How To Remove A Stuck Shimano Pad Axle Brake Pin

The Shimano disc brake calliper Shimano does have one fundamental flaw, the Pad Axle, or brake pad pin. It seizes into the calliper, is as soft as butter, and is easy to round off. Which means you can’t replace the pads, and the bike is unusable.
In this video, I show you how to remove a seized pad Axle from a Shimano brake calliper.
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Website Links, Affiliate links, and or products/tools in this video
Some product links are affiliate links, which means if you buy something, I’ll receive a small commission.
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🔧*To do this job, you’ll need the following tools: *🔧
A 4MM hex key (Allen key)
A T30 Torx Wrench
An 8MM spanner
Pliers, or a vice
Some brake cleaner, and a cloth
Crankalicious Rotorissimo brake cleaner:
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Copper Grease:
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📦 Prestacycle Pro T-Handle Ratchet: ➡️ - 10% Discount Code ‘ribblevalley2024’ 💰
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🎦 Follow Up Videos 🎦
How To Bleed Your Shimano Brake System:
• How To Bleed Shimano R...
How To Align Your Disc Brake Calliper:
• How To Stop Disc Brake...
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About Ribble Valley Cyclist:
I am a regular road cyclist based in the North West of England. I have been a cyclist my whole life, and try to get out every day. The purpose of my KZbin channel is to share the knowledge I’ve built up in my 40 years as a cyclist.
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[@gerardcummins4595]

Watching your channel lately as I crashed my bike (snapped fork all internal cables ) and the parts were so expensive decided I repair it myself. Another issue was the calliper axel seized, bang! out comes this video comes! You do very good instructional vids, you should be a teacher, very natural

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Thanks....... You should see the out-takes 🤣 Good luck with that repair 👍

[@Countrystock]

Been meaning to add copper grease to my axles for a while.......just done it after watching this. Thank you

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Good to hear 👍

[@antonyharris130]

Hiya Jon,fantastic video both in quality and content,even a basic home mechanic can follow the tutorials you make and upload,i'm already looking forward to the next one.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Thanks Antony. Just uploaded my latest!

[@TheNeelonRokk]

I changed the flathead axle bolts to the mtb ones with hex heads. Also yes, cleaning and some copper grease helps.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Copper grease will help, agreed.

[@philPJS]

@@TheNeelonRokk Not necessarily MTB, the hex heads are on all Shimano brake sets

[@TheNeelonRokk]

@@philPJS Not on the 2 bikes I have with 7020 105, those were flatheads (one bike 5 years ago, swapped that one for the current one 3 years ago).

[@philPJS]

@@TheNeelonRokk the hex heads came in on all Shimano about 18 months- 2 yearsago

[@LakeDistrictcyclist]

Nice to see your back mate 😊

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Been so busy with life outside the channel, really struggling to find the time!

[@denis_roy_7]

Merci!

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Merci!, Denis. I will treat myself to a coffee on the next ride ☕️👍

[@denis_roy_7]

@@ribblevalleycyclist Good ride!

[@alex.pozgaj]

Wonderful, thank you! Exactly what I needed.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

You’re welcome 👍

[@simonwoodthrillerwriter]

Good to see you're back. You're the 3rd person in as many weeks to mention this issue. Supposedly, Shimano have replaced this screw with a hex/allen head screw for Ultegra/Dura Ace. Don't know for sure but I was going to check this out.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Good to be back. Been so busy with life outside the channel, really struggling to find the time! I suspect the hex idea won't solve the issue, as the sidewall of the hex is thin, so will easily flex and round off. I think Shimano just need to put a little something on the thread.

[@simonwoodthrillerwriter]

@@ribblevalleycyclist Very true. Not seen the change myself. It'll be interesting to see what Shimano do. I liked the tip about copperslip. I always put anti-seize compounds to prevent issues like this. Dad raised me right. 🙂

[@philPJS]

And it's also worth noting that the new brake pad pins are hex head which is a big improvement !!

[@ronniebiggs4026]

A very good detailed video and explanation thanks.Although I haven’t had this issue when I took my pads out the other day as I was cleaning the piston surrounds with a few cotton buds I thought to myself how does the fluid get across to the other side of the…..And now I know cheers

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Glad it helped!

[@aveedub7403]

Hi Jon, excellent video as usual, before your video i started replacing all these pad axles with titanium hex headed versions. Probably will put a very small anount of copper grease on them to stop any thread corrosion.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

The titanium idea is a good way to go, but very expensive. Saying that though, the coloured ones do look very cool!

