Superstar disc rotor

denis's mate

Fitted a Superstar front rotor a few weeks ago and I find it very noisy when braking. It seems that the noise is in time with the rotor surface holes! I've done about 40km thinking it will bed in but no. Also last night, it started grabbing, when braking, at the same place on the rotor. The Avid it replaced was no problem. Fitted new pads when I fitted the Superstar rotor.
Any ideas?

Twelly

Is the rotor straight? Did you 'clean' anything when you changed the pads? What pads are you/were you using?

nicklouse

keep using it. often the surface finish can effect braking until the machining marks are gone.

and yes pads going over holes do make noises.

denis's mate

TwellySmat wrote:

Is the rotor straight? Did you 'clean' anything when you changed the pads? What pads are you/were you using?

Rotor spins straight to eye and was cleaned with meths. Gone from can't remember sints to Clark sints.

Twelly

I think Nick has answered best. I was just asking the inevitable questions that usually take 2 pages to come out.

What was your 'bedding in' process? You need to get some serious heat into the brakes before they will settle and quieten down.

Also sintered pads can be noisier in my experience. Try organic or kevlar pads for better braking power and less noise but less pad life.

cooldad

Meths can also leave a residue as it contains some methanol plus additives to make it purple and taste awful, and make you puke if you drink it.

denis's mate

Yes, I think I'll stick it out like Nick suggests! cooldad, you know what meths tastes like?

Twelly

cooldad wrote:

and make you puke if you drink it.

Tried, have you?

plugp7

cooldad wrote:

taste awful, and make you puke if you drink it.

is this now some performance enhancing drink?

Chunkers1980

Tramps.

cooldad

For the ignorant (ie forum members), it is denatured alcohol, which is quite drinkable. Methanol is added, which makes it poisonous (so it can be sold without duty), and so colour, bitter flavour and emetics are added to make it undrinkable.
I do however believe that straining it through a loaf of bread takes the nasty stuff out.
I was told this by a blind madman so it must be true.

leaflite

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

YeehaaMcgee

Whether HE^ is a blind madman or not, some of us will never know (or see it coming).
But, he is right, Meths is not the right stuff to clean your discs with.

I have to ask, if the Avid rotor was working fine, why did you replace it?

denis's mate

leaflite wrote:

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

Vibe Design
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=200

ThePriory1978

HOPE Saw rotors do it too. Its perfectly normal. I quite like the mechanical sound of it, when really heaving the brake theres an audible sound that sort of lets you know what the brakes are doing...

You shouldnt be experiencing any 'grabbing' tho, thats not normal.

nicklouse

ThePriory1978 wrote:

HOPE Saw rotors do it too. Its perfectly normal. I quite like the mechanical sound of it, when really heaving the brake theres an audible sound that sort of lets you know what the brakes are doing...

You shouldnt be experiencing any 'grabbing' tho, thats not normal.

untill the machined surface is uniform it is normal.

and it proprtional to the cost of the rotor. the cheaper the rotor the more likely the finish is to effect the "feel"

denis's mate

Probably to late now to clean the rotors with IP. Just leave well alone and see how they go as nick suggests.

felix.london

denis's mate wrote:

leaflite wrote:

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

Vibe Design
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=200

I've been using the Vibe - always been fine

leaflite

felix.london wrote:

denis's mate wrote:

leaflite wrote:

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

Vibe Design
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=200

I've been using the Vibe - always been fine

Would have thought that design would work fine-doesnt look very cutout. Its the helix ones that look like they may cause problems.

felix.london

leaflite wrote:

felix.london wrote:

denis's mate wrote:

leaflite wrote:

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

Vibe Design
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=200

I've been using the Vibe - always been fine

Would have thought that design would work fine-doesnt look very cutout. Its the helix ones that look like they may cause problems.

What about the Superstar 'Flame' design rotors? Was thinking of replacing the 'Vibe' with them to save a little weight. But looking at them there's more hole than rotor...bad idea? (need rotors for my build anyway so not as bonkers as it sounds)

leaflite

felix.london wrote:

leaflite wrote:

felix.london wrote:

denis's mate wrote:

leaflite wrote:

Which superstar rotors are they?

Some designs of rotors with huge cutouts have been reported to make brakes noisier and cause pulsing/judder.

Vibe Design
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=200

I've been using the Vibe - always been fine

Would have thought that design would work fine-doesnt look very cutout. Its the helix ones that look like they may cause problems.

What about the Superstar 'Flame' design rotors? Was thinking of replacing the 'Vibe' with them to save a little weight. But looking at them there's more hole than rotor...bad idea? (need rotors for my build anyway so not as bonkers as it sounds)

I havent actually tried any of these rotors, I just read that (in a thread about ashima rotors iirc) that very cutout designs can cause pulsing and other issues. Some of the reviews for the superstar flames seem to suggest this too.

felix.london

yep - for the sake of a weight saving of 70g or something might as well stick to what I know works well I guess

allthegearnoidea

clarks sintereds Do make quite a lot of squeeling noise over the other brands in my experience, but pop the pads out, i'd say they'd be a bit shiny! takes a couple of good rides to get them bedded in ive found, (using the usual bedding process)
ive used clarks pads for a few years now on my bikes, the one that gets used for the school run is Shocking as it never generates enough heat to keep it going, so glazes over, the ones on the bike i use for proer riding has no issues after first couple iof brakes!

davewalsh

denis's mate wrote:

Also last night, it started grabbing, when braking, at the same place on the rotor.
Any ideas?

I had a Superstar Vibe rotor that did exactly that, measured it with a micrometer and one side of the rotor was 0.07mm thicker than the other which was causing the grabbing. I returned the rotor to Superstar and it was replaced with no questions asked.

denis's mate

For info.
Grabbing stopped (must have been a bit of contam). Rotors same size all way round (1.88mm).
After about 2 more weeks riding the noise was still there.
Switched to Clark organics. Out today and no noise.
I'm happy now.

konadawg

To resurrect a thread:

Have just fitted Superstar Vibe rotors (203) and what I get can only be described as the discs having a "thick spot" in one place.

Applying the brakes, once every revolution, the brake lever gets pushed away from the handlebars.

That's annoying, but annoying is nothing near as critical as "dangerous" which these are. Naturally the carefully modulated braking force appropriate to the circumstances (and with Saints one must be careful) shoots through the roof when the disc's thick spot and the calliper meet, many a time the front wheel grabbed and very nearly washed out.

I have only taken the new discs out twice but at the end of the second ride there was no indication of the problem sorting itself out, despite deliberately dragging on the brakes to accelerate wear.

As is, I don't consider these discs at all usable.

I'm sure that Superstar will offer a solution, they were always very good, unfortunately if it entails replacement I'm currently out of the country so the return postage may be prohibitive.