Avid Juicy 5 pads - could this be a problem?
 

Hey there, well after I took out one of the calipers from the box (should be installing the brakes this week) I noticed that one pad in each caliper has the "thin, pointy" bit (which doesn't contact the rotor, as far as I know) snapped -> are these only to extract or change the pads or do they play another role? At first I was mortified but then I thought it may not play that of an important role at all.
Here are two pics of what I mean:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...r/IM004737.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...r/IM004738.jpg

Thanks in advance,
-DC

I use the Juicy 7's (same pads). To the best of knowledge, they only aid in removal. So you should be fine. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

Are you talking about the red thing? If so, i think you just snap those in there when there isnt a rotor inbetween the pads (when your wheel is off) so if you pull the brake lever, the pads wont stick together.

Just pull it out after you install your caliper, and install the wheel, it snaps in and out quite easilly.

mav67: Good to hear.
free_pizza: No, not the red thing, I'm talking about the actual pad, can you see the broken part? (sorry for the blurry photos).

Ok, my bad, i understand. as what mav67 said above, i think they are only for pad removal.

Cool, thanks for the confirmation.

why is it snapped?? aren't they brand new??

Dopn't sweat it, not a big deal, they're only to aid you in taking the pads out. I would be interested though, like mx said, why is it snapped?

From the pic it looks like the tab on both pads is still there. As far as the bent one, I've got the 7s and on mine the tab on the inboard pad of both the front and the rear are bent as you show. I'm going to guess it's to help guide the rotor into the caliper when inserting the wheel back into the frame/fork, and that there's nothing wrong with the pad.

yep, they are supposed to be that way to aid in removal, and guiding the wheel in a bit easier. they've been selling their pads that way for a while now (at least newer version in the last couple years) and i've yet to have a problem with them. in fact, when i've used aftermarket non-avid pads, i end up bending them that way. it works.

What you can't see from the picture is that they're NOT bent, they broken/snapped and only a small part of the material is holding the "tab" and the rest of the pad together. Better snip off with scissors before installing? (I'm thinking accidents due to that small thing breaking off totally and getting caught somewhere).

but why are they broke? are these brand new brakes or did you damage them while riding??

Brand new, although I bought the front in August and the rear I got for Christmas, the front went through a 2 day car trip from Hungary to Spain and the rear just came back to Spain on airplane. Probably got damaged in the suitcase since I would have definately realised if they were bent/broken when I checked the calipers for the first time.

dang...rough traveling!! :p

Yep. :D And we squeeze so much crap into one suitcase you wouldn't believe it... xD

yeah - the tab is supposed to be bent like that, if it looks like its going to fall off somtime soon, id reccomend removing it - since pad removal can be done via pushing the pads out from the top of the caliper.

other things of note - those retention clips that are in the top of the caliper, on both my front and rear juicy's have fallen out on the trail, theyre not very robust, although your pads are in no danger of falling out if this clip is lost.

also the stock pads that come with juicy 5's are not all that good, i had alot of problems with mine, replaced them with 2 sets of ebc gold pads, and it completly revolutionised the brakes.

Cool, thanks a lot for the tips!