Bicycle Mechanics - disk brake maintenance

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA

View Full Version : disk brake maintenance

Justen
06-19-03, 12:07 AM
Okay, I have had my mtb for about 3 months now. I have 8" mechanical disk brakes and up until now, they were not causing much trouble but then I lost complete power in one the other day in the middle of the ride.

It was weird because although I had been out cycling on the road in the rain a few days before, in the days after when it was dry, I had no problem.

Anyway, it appears the pad ? on the rear rotor was completely gone and the rotor was damaged.

Is this a common occurence for disk brakes ?

Justen

shaun16
06-19-03, 05:09 AM
souns like the pad has came loose and fell off. never happened to me b4.
a2psyklnut
06-19-03, 07:58 AM
Never happened to me either.

Have you taken it back to the shop? What'd they say?

L8R

Rev.Chuck
06-19-03, 08:19 AM
Is this an Avid mechanical? They had some problems with friction compounds and they would disintigrate under hard braking. We had one do it on the first hard stop.
Justen
06-19-03, 10:43 AM
Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Is this an Avid mechanical? They had some problems with friction compounds and they would disintigrate under hard braking. We had one do it on the first hard stop.

Nope...Hayes mechanical. It seems the pads disintegrated due to contanimation on the rotor. Probably from cycling in the rain and not cleaning it off properly after.

Does that mean that I have to take the back wheel off and clean the disk rotor with rubbing alcohol after every ride in the rain or on the road ?

What a pain in the neck !

Justen
Chasbo
06-20-03, 07:04 AM
Rain wont cause a pad to disintigrate in just one ride Justen. How old are your brakes and how often do you ride? If you have more than 6 mos hard riding on them I wouldn't be surprised if they are worn away by now. If they are new they should obviously not have disintigrated. I lived in socal and got over a year on my XT pads, but back here on the east coast I get one riding season or a little more on a set. So under wet conditions I only get a fourth of the lifespan. Its a good idea to keep the rotors clean of crud, but you dont need to be anal bout it. I wonder if you accidentally got some lube on the pads? I have seen them disintigrate under those conditions.

chuck