*BIKE MECHANIC TESTS* INSTAGRAM DISC BRAKE CALIPER ALIGNMENT TOOL (NO MORE RUBBING DISCS?!?)

[@GCPerformance18]

Let me know if there are any other products your curious if work or not down below? I would love to do more tests!!

[@awesomexistence]

Gatorade can metal top. Bonus shim material. 2 minutes to make shim tool in this video cut out with a pair of scissors.

[@andrewnorris5415]

Ali express bleed kits compared to the pro versions?

[@danielleiva6226]

That tool literally cost 1 dollar in Aliexpress hahaha

[@paul_hd1875]

Business 101: Keystone + 200% MU… 😂

[@johnjefferybikepacking]

How would it be possible to cost a dollar and it not be literal?

[@xaein9515]

I have 4 of those, without brands, works every time. You need to loosen the bolts more, some times you even need to find the rubbing section and use the tool there, but they definitely make aligning disc brake way way more easier, one of the best tool imo. And they definitely doesn't cost 20usd, you been ripped off.

[@croccofanto]

just a little pointer here in what i see you doing is that you loosen both bolts, squeeze the break and continue to tighten just the one bolt all the way tight. Now whats happening here is that the caliper moves slightly wen tightening the bolt. If you instead just lightly lightly alternate tighten the bolts you will find that the tool works much better, even without the tool it will work much better.

[@GCPerformance18]

yuh, I usually just manually adjust the brakes but even when you tighten the brakes slowly back and forth there becomes a point when you tighten it and it twists with it, thats what the washers are meant for on the bolt

[@johnbravo7542]

@@GCPerformance18 Thank's just learnt something about the washers,I have some and will use them on my front brake caliper mount bolts,as my new brakes never came with any.

[@prt1226]

$20 bucks that’s a gallon of gas! 😂

[@kidShibuya]

Whats gas?

[@PhiyackYuh]

@@kidShibuya u should try drink it 😊

[@manueldeubler1127]

I personally also like to give the pistons a good clean and lube before aligning the brake pads. The pistons can et really dirty with all the brake dust which can result in 'sticky pistons' i. e. pistons that don't move symmetrically.

[@GCPerformance18]

yea that makes sense, I dont clean pistons too often though and usually dont have an issue with it, only one time did I have to work one piston back into place because of corrosion, had to hhold the working side in with a tool, I sprayed a penetrating lube on the non moving one and pumped the brake carefully over and over again until it moved

[@beneyckmans20]

I do the same thing and I align them visually when the pistons are fully retracted. Then pump the so they come close to the rotor and no rub whatsoever for mine.

[@hotcakes1117]

A good tip I find also is to use your phone light to shine up through through the pads/calliper. It's a quick way of determining the reason for the rub which in most cases is a bent or warped rotor. I love my disc brake bikes but do find the tolerances are miniscule. I just wish SRAM, Shimano etc could find a way to adjust the hydraulic callipers with an allen key similar to the cable actuated callipers you see on low end bikes

[@_cpdchua]

i use this all the time, take me only seconds to align my rotor

[@ozgurinsan]

sram and shimano has that feature , its called rim brakes :)

[@_cpdchua]

@@ozgurinsan yeah they also got the feature during a heavy downfall, its called RIP :)

[@PrXy]

Small tolerances would be fine if major manufactures would have functioning QC for a product that costs around 40 to 50 euros per piece. I bought multiple rotors from Shimano (Ultegra level) and every single one was warped to a point you would have to manually adjust them before being even able to use it properly. After that, I switched to Campagnolo rotors (AFS 03) and at least most of them were usable (almost straight, not rubbing). Only one of three was significantly warped out of factory. But maybe I was just unlucky.

[@hotcakes1117]

@@PrXy That is true .... ive seen many new rotors warped out of the box. SRAMs are just as bad.

[@jtburn7862]

Same as several comments on here. I loosen the bolts completely so they can float freely. It has worked every time for me. I used to get super frustrated but that is a thing of the past.

[@GCPerformance18]

the bolts were loosened, did u not see it, I even moved the caliper back and forth with my hand

[@aaaaea9268]

8:03 that bit there just gained ya a sub 😂😂😂

[@GCPerformance18]

hahah I love these comments because I get to go back and watch something that I forgot I did lol, thank you for the laugh as well

[@thedronescene7474]

To much trouble. Rim brakes is the way to go! Here in Florida we do not need disc.

[@MJarthur95]

Florida probably not, but come to the EU where we have more than 6-8 months of rain, grit and dirt 😂…. Going to worn down those carbon rims with a rim brake in a matter of weeks

[@stevensantana8049]

I agree with you 💯💯

[@pepstriebeck1163]

Breaking News:florida man delivers New evidence in rim brake case!

