Tried to renew brake pads but didn't work
 

I have a bike that hasn't been used for a while. It's been indoors but it ended up getting quite dusty. I cleaned it up and took it out, but the brakes didn't work very well. I did a bit of research on how to clean them, so I took the pads out and heated them in a frying pan. I then wiped off as much residue as I could, sanded them, and wiped them down again. This didn't help at all though and they seem even worse now. Is there anything else I can do or will I just have to get new pads? I was reluctant to buy new ones at first as these ones are barely worn. I tried to find the exact model of the brakes in case it was relevant but I couldn't find a specification for the bike model I have with it being quite old. It's a Specialized Rockhopper en14766 if that matters.

Also while I'm asking, I was wondering whether the suspension is likely to need any maintenance after being left untouched for a while?

Thanks in advance. Any advice would be appreciated.

Heating old pads in a frying pan is a new one to me. Just pony up for some new pads.

What kind of oil did you use in the frying pan? I prefer olive oil for brake pads. :)

Time for new brake pads. Canti brakes? Shouldn't be hard to find suitable replacements.

Post a picture of the brakes for suggestions.

New pads are cheap. If you had to try frying the old ones, they were probably overdue for replacement.

Seems that worked well as heat could only shorten the pads' life.

You sure this frying pan method wasn't for disc brake pads?

I saw the frying pan thing suggested a few different places. I think the idea was just too loosen anything that may be contaminating the surface, but just on a low heat to avoid damaging the pad.

The pads weren't old or cracked or they weren't due for replacement, they'd hardly been used. That's why I was reluctant to buy new ones. I just guessed that some dirt/dust had found it's way on to them as they'd been sat unused for a couple of years.

If there's nothing else that can be done to renew them though, I'll just look at replacing them. I don't know the exact model, but they're Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

It was. They are disc brakes.

I put in new Disc pads (Kool Stop there too) better than my Original Avid BB7 pads.

I've tried fixing disc brakes pads by baking them, then cleaning everything with brake clean.

It didn't work.

Brake pads are 10 bucks.

Make sure the rotor is clean when you put the new ones in.

I have never heard of using a frying pan. I have heard of putting the pads in a hot oven to burn off contaminents, but I never thought that sounded like a good idea, either.

I was visualizing rubber burning.

Best to wear clean gloves so you don't transfer finger oils to the pads or rotor. I use the cheap nitrile ones from Harbor Freight.


Don't forget to bed-in the new pads per the manufacturer's instructions.

Are you sure the pads are the issue? Usually bad pads cause all sorts of squealing rather than poor performance.

When you say poor performance what do you mean? And cable or hydraulic discs?

They're hydraulic. When I first noticed the issue, I'd started going down a very steep hill and the brakes weren't stopping the wheels fully and were squealing very loudly. Since trying to clean them though, I haven't really tested them properly. I just rode up and down my road a couple of times and discovered that they weren't effective enough to actually stop the wheel, but there wasn't any unpleasant noise this time.

I assume this post is a joke, right**********

Are the levers still firm or does the lever bottom out? If so they need to be bled.

Assuming the levers still feel firm, the simplest solution is just buying new pads. The pads aren't particularly expensive and trying to recover pads can be a time consuming and frustrating exercise.

Your best bet is probably to clean the rotors and calipers with isopropanol then install some fresh pads and move on.

Sounds like you used a "non-stick" pan.

I accidentally got oil on my rear. Had no braking power at all. Cleaning the rotor with alcohol several times and also cleaning with water did the trick for me.

It's not. Which part are you having difficulty believing?

They're still pretty firm. I'll just replace the pads. I know they're not expensive, I just thought the current pads were worth trying to salvage as they're barely worn.

Anyone got any recommendations for replacements? I'm only a casual rider so I don't need anything special. These are the standard ones that I was going to buy -

Ah. UK. I see. Yeah, we don't fry our brakes, over here. We sautee. The difference is subtle, but profound!

would gordon ramsay approve though?

Does he ever approve of anything?

I've been around the block a time or two but I have not heard of frying brake pads. As rubber pads get older they get hard and don't stop well. It's then time to replace them. Pretty simple, cheap and less time-consuming solution in my opinion.