Ultegra brake pads

Pep
Pep Posts: 501
edited March 2018 in Workshop
I need to replace my Ultegra brake pad.

What's the difference between the various Ultegra brake pads 6600, 6700, BR6403...?

Can I just buy any and trust it will fit? Not sure what version of Ultegra I actually got at the moment.

Thanks,

Comments

  • dabber
    dabber Posts: 1,924
    I don't know the answer but I'd also be interested to know what it is.
    “You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”

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  • Richa1181
    Richa1181 Posts: 177
    Apparently Ultegra comes with 2 different kinds of brake pads, some that are one time use only and others with replaceable pads. You can tell because the replaceable ones have a screw near the end of the mount that you undo and slide the pad out from behind.

    If you're lucky enough to have a set with the screw you can pick up Shimano pads for Dura Ace, Ultegra and 105 as they're all the same shape (according to the packet i bought.)

    The only problem is, I can't get the pads off my current calipers because the tiny alan key you need isn't quite the same size as the tiny alan key I've got! Not sure if I've just got crap alan keys or not though, but I probably have!
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Get some "Koolstop-Salmon" or "Swissstop-Green" pads for Shimano Dura-Ace. Better braking in wet and dry and less wear on your rims than the OEM Shimano pads. They will fit all Ultegra holders.
  • Old Tuggo
    Old Tuggo Posts: 482
    My new Ultegra brake blocks snatched so I gave the rears a few strokes with a rough file and replaced the front with Aztecs.
  • Pep
    Pep Posts: 501
    Richa1181 wrote:
    Apparently Ultegra comes with 2 different kinds of brake pads, some that are one time use only and others with replaceable pads. You can tell because the replaceable ones have a screw near the end of the mount that you undo and slide the pad out from behind.

    If you're lucky enough to have a set with the screw you can pick up Shimano pads for Dura Ace, Ultegra and 105 as they're all the same shape (according to the packet i bought.)

    Really useful to know. Thanks a lot.
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Re the screw: get a pair of pliers, grip the allen screw, undo, throw allen screw in next door's garden. Most replacement pads come with a replacement screw, so nothing to worry about.

    Fit new pads (the old ones should slide out with a bit of pressure, if they don't just lever them out with a screwdriver) then throw them in next door's garden.

    Clean out the whole of the shoe so its spotless.

    Fitting new pads: slide them in - they will have an arrow marked forward: this goes towards the CLOSED part of the shoe. The shoes are then fiotted with the CLOSED part point forward - this is due to the fact that when braking the only way that the pad can go is into the closed end and not slip out of the open end.

    If you have trouble getting the new pads in, slide them in as far as you can go then push them down on a flat surface like the kitchen table - they will slide in. It'll be tight, but they will go! Obviously if you have cleaned the shoes out properly this will help the whole affair.

    Fit new allen screws (pliers will do this if you can't get hold of a suitable allen key), job jobbed. Don't go too far otherwise they will push the pad out of the shoe. You'll see where the screw goes on the back of the pad as there is a gap for it.

    Agree 100% re Koolstop - I use salmon/black ones. A third of the price of Swissstop and twice as good (on ali rims at least). Swisstop still rock on carbon rims.

    HTH

    Y
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    +1 for Swisstop. I've used Ultegra 6700 and Koolstop. The green Swisstop are in a league of their own. They give you real control over your braking.
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    Just fitted a set of Kool Stops on my Ultegra brakes but they are rubbing when I put the wheel back in - I have slackened off the barrel adjuster next to the brake unit but still have hardly any clearance - sounds a really basic question but what else do I need to do to get the right clearance?

    Thanks
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    If the adjuster is screwed all the way in it sounds like you need to release a bit of brake cable at the clamp bolt on the caliper.
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    As above and also adjust the 2mm allen screw on the caliper - moves the pads in and out for fine adjustment.

    Re the cable:

    Get a pair of pliers and hold the cable under the bolt about 1mm down. Undo bolt, cable will slip up to where you are holding the pliers, thus providing a bit of gap at the pads.

    Then do up bolt f - tight.

    If its not enough, carry on until it is.