[@MH-eu5bt]

I use feeler gauge. 0.20mm both side and get result.

[@All4Grogg]

It is a 1 to 5 dollar shim, pretty simple and a great thing to have especially with single sided mechanical calipers. With all hydraulic and double action mechanical getting it centered means centered, with a single sided caliper you want it as close as possible on the static piston with the moving piston biting where you need it for the lever. For users of cheaper mechanical calipers, a little shim like this is perhaps more helpful. Eyeballing .3 mm clearance on one side and .6 on the other is trickier than .5mm equally on both. Also, on the low end of disc brakes, a shim can be used as a feeler gauge to check if it is time to move the static side closer to the rotor. Light pressure on lever and advance the static pad until disk is not deflecting, done.

[@BrianRPaterson]

I have have a few of these, and have given a few to friends. So long as you push back the pistons first, then puf in the pads, they save me loads of time. Then again, I paid about buck a piece.

[@andrewnorris5415]

Hi. What you mean by puf in the pads? Pump the brakes till it grips?

[@BrianRPaterson]

@@andrewnorris5415 Sorry. That was a typo. I meant push back the pistons, then PUT in the pads. After that, you just drop in the wheel and slide the alignment tool onto your brake rotor. Make sure the caliper bolts are loose, and then pull the appropriate brake lever to center the calipers. Then retighten the bolts. Note: Remember to remove the alignment tool once you are done! Cheers

[@richroberts8238]

I have found for all of the good points I always have to use that tool to bend tweak rotors. Point I do it is from sighting down pads to rotor clearance and seeing where making contact. I usually tweak ever so slightly. Bottom line have never mounted anyones discs that ran true simply bolted up. Have also used say Jagwire shims to help align. Presume new Shimano DA with more clearance eliminates a lot of this clearance contact issues.

[@paulstuart9465]

I had the problem with my Ultegra rotors. I used a caliper alignment tool and it didn't work. Then I realized what the problem is. The hydraulic hose from the fork leg causes a twisting force at the caliper body. When you squeeze the pads against the rotor it can't overcome the force of the hose and so it temporarily distorts the rotor. Hence when you tighten the bolts and check it still rubs. The only solution is to manually set the caliper visually.

[@henrikolsson6513]

I used one of those on my SL7 with the aero rotors, the tool scratch the rotor.

[@GCPerformance18]

u sure it was caused by this? because i have seen normal rotors scratched from normal wear and tare

[@philipdavies4966]

Used the tool today……. Worked first time after 👍😀😀

[@GCPerformance18]

really!!! thats aweomse but also I used it on a bike off camera before filming and it worked pretty good

[@thompson9451]

Loosen bottom bolt, spin wheel, grab lever, tighten bolt. That little rub goes away when you heat the brakes up. Am I nuts lol?

[@garyderoy]

Those tools don't work unless one of the pistons is really screwed up, and even then it's doubtful. Think about what it's doing. You're putting the same extra padding on each side of the rotor, so the caliper should center at the same spot with or without the tool. The reason it works sometimes is because you're adjusting it at a different spot on the rotor after spinning the wheel. If it doesn't center on your 1st attempt without the tool but it does center on your 2nd attempt with the tool, it would have centered on the 2nd attempt without it also. In most cases the problem is a very tiny warp in the rotor. You might not be able to see it, but you can hear it and it is there. If it's small enough and you center the caliper over that warp (trial and error) it may put the caliper in a spot where it doesn't rub anywhere on the spinning rotor. The tool, a piece of folded paper or any of those tricks won't work unless, maybe, you've got a seriously screwed up piston, and then that's something that you should clean and free up.

[@SkibidiSigmaAura1]

Try it without sqeezing the brakes when tightning, chances are the pads don't come out evenly and causing it to miss align. I usually do it with a piece of thick paper and it works great.

[@richardlopez4563]

I ordered some pads off of Amazon and an alignment tool came with the pads although the one I have is longer and shaped like the rotor.

[@GCPerformance18]

Very very nice

[@Jcool721]

I watched the video and I had high hopes, because I saw the ad and thought it could be a great product. Nice testing mate!

[@meshark_t]

It worked for me, and I'm a noob. First time disk brakes for me. Also bought packs of 5 for $5 on Amazon.

[@GCPerformance18]

sometimes they can work

[@ozgurinsan]

so much pain and effort.

[@johndef5075]

Couldnt you just fold up a piece of paper?

[@tarpontime7562]

Yeap. I’ve used old playing cards before.

