How do I know when pads are worn out?

[Debian]

Thanks! (I think)

 

[GrumpyGregry]

push the pistons back, all the way back, with a twist of a screw driver or other lever, whilst the old pads are still in situ

not as hard as changing brembo goldline pads on a laverda

 

[Cubist]

push the pistons back, all the way back, with a twist of a screw driver or other lever, whilst the old pads are still in situ

not as hard as changing brembo goldline pads on a laverda

My Lemon had Brembos. Twats.

 

[rusky]

Whenever I recentre the calipers on my Hayes (using the method they describe) I always end up with the caliper too far away from the moving pad.

Changing the pads is quick & easy as long as I don't set them up the way Hayes suggest.

 

[2Loose]

Did my Juicy 3's last weekend - a bit fiddly but a doddle in the end.

Once everything is out, then it is easy to see how everything goes back together and then you wonder why it doesn't. When I figured out that the pads were the wrong way round, it was all done 1 minute later. Pads have been in and out 3 more times since, each time takes less than 5 minutes but after the first half hour faff I wanted to get it ingrained on my brain.

Top tip, when trying to get pads back in, look through the hole in the top of the caliper, it will help check if the h-clip is in the right position. If it isn't, slide the pads out again and turn them around...

 

[2Loose]

Don't let your child help you when you are doing it... mine pulled the brakes on whilst the wheel was out.

LoL, at least your child didn't undo the banjo bolt like a 'helpful' friend did.
£35 quid bleed kit and new pads and all is well now :'(

 

[Valy]

I changed the pads on my BB5s and it even though it was a bit fiddly, I got them in okay.
With hydraulic brakes do the pistons always try to push out, so you have to hold them apart all the itme while trying to change the pads?

 

[Debian]

I changed the pads on my BB5s and it even though it was a bit fiddly, I got them in okay.
With hydraulic brakes do the pistons always try to push out, so you have to hold them apart all the itme while trying to change the pads?

I wouldn't have thought so. They don't on a car. And if they did this normally the brakes would be applying themselves all the time.

The only way the pistons will push out is if there's some force acting on the brake fluid.

 

[Valy]

I wouldn't have thought so. They don't on a car. And if they did this normally the brakes would be applying themselves all the time.

The only way the pistons will push out is if there's some force acting on the brake fluid.

So the pistons don't push out more when trying to change the pads? I mean not to the point where they would be touching the rotor, just pushing out because presumably the retainer/spring would need to be removed than pushes the pads away after braking? Is there such a device on hydraulic brakes even... ?

 

[Debian]

So the pistons don't push out more when trying to change the pads? I mean not to the point where they would be touching the rotor, just pushing out because presumably the retainer/spring would need to be removed than pushes the pads away after braking? Is there such a device on hydraulic brakes even... ?

It's a good question.

All I can say is that the pistons on car brakes don't move out under there own steam, they just stay wherever they're pushed to. I haven't (yet) changed bike hydraulic brake pads but I can't see why the pistons should push out.

 

[Valy]

It's a good question.

All I can say is that the pistons on car brakes don't move out under there own steam, they just stay wherever they're pushed to. I haven't (yet) changed bike hydraulic brake pads but I can't see why the pistons should push out.

Yeah that would be reasonable. It's just there is all this talk about putting something between the pistons... and doing this and that....

All I had to do was take the retainer out, fiddle the new pads into position and put the retainer back in. As well as adjust for new pads of course.

 

[arallsopp]

BB7s (mechanical) are pretty easy too. Mine ran fine for a good 5000 miles of hilly commute in all weather before becoming increasingly gritty, grindy, whirry, slack, and generally annoying. Dead pads diagnosed (and confirmed by looking through the little hole at the top).

Remove wheel, slacken off adjusters, pinch the pads, pull them out... pull them out...C'mon frickin things... Pinch the pads, pull them out... Find the manual.. Pinch. The. Pads. Pull. Them. Out. Aaaarrrrgh!

£45 and two days later, new brake arrives with new rotor, new pads, new body. Loosen off bolts, fit new one. Centre it. La!

Put old one in the box for spares. Pinch the pads. Frick. They came out! Worn pretty much flat too.

Now I have a spare. Which is nice, as I have a total of 4 of these on 2 bikes, and there's no differentiation between front and rear.

I like them.

 

[Valy]

Did you buy a whole new brake instead of replacing the pads? :S

My rear pads lasted only about 1000Kms and the front ones area gonna be replaces pretty soon as well by the looks of things.

 

[arallsopp]

Did you buy a whole new brake instead of replacing the pads? :S

Yup. I'm not proud of it, but it worked.

After bikefix diagnosed an 'unrepairable issue' and swapped out a prior BB7, I'd been running 3 x BB7s and 1 x shimano odd thing. They also put a pretty crap rotor on the SON wheel, so faced with £17 pads + £20 rotor to get things shiny and new, chucking in less than a tenner to get all my bikes running on the same kit was well worth it.

No idea what the shimano one was, but it only managed a third of the distance of the bb7s before getting quite nasty.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

My Lemon had Brembos. Twats.

so did mine. and my beemer.

what mk was your lemon?