    This way means that you can control the about of cable you release and you don't end up causing yourself a 'mare.
  • sparkins1972
    sparkins1972 Posts: 252
    All sorted - many thanks - have to say I am a bit :oops: to have to ask such a basic question
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    All sorted - many thanks - have to say I am a bit :oops: to have to ask such a basic question

    Nah - don't be a lemon :D No question is a silly question and everyone has to learn somehow.

    If we can be of help just shout anytime. Even if we can't be of help it may start a good argument to liven up the day :D
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    Sorry to bring up an old thread but good advoce on here, just what I needed.
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  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    Thanks for the advice above. It did not quite do the business for me, because I needed part numbers.

    I can't seem to find Shimano information for Ultegra ("dual-pivot side-pull caliper") brakes only for the Shimano "V brakes" (linear/direct side-pull cantilever brakes, that are attached to the forks of mountain and cross bikes.)
    However this pdf
    http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/tech_support/tech_tips.download.-Par50lparsys-0033-downloadFile.html/09%29%20Brake%20Shoe%20Characteristics.pdf
    explains the types of V-brake pads (as well as non-cartridge pad-shoe assemblies).

    I also read that these same pads particularly the R55C3 are for Ultegra brakes as can be seen from the packaging of these below on ebay
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-Road-Brake-Pads-Dura-Ace-Ultegra-105-Shoes-Inserts-R55C3-FAST-DELIVERY-/151151236429?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Parts&hash=item233150d54d

    Aliexpress is full of pads for carbon wheels (perhaps the Chinese all ride on Chinese carbon wheels?!) from about 2.5USD I bought some "Ashima" ones and they seemed to work fine on carbon but I don't think that they would stick to aluminium as they have the sensation of synthetic cork.
    http://www.aliexpress.com/item/replacement-carbon-rims-use-brake-pads-bike-for-carbon-wheelset/641554885.html
    It is a shame that I can't find Ashima ones for aluminium for a similar price.

    There are lots of brake pads on ebay too, often red, such as these shipping from the UK.
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/4Pair-8-OBE-Shimano-Dura-Ace-Ultegra-Red-Road-Brake-Pad-/190778325349?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item2c6b463965
    Does anyone use them? I bought these. 4 pairs for 17USD including shipping from Singapore via UK to Japan.
    I will try to report back on their quality.

    A lot of the Kool and Swiss brake pads are often more than 20USD per pair. I will not be paying that.
  • meursault
    meursault Posts: 1,433
    Glad I discovered this thread.

    Earlier today, old brake parts were being thrown into my back garden. One piece nearly hit me, but luckily hit the mrs instead. Can anyone shed any light into why this is happening?

    PS The bloke next door is very and nice and usually quiet.
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  • :lol:
  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    I got the cheapest Shimano R55C ("Performs well in dry conditions and tends to be low noise. Wear in rainy conditions") designed for MTB V Brakes and compared to the R55C3 still on the back, they felt like a piece of 20 year old car tyre or a lump of leather, made a lot of noise, did not stick to the rims at all, had low breaking power, and a week later had quite a lot of wear. The lack of stick meant that perhaps, especially with the force of a V brake, it may have improved linearity. I might be a bit wary to put a better brake pad on V Brakes for fear of locking, as happened to me once.

    Then the cheapo red brakepads from ebay arrived. They are OBE-R46RR made by discobrakes.com out of Singapore. They are cheaper from ebay link below that on the discobrakes website. The do not come with replacement screws (unlike Shimano). They have more stick/stopping power and less noise than R55C, and feel similar to the Shimano ULTEGRA (R55C3) pads on the back but perhaps not quite as good (somewhere between the R55C and R55C3 nearer the latter). I hardly ever race, I'm never in a peleton, and go slow down hills, so at 1/4 of the price of R55C3, they do me fine. I may buy another 4 now. The other colours are the same compound but just a different colour.

    Here is some more information about them
    http://www.carboncycles.cc/?s=1&t=0&f=v ... 4e0889403&
  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    edited September 2015
    The Ashima pads in fake cork for carbon rims were okay but not ideal. They make a fair bit of noise and do not seem to have as much stopping power as the blue rubber ones that came with my carbon wheels.