[@sbccbc7471]

I use two business cards, but it's not a surefire way of ensuring perfect caliper alignment as it doesn't work with every bike.

[@C0deH0wler]

And how are they gonna stay in place securely while you are doing the bolts and pressing the lever??

[@NomanKhan-jk2ql]

Works in rear wheel too

[@Jinedan]

$20?!?! I got one free with some cheap brake pads. I also have the fancy Hayes version. I’ve found that most often you can see which side is rubbing and just use the tool as a single shim on that side and it fixes it every time.

[@richardlopez4563]

Same here. Free tool with some pads from Amazon.

[@bikingchupei2447]

3:10 i find eyeballing it and manually adjusting still the best method. btw that tool should not cost 20 dollars, 1 dollar is the proper price and is how much it cost me.

[@jackgarner7818]

I made one from some tin flashing & a dremel tool, took about 30 minutes.

[@dominicbritt]

They are useless unless you gave a mountain bike with massive clearance. Adjustment by eye and using your ears for square engagement is the best method. If it’s not working then you can be sure it’s either pistons/fluid/rotor/mounts.

[@GokkunGuru]

So the product doesn’t work. Thanks for saving us the $.

[@C0deH0wler]

Works just fine. It works the first time most of the time. If the rotor is bent, a few tries in random spots gets it done pretty quickly. I don't stress as much as I used to when I'm installing brakes. Also, I got some of them cheap from a Aliexpress.

[@Parcalona]

Got my brakes set up perfect but every time I get out the saddle I can hear scrub from the front brake. Tried new callipers and still does it….. I miss rim brakes. I’ll put it down to a flexi fork.

[@GCPerformance18]

Yea I’ve heard of that. The weight can cause the fork to flex a little bit. But usually the rotor has a small bit of bend in there causing it to rub a little. Where the small bend doesn’t hit in the stand but it gets more exaggerated with weight on it

[@mirifiQueBoy]

hei, i have the same problem, didi you manage to solve it ?

[@paulsayer426]

Once the tool is in the caliper,gently turn the wheel a full rotation ,the tool wont move , then squeeze the lever ,works good for me.....

[@marcusfistarol8270]

You can use a smalltalk piece of hard paper and fold it . Sometimes it works the same

[@Danielxperez14]

My caliper twists as I tighten the caliper bolts, and my rotor is new and straight, is this tool worth it?

[@joselarrarte6964]

Do you do disc brake renaming at your shop? Mi frame came with out of line caliper holes. I need to fix the frame.

[@GCPerformance18]

yes we do, this is rare occasions but we have the tool for it, need to resurface the part where the brake sits on to make it level

[@joselarrarte6964]

@@GCPerformance18 It is whats happening to my frame. Is the China-Works I have messaged you before. I can bring it over so you guys can do the remaining; at the same time, it would be perfect for you to do a video. There are no videos of someone besides ParkTool doing the procedure. Let me know de details of the store.

[@miramoneric6988]

Is this tool working to for better brakes as Ultergra ?

[@GCPerformance18]

nope it is not

[@corycity6897]

Might have to hack up a soda can and make a cheap one of these. Seems like every Specialized we assemble requires some sort of front rotor massaging before you can get rid of the rub. I really think it's a packing/shipping issue with them. Don't have nearly the issues with other brands, even with much cheaper price tags.

[@MrTJSE]

So basically, just get a couple feeler gauges between your pads and then set it. Overpriced for what it is

[@GCPerformance18]

agreed

[@catherinemacalisang5782]

Misalignment is a good tool for centering your rotor between brake pads. If you use it for wobble rotors you can't use that tool.

[@csax14]

Good video. I have been thinking about getting one.

[@GCPerformance18]

not gonna lie, I dont mind it, we keep it at the shop now, and it is a great starting point, osmetimes it works first time too

[@JohnLivesay-wc4ci]

We're can you buy tool

[@tosheshdaulta8899]

Icetoolz and Birzman make em as well. They work

[@philipdavies4966]

Bought both tools today, anything that may help is worth a go with disc rubbing😩😩…. Great channel👍👍

[@GCPerformance18]

thanks os much!! I mean it can help u get it close enough or if not get it right the first time, but it is a great starter

[@db613]

I use a folded over business card same effect

[@db613]

Is this legitimate GC performance?

