Getting debris out of brake pads

andyeb

I've got quite a bit of debris lodged in my Shimano 105 cartridge pads and I'm concerned about excessive wheel rim wear.

Historically my success rate for removing stuff lodged in the pads has been very low.

How do people normally go about this? Are there tips/tricks I'm missing?

So far I've tried using a very small micro flat-headed screw driver (as I would to get flints/glass/metal out of my tyres), trying to gouge the debris out with the sharp end of a pen-knife, but this makes a nice mess of the brake pads and isn't that effective.

I've even wondered about using sand or glass paper to take the top surface off, along with any debris. But I'm concerned about not leaving the pads flat and hence adversely affecting brake performance.

The current pads are about 1/2 worn.

rolf_f

Dig them out with a scalpel blade. You'll end up with little holes where the alloy fragments were but that's better than leaving the metal in there in the first place.

Sanding the fragments out won't work well as you'll lose half the pad in one go - the bits can be really deeply embedded.

Other ways to minimise the problem include using pads that are less harsh on the rims (eg Swissstop black) and to avoid using your best wheels in wet weather which is when all the crap gets embedded in the pads.

onbike 1939

Shimano pads are notoriously hard on rims and will remove fragments of the rim as you have found. Better to change the pads now using Koolstop salmond which give better stopping power while being kind to rims. Pity they are so expensive.

andyeb

Rolf F wrote:

Dig them out with a scalpel blade. You'll end up with little holes where the alloy fragments were but that's better than leaving the metal in there in the first place.

Sanding the fragments out won't work well as you'll lose half the pad in one go - the bits can be really deeply embedded.

Other ways to minimise the problem include using pads that are less harsh on the rims (eg Swissstop black) and to avoid using your best wheels in wet weather which is when all the crap gets embedded in the pads.

Thanks - I think I'll get some new pads, as I've become alarmed at how quickly my Ultegra 6700 rims appear to be wearing.

Are these the ones you are recommending - will they fit my Shimano 105 cartridges?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/swissstop-flash-brake-pads-shimano-sram-trp/rp-prod42658

(Power Black option)

rolf_f

Yep - those are the ones. Last week got 3 packets of the Campag ones from Halfords for £16.57 each! At that price they aren't much more expensive than any other pads.

But pad wear is an issue - you can't have it both ways. Alloy is soft so either the pads wear or the rim wears. I put a pair of these pads on in early December and they were gone in a month (mind, that was 1400 bad weather miles!). Given the price of the pads and cheap winter wheels, it begs the question as to which is actually more expensive - the pad wear or the rim wear! This is a good reason why discs are worth a thought for winter bikes.

andyeb

Rolf F wrote:

Yep - those are the ones. Last week got 3 packets of the Campag ones from Halfords for £16.57 each! At that price they aren't much more expensive than any other pads.

But pad wear is an issue - you can't have it both ways. Alloy is soft so either the pads wear or the rim wears. I put a pair of these pads on in early December and they were gone in a month (mind, that was 1400 bad weather miles!). Given the price of the pads and cheap winter wheels, it begs the question as to which is actually more expensive - the pad wear or the rim wear! This is a good reason why discs are worth a thought for winter bikes.

On balance and given I don't have a set of winter wheels, I'd rather have the pads wear more quickly.

Chain reaction are selling 2x pairs of pads for £20, which makes them comparable to the abrasive, but slow wearing shimano ones.

maddog 2

discs 8)

badgermilk

Pick the crud out with a metal scribe or Stanley knife then give everything a thorough clean with brake cleaner. I go through cans of the stuff. Every time I wash the bike I clean the rims and pads with brake cleaner

andyeb

badgermilk wrote:

Pick the crud out with a metal scribe or Stanley knife then give everything a thorough clean with brake cleaner. I go through cans of the stuff. Every time I wash the bike I clean the rims and pads with brake cleaner

I have the Muc-Off brake cleaner, which I spray onto paper towel and clean off the rims, but never thought of using on the brake blocks :oops: Thanks for the tip!