    To keep all my brake pad recommendations in one place, I note that I am orderings these blue rubber pads for carbon rims from aliexpress, and will post a review when they arrive.

    The red ones from ebay UK mentioned above are still going fine on my aluminium rims. Highly recommended.

    The blue carbon rim brake pads arrived ages ago but I don't use my carbon rims much. They seem fine. The Red ones rdiscobrakes are still doing fine too. I have not worn through a pair yet!

    I think it may be time to get some more but I see that there are some Made in Taiwan, "Kingstop" brake pads for even less from aliexpress, at only about 10USD for 4 pairs. Perhaps the Singaporeans and the British on ebay, were selling Kingstop branded as Discobrakes. NO, on closer inspection it is clear that the discobrakes have a different brake pattern (lines) to the Kingstop brakes (curves).

    If the Kingstop are no good I will order more discobrakes from ebay.

    Or I could purchase some Swissstop at 20 times the price but discobrakes do okay for me.
    http://www.wekeepyoucycling.com/en/p-10683-sram-forcerival-brake-pad-inserts-carbon-rim-pair.aspx
  • Koolstop all the way. Salmon if you're interested. replaced my old OEM pads with Koolstops last year & the difference was amazing. Needed new ones this year & saw a deal on Dura Ace pads 2 for 1 on Ribble, so I thought I would give them a go. Useless in the wet & grind the rim down something terrible. I will be switching back to Koolstops next week. I know they seem quite expensive, but you get 4 pads for that & it's a lot cheaper than new rims & hospital bills when you crash in the wet using the shimano pads!
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  • Yossie wrote:
    As above and also adjust the 2mm allen screw on the caliper - moves the pads in and out for fine adjustment.

    I hate to be pedantic but that is not quite correct. The small allen screw on the caliper is to centre the brake pads equidistant either side of the rim after you have set it up as near as you can with before tightening the brake bolt. (the one that goes through the forks). BTW I use Koolstop Salmon on all my bikes. They are good in all weathers and kind to your rims. The only caveat is that they are soft and are therefore prone to collecting sharp grit, as I found out when riding on a cinder track. Check them regularly.
    I have only two things to say to that; Bo***cks
  • The Kingstop pads arrived from Taiwan via China and they are good. I can't tell the difference between these and my last pads made by Discobrakes of Singapore, which I could not distinguish from Ultegra pads.

    Reading this thread I realise that there are a lot of factors in pads
    Stopping power in the dry
    Stopping power in the wet
    Modulation (do they stick to your rims or allow you to gradually put the pressure on, varying stopping power)
    Wear of the pads
    Wear on the rims
    Noise from pads (this is not so much an issue but it seems to me to be indicative of less stopping power)
    Tendency to pick up particles from road or rim (=pad softness?)
    Prettiness (black or nice colours?)

    My previous cheap Discobrake pads from Singapore via ebay were fine in most ways except that they MAY have been hard on my rims, and they may have been poor in the wet. They lasted for ages so perhaps they were a hard pad, but with nonetheless good stopping power in the dry. I rarely ride in the wet and I have yet to experience (KoolStop Swissstop ?) pads with good stopping power in the wet. While both Singaporian Discobrakes and these Taiwanese Kingstop pads stop well, I find that pads do not need to be all that good at stopping, especially in the wet, since the determining factor which decides how quickly I come to a stop is not the quality of the pads but how much I can control my bike and the skid that results from fast firm braking. That said, the entry level Shimano pads were so poor I took them off my bike and threw them away.

    The new Kingstop pads from Taiwan via China seem a little softer, at least as good at stopping, a little stickier but not so much so as to prevent modulation, likely to be less harsh on my rims, likely to be better in the wet, likely to wear a little faster (but not quickly, unlike entry level Shimano pads), a nice pretty red, and only 9 USD for four pairs of pads. Yes you read that correctly. Kingstop also produce a variety of other pads including a double compound pad in black and red for road bikes which they claim has improved all weather stopping power. I wonder if they are the OEM manufacturer of Koolstop.

