in easily using hand force. The last bit can be tricky. I use a wood working clamp tool which has plastic jaws just to apply the final 'squeeze' to seat the pad fully. You could use a vice or similar clamp, but be careful not to damage/ mark the aluminium of the carrier. Job done.

Takes me all of ten minutes now to change a pair of pads. Hope this helps.

PP

Just had another look - I've got it wrong :oops: :oops: :oops:

They are indeed the cartridge type! So I just need suitable pads!

Koolstop or swisstop or other?

rpd_steve

I have campag centuar too - the Campag pads are absolutely fantastic and offer at least the same performance as swistop or koolstop. If yours feels wooden I would suggest that is is either:
-An alignment issue
-Cable issue
-Aluminium parts in the blocks
-Badly centered beakes (should not pull rim either way when applied slowly
-Out of true wheel

There is also no reason you could not just fit shimarno carriers and blocks as they are much more commonly sold if you ever need an unexpected replacement.

Monty Dog

RPD Steve wrote:

There is also no reason you could not just fit shimarno carriers and blocks as they are much more commonly sold if you ever need an unexpected replacement.

There is a reason you can't fit Shimano holders/pads - they won't fit - the slots in the Campagnolo arms are wider and therefore the Shimano ones just slop about.

rowlers

RPD Steve wrote:

I have campag centuar too - the Campag pads are absolutely fantastic and offer at least the same performance as swistop or koolstop. If yours feels wooden I would suggest that is is either:
-An alignment issue
-Cable issue
-Aluminium parts in the blocks
-Badly centered beakes (should not pull rim either way when applied slowly
-Out of true wheel

There is also no reason you could not just fit shimarno carriers and blocks as they are much more commonly sold if you ever need an unexpected replacement.

Maybe I'm too used to Hydro Disk brakes then, cos the brakes have next to no bite and I've got to really pull them to get a nice braking effect. Braking from the hoods is even more difficult :?

rpd_steve

They should feel as good as hydrolic disks - mine do. Go through the following:

-Disconnect cable from caloper and make sure cable/lever moves freely then re-fit cable
-Remove brake holders/blocks and make sure they are clean and free from debris
-re-fit holders/pads very loosely (so they wobble about/fall out of place unless held by hand)
-Gently squeeze brake lever until pads contact rim, then move pads about until they line up with the brake track well
-Whilst squeezing gently nip up the carrier bolts
-Sqeeze brakes hard and then tighten carrier bolt
-Adjust holder untill only 2mm of clearance between pad/rim
-Spin wheel and check it is true
-Use small cross head screw next to the barrel adjuster to center the pads so both sides contact the rim at the same time

All that done you should be nice and crisp!

rpd_steve

ps: here are some cheap inserts:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/azt ... 8#features

Monty Dog

Try seller Bikefridge on ebay for cheap replacement holders and inserts - don't expect Swissstop quality, but at a fraction of the price...

rowlers

RPD Steve wrote:

They should feel as good as hydrolic disks - mine do. Go through the following:

-Disconnect cable from caloper and make sure cable/lever moves freely then re-fit cable
-Remove brake holders/blocks and make sure they are clean and free from debris
-re-fit holders/pads very loosely (so they wobble about/fall out of place unless held by hand)
-Gently squeeze brake lever until pads contact rim, then move pads about until they line up with the brake track well
-Whilst squeezing gently nip up the carrier bolts
-Sqeeze brakes hard and then tighten carrier bolt
-Adjust holder untill only 2mm of clearance between pad/rim
-Spin wheel and check it is true
-Use small cross head screw next to the barrel adjuster to center the pads so both sides contact the rim at the same time

All that done you should be nice and crisp!

Cheers for that - i'll give it a go. When my disks get a bit wooden feeling & lacking bite it is usually contaminated disks/pads, so maybe a clean & realign is what is in order!

rowlers

bought a set of Aztech Road plus inserts and they are fab!
Much more bite - now need to be careful I don't throw myself over the bars lol!