[@keithwong1423]

I have a similar tool and it worked just fine for me

[@mikehhhhhhh]

I find these work better without squeezing the brake. You need to take care when tightening not to move things though

[@dominicbritt]

These never worked for me - easier by the bold brake method - straighten rotor - when they’re difficult , frame mounts usually need facing. A lot of newer bike frames are now being faced at the factory to save hassle…

[@FreshLevel1000001]

Instead of buying a $20 paperclip, you can use index cards and cut to the shape needed

[@RATADATUAVELHA]

I align the calipers by loosen a bit both bolts and rotating the wheel while watching the pads from above and see where is rubbing, then with little taps on the caliper, I'm able to adjust perfectly. no need for that shit. "don't try to invent powder after the war"

[@hotchihuahua1546]

The face of the fork the brake caliper sits on is not perpendicular to the rotor once you tighten it . That is where your problem is !

[@skinny8019]

your boi walking by with crocs and socks....lol.

[@GCPerformance18]

Lmao lazy day

[@andy4g63]

First of all you have to make sure that your rotors are STRAIGHT AND TRUE… After that you can use the tool, BUT still not perfect True the rotors… Loosen caliper… Get a piece of white paper put it underneath caliper for better visibility and after you see the rotor is exactly in the middle between the pads, tighten bolts

[@GCPerformance18]

Did you not watch the video where I explained that. I said make sure the rotor is not warped before hand

[@pepstriebeck1163]

@@GCPerformance18 but you demstrated it with a clearly bent rotor. You can hear it in the Video. That's the point here.

[@stephanmuller3478]

Never had problems on my MTB. How it is possible to have all these probs on road bike? Bying a dura ace disc and it is was bend already wtf.cost more then a disc on my car and its bend🤔. U can fix that prob by sing that tool nur when u go for a ride its still there. Thats my experience

[@zedtony8110]

I paid $1.25 from eBay Works every time for me, the trick is to make sure the disc is completely straight not just close One of my pet hates is using ball ends on loosening and tigthining bolts, that's why there are so many stripped hex heads around.

[@GCPerformance18]

very nice!!! I use the bal ends more for a tighten up and then torque it down with a strait edge

[@_cpdchua]

holy shit that costs 20 bucks??? here in the Philippines it only costs us 350 pesos (roughly 7 bucks)

[@kmmui9671]

If you try China websites they're like

[@PhiyackYuh]

They ain’t slick bra. Nobody will pay 20 bucks for that when you can get them cheap 🤣

[@gearoiddom]

Damn I recently got a touring bike for run-around stuff and it came with these much-vaunted disc brakes. I'm not at all impressed with how finicky they are. I was considering upgrading my 2016 rimbrake roadbike lately but, based on the rim brake experience, decided instead to spend the money on new wheels. Dual pivot rim brakes are so much easier to maintain and even weigh a little less. Even though I don't live in a flat area, I don't actually use my brakes all that much on a ride. I'd consider disc brakes if I lived on the side of an alp but for most of us I don't think they are worth the hassle. Thankfully most tech changes do represent progress, but we have to concede that a certain element of it is just industry marketing.

[@highfived]

This is why I have two rim brake bikes just ride and go no issues

[@technodrone313]

life with adblockers is always better

[@djseitz425]

I use a playing card on each side and it does the same this tool is supposed to do.

[@sappyjohnson]

I use a credit card

[@bradwjensen]

The tool is not even needed... I just do the same thing but without the little tool you have and they're always straight. Just make sure your pads are where u want them before squeezing the brake and then tighten the bolts..

[@SpicyMushroom469]

not true. i never needed this tool using tektro brakes but when i got a new fork and new shimano calipers the old hold the brake lever did not work. when tightening the caliper bolts the whole thing kept moving putting them out of allignment. then i used 2 strips of thin hard plastic and it centered them first time. now ive ordered the tool for a couple bucks for the future

[@Gixer750pilot]

They are not brittle if they bend more than you think . If they were brittle they would break as soon as bent

[@DanTuber]

Brake pads could be worn out or dirty. That will also make the noise.

[@genelegend]

I just use cardboard

[@franks9255]

Disc brakes - a solution in search of a problem.

[@peterago1082]

I have to tell you disc brake aligning is the toughest thing to do, i had a tough time fighting a rub i got my finger caught in between the rotor and i was in the ER room

[@GCPerformance18]

No way!!! I’m so sorry, we had a mechanic a long time ago had the same thing happen. It was ugly.

[@stevensantana8049]

I stick rim brakes big time no complications

[@mbee6606]

Did the same. Ripped my finger nail off 🙁

[@theloveboxquartet]

tip - don't do the final tightening with the ball head

[@venom5809]

I got my first disc brake bike this year and more and more I am thinking bikes should have just stayed with rim brakes, just seem so much simpler.