    Koolstop are only four times the price. Swissstop are eight times the price.
  • ayjaycee
    ayjaycee Posts: 1,277
    I fitted Swisstop Flash Pro BXP (the dark blue ones) to the Tiagra 4600 brakes on my Allez and the improvement over the Shimano stock pads was significant in both wet and dry conditions. My best bike has got Ultegra 6800 brakes and Ultegra pads and that combo is even better than the Allez brakes. I have been thinking about swapping the Swisstops and Ultegra pads over to see which worked best in a like for like comparison and will probably get to it this weekend.

    Having said all that, I cannot for the life of me understand why somebody would ever think of skimping on such a safety critical component as brake pads. When I bought the Swisstops, I also had to buy the metal cartridges to go with them but, even then, the whole lot only cost £20 which I considered to be very cheap for even a small amount of extra stopping power. Also, in the 21st century, I don't think I could ever buy anything that had 'disco' in it's name.
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  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,216
    [quote="I cannot for the life of me understand why somebody would ever think of skimping on such a safety critical component as brake pads. When I bought the Swisstops, I also had to buy the metal cartridges to go with them but, even then, the whole lot only cost £20 which I considered to be very cheap for even a small amount of extra stopping power. Also, in the 21st century, I don't think I could ever buy anything that had 'disco' in it's name".[/quote]

    Agree, I don't understand why anyone would balk at the idea of spending £20, on a set of four brake pads that will give you consistent and predictable braking performance in all conditions.
  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    I always come back to this forum for self-advice on brake pad. I have just run out of pads again (I ride about 10,000 km a year!) and I am wondering whether to get
    DiscoB (Discobrake) pads from ebay at about 20USD for 4 pairs from ebay
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pairs-Red-In ... SwAC1aGvXQ
    or twice that from discobrakes website
    https://www.discobrakes.com/?s=0&t=2&c=52&p=283&tb=001
    or Kingstop at about 10USD for four pairs
    https://www.aliexpress.com/store/produc ... 198e2uTh3X
    I write above that I can't tell the difference. That said I have had more experience with the "DiscoB"s and I am just now swapping them out. But then again, as I also write above, whenever I need my brakes in an emergency, it always seems to be road grip that is the limiting factor in my braking power, and not brake pad. So I am going with the Kingstop (red).
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    ^^^^Have you ever used a known top quality pad such as the Koolstop Salmons to compare these with? I have no idea if these are any good and always good to know if something is as good or better but unless you've tried something known to compare these with it's kind of hard to know if your choices in the links are worth considering at all.
  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    I have used Shimano's R55C3 (Dura-Ace/Ultegra/105) and the cheap pads mentioned above (certainly the Discobrakes, which have good press review(s), and probably the Kingstop) are very similar in quality to the R55C3 and superior to the cheaper Shimano R55C (which were bad).

    And as i keep remembering, when I brake hard I have had to modulate my use of the brakes because i found myself doing a speedway style skid.
    https://www.google.co.jp/search?biw=128 ... F9sccyxQ48
    So I am not sure what I would want the Koolstop Salmons for. I read that they wear the rims less. I am not finding that these cheap pads wear the rims appreciably.

    Bearing in mind that Koolstop (Dura-Ace/Ultegra/105 pads are about 6 times the price,
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/jp/e ... prod164592
    I don't think that I will be purchasing them. I am too cheap to get even the Discobrakes.
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Hard to find a reason not to buy the Disco or Kingstop at that price if they work for you but I would really be curious as to how they compare to the Koolstops which work for me better than the various Swissstop and Shimano pads I've tried.
  • timtak
    timtak Posts: 27
    I see that one can buy Kool-Stop Salmon (red) quite cheaply in the USA for only twice the price of Kingstop and about the same as Discobrakes at about 4USD a pair from ebay:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kool-Stop-Brak ... SwFmxaZibX
    but the shipping to Japan, where I am, is a bit steep @ another 14USD. I am riding almost slick 23c wheels that just do not have all that much traction, so I am not sure how the Koolstops could be "better."