Brake Pads

[spdas]

Aloha, all. a couple of questions on my hydraulic disc brake pad setup. (pads are the smaller round ones, Avid BB5)

1: mine start to squeal after about 80 miles and I have to take them apart and file a bit of the glaze off the pads. is this normal?

2: What kind of life do you get out of a set of pads....I get about 750 miles.
(I know depends how much you use them.... I do not do a lot of stop and go and I know slowing down from
30-35 mph on a bicycle pad would surely wear them fast.) but is 650 miles about right.
Yea they are cheap enough out of China, so just change'em and shut up?

thanks
francis

 

[Ykick]

I’m aggressive on front disc brake (NYC) and I see much more than 750 miles per set of pads. Around 2k miles, IIRC?

As far as the squealing, you might try both metal sintered and organic? See if one type is better or worse for your rotor?

I’ve even mixed compositions often with quieting results.

 

[motomech]

Squealing is the pads resonating in the caliper.
A small smear of grease where the back of the pads contact the piston/caliper fingers will cushion/seal the parts enough to stop the noise.

 

[Syonyk]

If you can find them for your bike, the Koolstop electric bike pads are awesome. I abused them year round in Seattle, and they would blue my rotors if I let them get hot enough - without fading.

Brake life is so heavily dependent on where you live, though - now that I live in a rural area with gentle hills, I'll probably go years on a set of pads.

 

[Drunkskunk]

BB5 aren't hydraulic, so what brakes do you have? These aren't those round pad Tektros, are they?

Your problem sounds like running the wrong kind of pad material, or too small of a disk. Sintered pads would cure the glazing problem, but wouldn't live as long. But if these are Tektros, my best suggestion would sound rude.

I get several thousand miles out of BB7s on the front of most bikes. The monster eats them a bit faster, at 55mph stopping 300lbs.

 

[spdas]

Aloha,

this is the Hydraulic setup.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PROMAX-DECIPHER-FRONT-HYDRAULIC-DISC-BRAKE-BIKE-PARTS-CBP824-/291884313469?hash=item43f5a92b7d:g:hVYAAOSw0UdXvckf

and this is the pad that it takes

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pairs-Bicycle-Disc-Brake-Pads-for-Avid-BB5-Ball-Bearing-FIVE-Promax-DSK-710-/131263162730?hash=item1e8fe4e96a:g:uUAAAOSwqu9VK-lc

 

[Drunkskunk]

Well that's something new. BB5 have a semi-metallic and a full metallic option. looks like ~$8 on ebay. Try those first.

A hydraulic brake that uses BB5 pads, and is cheaper than an actual BB5 brake is sketchy at best. There is a chance that it's not backing the pads off the disk and you're getting heat build up on the pads even when not using them. that would account for the very short life and the glazing. If switching to a semi-metallic or a full metallic compound pad doesn't cure the trouble, ditch the brake and try a BB7.

 

[WoodlandHills]

If the pads or rotor only show glazing on one side, maybe you can align or center the caliper over the rotor with shims or through some other adjustment at the mounting point?

 

[Alan B]

Lots of light braking can glaze the pads. Need to brake hard now and then to clean them off.

Regen, and slowing down earlier makes pads last almost forever. Last minute braking, high speeds and big downhills eat pads.

 

[spdas]

I solved the squealing by putting a bit of teflon tape behind the pad instead of grease. lets see how long that lasts.

francis