[@batbawls]

Brazilian guy that I heard in the background is wearing the crocs am I right? lol

[@aaronbean4436]

Hayes makes a similar tool.

[@cadaver1ne635]

You should get the ceramicspeed tool it's only 250 bucks 😂😅😂😂

[@danc1829]

Rim brakes - no daft tools required

[@madrodeo425]

It won't work, basically there's a spot on the rotor that's out. Old trick which is the same like this tool is actually using name card 😅

[@GCPerformance18]

I did it on anotehr stock bike an sl7 and it worked first try but yea ur right

[@madrodeo425]

@@GCPerformance18 unless that tool is on the affected side then it will push the caliber away a little bit if it's on the ok side then nope. Somehow Eye Power will be needed😅

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

I like disc brakes. If I have to listen to your freehub when you free wheel you are going to listen to my brakes rub.

[@GCPerformance18]

lmao

[@leslie7922]

Lol brand new specialized bike $20000 and the brakes rub 😂 is this 2022? Or 1968?

[@Xyz_432-y3d]

Love from india

[@kevinswedlow5546]

Does the same job as a strip of cereal box to add a mm of space to the caliper centering process. Seems like a tiny tweak with the rotor trying fork would be a better repair step. No torque wrench and using the metal Park pad spacer right against the brake pads seem like red flags for this presenter.

[@GCPerformance18]

Yea the idea behind the video was for this product specifically. Not how to fix the issue, the issues can be fixed easily

[@kenntankerous]

I use the name cards of my shady business partners.

[@alexdyke7176]

Theres no need for disks in Florida just take the aero advantage

[@MrCaza7096]

You could literally use any piece of flat metal or aluminum....heck use a dime

[@pepstriebeck1163]

It's hard stuff to watch a "mechanic"trying to align a brake caliper with a warped/bent rotor. It hurts my brain. You cant Center the caliper because there is no center on a warped or bent rotor. The"it's still rubbing on certain spots"remark speaks for itself. Throwing the tool around a few times at the end is weird to watch too.

[@GCPerformance18]

yuh, i aint mekanik

[@pepstriebeck1163]

@@GCPerformance18 great argument Mr.Neanderthal, sir! Keep on fumbling!

[@ramshadramshad4923]

👌👌👍

[@timtaylor9590]

if the tool was thicker it would work better

[@GCPerformance18]

I mean even to this point, its almost the same thing as pushing open the pistons and then trying to adjust it, once I adjust the brake to the tools set desire, and then I remove and squeeze the brake again the pistons are going to reset tot he disc size and have the same rubbing they were having before, its not like you just remove the tool and the pistons stay there more opened, they move in more once the tool is removed

[@swiszdelafuente6555]

I think you're rotor has an issue

[@galenkehler]

Queue up the "I'll just never buy disc brakes" crowd 😄😄😄 To be fair, any tool that relies on the pistons being 100% equal is going to fail. They never will be, nor do they need to for the brake function. You need to align the caliper not the pistons.

[@TheFktk]

A simple business card plays rhe same role of this tool

[@jasonoftheworld6996]

$20!? Cut up an old credit card!

[@stacybean1]

Or you could upgrade to rim brakes and never look back 😂

[@GCPerformance18]

lmfao

[@dominicfree7517]

Another reason not to buy disc breaks! Pain in the area. Rim breaks are the future

[@pinoyxbox]

$20? What?! That’s .50c in my place lol or you could just use a piece of paper for free!!!

[@dsonyay]

20 bucks. Just no. I use a business card. Preferably one from cycle pal

[@GCPerformance18]

hahahah

[@ozgurinsan]

I can confirm that this tool is not working.

[@GCPerformance18]

yes

[@turbo_nerd86]

20 USD??? lol they sell those on ali express for 50 cents a piece hahahaha

[@johnbravo7542]

$20 is way too expensive for this tool.

[@alanngkwanyein]

You can buy the same thing for a dollar.

[@larrymcgoldrick3471]

PSA to never buy disc brake bike. LOL Rim brakes, set up once and never touch again except for shoe replacement once in never. Disc brakes have no place on a road bike, period.

[@OM-sb2bd]

Ride in the rain everyday and you might change your mind.

[@larrymcgoldrick3471]

@@OM-sb2bd No I wouldn't. Potentially far more dangerous in the rain than rim brakes.

[@jack002tuber]

Special tools and skills, expensive parts, maintenance, I do not understand why people like disk brakes. A waste of time and money

[@stevetreinen3342]

I’ve been using the Super B Taiwan made. $6 works great, almost 2 years now

[@mortlow6688]

😂 this Tool can‘t work. Hydr. brakes align the distance to the Disc automatically.