Rotor advice

trickytree1984

Hi. I have Shimano RS505 hydraulic disc set up on my Cube. The brakes are so loud and I've tried sanding the rotor and pads plus using brake cleaner. Anyway I'm after new rotors. All seem to be mtb specific. Does it matter?

I was thinking these? Shimano XT RT76 160mm 6-Bolt Disc Rotor

Thanks in advance

ugo.santalucia

the problem is not the rotor

trickytree1984

ugo.santalucia wrote:

the problem is not the rotor

Thank you. Care to elaborate.?

frisbee

The rotor is just metal, if it gets contaminated you can just clean it. Pads can absorb contaminants and no amount of sanding will recover them.

Mine squeal a little if they get wet sometime but it goes away.

cycleclinic

Also disc brake cleaner can contaminate brake pads. Found this out the hard way. Iso propyl alcohol is what you shoud use on the rotors and get new pads.

hsiaolc

trickytree1984 wrote:

Hi. I have Shimano RS505 hydraulic disc set up on my Cube. The brakes are so loud and I've tried sanding the rotor and pads plus using brake cleaner. Anyway I'm after new rotors. All seem to be mtb specific. Does it matter?

I was thinking these? Shimano XT RT76 160mm 6-Bolt Disc Rotor

Thanks in advance

As long as the Shimano Hydraulic disc is using 6 bolt disc?

I have Shimano Hydro Disc but uses Centre Lock?

Any center lock disc should work fine if yours centre?

Also make sure you use the right size rotor if not then you need adaptors.

If you want to quiet your brakes then get some kevlar brake pads.

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/k ... e-pads.htm

stavgold

As mentioned by Ugo, it's unlikely to be the rotors. When mine start squealing I take out the pads and put some washing up liquid on the brake surfaces and then rub them together. Repeat a few times, rinse and pad dry. Give the rotors a clean with brake cleaner or white spirit and all should be good.

trickytree1984

Stavgold wrote:

As mentioned by Ugo, it's unlikely to be the rotors. When mine start squealing I take out the pads and put some washing up liquid on the brake surfaces and then rub them together. Repeat a few times, rinse and pad dry. Give the rotors a clean with brake cleaner or white spirit and all should be good.

Thanks. Both pads and rotors looked glazed. Being a road bike they get used over prolonged periods (dragged) rather than used hard. I sanded the discs and pads as well as using brake cleaner on both. Going to bed them in before my group ride today

ugo.santalucia

trickytree1984 wrote:

Stavgold wrote:

As mentioned by Ugo, it's unlikely to be the rotors. When mine start squealing I take out the pads and put some washing up liquid on the brake surfaces and then rub them together. Repeat a few times, rinse and pad dry. Give the rotors a clean with brake cleaner or white spirit and all should be good.

Thanks. Both pads and rotors looked glazed. Being a road bike they get used over prolonged periods (dragged) rather than used hard. I sanded the discs and pads as well as using brake cleaner on both. Going to bed them in before my group ride today

If you sanded the rotors with sand paper you can probably bin them now... they are supposed to be flat and smooth, not rough

hsiaolc

trickytree1984 wrote:

Stavgold wrote:

As mentioned by Ugo, it's unlikely to be the rotors. When mine start squealing I take out the pads and put some washing up liquid on the brake surfaces and then rub them together. Repeat a few times, rinse and pad dry. Give the rotors a clean with brake cleaner or white spirit and all should be good.

Thanks. Both pads and rotors looked glazed. Being a road bike they get used over prolonged periods (dragged) rather than used hard. I sanded the discs and pads as well as using brake cleaner on both. Going to bed them in before my group ride today

Please don't sand your discs and pads. This is the first I've heard.

I know it is logical (I think) but please don't do it.

In the wet they are always very loud and squeaking unless you use kevlar pads (better but still makes noise)

You might think it was not raining so it shouldn't squeal but lately it was so foggy (lots of moisture in the air) it makes everything wet including your brakes. Hence it is squeaky.

The fog made droplets on my hat whilst I ride and the GoPro was rendered useless because all the footage was blurred from all the mist on the lens.

ugo.santalucia

+1 to what he says...

The Rookie

The discs may be Ok, but don't sand them again! When you brake the pad deposits a thin layer of pad material on the disc so when you brake it's actuall pad on (mostly) pad.

Most brake cleaners are useless on bikes as our brakes don't get hot enough to burn off the residue which motorbike or car brakes would do.

Use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) only. If the pads are contaminated they ideally need renewing but I have had some success soaking them in petrol, then alcohol (to remove petrol residue) then baking in the oven on max for half an hour. Sometimes it works well, other times it at least makes them useable.

Sanding the surface of the pad can help deglaze them but does NOTHING for contamination, but don't drag your brakes (it achieves nothing but a placebo effect anyway) and you won't glaze them.

frisbee

You can sand disks, its not going to take enough material off to damage them. You'll have to bed them in again though.

I think a lot of brake issues are because people don't bed pads in properly. So when you brake you end up just squeezing the pads against the disk rather than getting pad on deposited pad material braking.

You can really feel the effect of bedding in pads if you use track/race compound pads on a car or motorbike.

trickytree1984

Cleaning and sanding has done the trick. Thanks

trickytree1984

trickytree1984 wrote:

Cleaning and sanding has done the trick. Thanks

Ps I then bedded in properly. Also my mates roadie has the rotors I pointed out in my first post so to answer my own question, they would be fine