Mountain Biking Australia – August 2019

PIT STOP

REGAIN CONTROL

a threaded bolt or a split-pin.

If it’s the threaded type (as

pictured), check for additional

‘security circlips’ that you may

need to remove before the

bolt is undone. Once the bolt

is out, most pads will unload

through the top of the calliper

(although some come out

the other way). Pinching the

pads together in a sandwich

usually helps and don’t force

anything—just get the angle

right and they’ll slide out.

3. A good pad will have around
   1.5 to 2mm of friction material
   while a dead one will have

12

OVER TIME, EVEN THE BEST BR AKES WILL

STEADILY LOOSE THEIR SHINE. HERE'S HOW

YOU CAN GIVE THEM A NEW LEASE OF LIFE.

STEP BY STEP

1. If you notice the brake lever
   pulling further in towards
   your grip, even after you’ve
   pumped the brake a few
   times, it’s best to inspect
   the pad thickness. Take
   a look down inside the
   calliper and inspect the
   thickness of the pad
   material—shining a torch
   down there will help.


2. If it’s hard to see into the
   calliper – or if there’s a clear
   lack of pad material – you’ll
   need to pop the pads out
   of the brake. The pads are
   typically held in place by

WORDS AND PICS: JOHN HARDWICK

less than 1mm remaining.

Check your pads with some

verniers if you’re unsure; the

total thickness of a new SRAM

Code pad (left) is a fraction

under 4mm and 2mm of that is

the backing plate. At 3.54mm

(approximately 1.54mm of

friction material) our pads still

had some life in them but we'll

replace them for the sake of

this article!

4. As your pads wear, the pistons

gradually extend from the

calliper to compensate. If

you’re about to install new

pads, you’ll need to push the

pistons back into the calliper

to reset them. Care needs

to be taken here as you

don’t want to damage the

pistons or push them in at

an angle. We're using some

flat nylon tyre levers but the

rubber coated handle of a

cone spanner or a suitably

sized brake bleed-block will

also work. Gently lever the

pistons and push them back

in little by little. You’ll need

to work your way around the

calliper, doing one side and

then the next. Repeat until

the pistons are pushed all

the way home.

Good brakes will bolster your descending confidence and

improve bike control. However they live a pretty tough life and

the brake pads in particular have to deal with a lot; from heat

to mud and abrasive grime.

To get the most out of your brakes, the number one rule is

to avoid contamination. If your brakes get contaminated –

usually signalled by a sudden drop in stopping power along

with a persistent howl – you’ll need to replace the pads.

Of course the same applies if they simply wear out. While

pad replacement is well within the scope of most home

mechanics, there are a few things to remember if you want to

do the job properly.