[@_slowpoke]

I use swissstop pads and pin with a little bit of copper paste plus regular cleaning is a must

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Agreed. The trick with the pad axle is to pop a blob of something on there before it gets a chance to corrode.

[@petersmith2137]

I drilled mine out, and replaced them with split pins, which work fine.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

The split pin is a good alternative.

[@tomhilbi80]

Awesome hint and perfectly described .. thanks 😎

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

My pleasure 😊

[@sbccbc7471]

Ever since I knew about this issue, I started to apply a little bit of anti-seize on the threads. I did this on one of my customers' bike ever since he got it new and by the time it's handed to me for its first full service, they can be loosened just fine. Not a single seized bolt on this bike. 👌

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Imagine how easy life would be if Shimano did what you did!!!!!

[@Tntdruid]

Never had any problems whit my Shimano XTR, use some coppergrease nex time 👍

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Worth doing.

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Excellent video

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Glad you liked it

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

@@ribblevalleycyclist Saw a guy on FB post this exact issue. Fortunately I believe the newer 105 calipers now come with a decent hex head bolt.

[@Ali_Kurt]

Thank you!

[@razorree]

I was so surprised when I saw that slotted bolt on Ultegra 8070 ! on MTB it was always a small hex bolt (on XT), on Ultegra BR-R8170 it's a hex bolt as well.

[@WowRixter]

Well done

[@CharlieEdwards-sf8pg]

Brilliant tip - just 3 months late for me! Spent 4 hours drilling out the axle pin with a Dremmel. Had to sacrifice the threads which are at the head end so now just use the split pin which comes with the pads. I guess this pin is the better choice anyway to avoid the same issue?

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

There is nothing wrong with using a split pin, MTB has been that way for years.

[@vlahovicsamira7084]

Thanks for your nice tutorial. Regarding thé copper grease, manufacturers are putting loctite on the screws. How do you handle with that?

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Remove the old thread lock from the thread with a wire brush, and either re-apply (If thats what you'd like), or apply copper grease).

[@ruudjanssen14]

Indeed copper grease will prevent seizing but it is sometimes hard to clean of areas you don't want to grease. Therefore I use an even better ant-seize grease then copper grease which is called marine grease like Lanocote.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Thanks for the tip, I'll look it up.

[@Bikey_McBeardface]

I just used some pin nosed pliers and shoved the tips between the spring and the pad and grabbed the axle that way.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

You can sometimes grab it from either the back, or the middle, if you're lucky!

[@chrisrice983]

Great video, thanks, but where can I get spares for the calliper? I.e. the o rings, piston seal rings etc. Thanks.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Hi Chris, Glad you liked the video. Getting spares isn't easy, but you can get them on eBay. The bags of spares I show in this video came from eBay. My advice is to double-check what you're buying by measuring the existing ones with a digital calliper, and comparing them to the ones being offered, as they tend to include measurements.

[@chrisrice983]

Thank you for replying 👍🏼I will check eBay, thanks again.

[@SimonSimms-g6l]

Great video thanks. If this ever happens and you do get it out. Do yourself a favour and replace it with a split pin.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

To be honest, many shops do exactly that.

[@stevebarnes9345]

..." 2 , to get on your nerves ".... you make me laugh out loud!!!!

[@owenmalkin3967]

Change the screw head with the hex head. Copper slip on the thread

[@Gooliverr]

I'm really curious what must've gone through shimano engineers' heads when instead of using a hex bolt or even plain ol' pin, they decided to use the least convenient and damage-prone head type

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Yeah, pretty stupid stuff. Disappointing performance for what is normally a very good company.

[@bertplate403]

Impressive video. Can the pistons be replaced?. To prevent the seizing I use grease and a different screw. Shimano Y-8JZ98010 has an allen key head which handles more torque. That is 2,5 mm longer but that doesn't matter. I have refitted all my roadbikes with that screw.

[@aperfectcircle63]

Sometimes, the pin is done up way too tight. It's never going to come out as long as the spring clip is on the end, so it barely needs nipping up. Copper slip on threads is always a good idea.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Replacing it with a split pin is also an option, just looks a bit rubbish.

[@maartenderuiter2480]

The video seemed perfect to me but unfortunately the bolt snapped. And yes I was turning it the right way ;-) So I have to drill it out I am affraid....

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

That was a bit unlucky. At that point, I think I'd be looking at the second hand market.

[@peterlewis2255]

Any tips for removing the little clip on the back of that pin without it pinging off into oblivion? And where to get replacement clips?

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Good question. Personally, I use a very good quality set of long-nosed pliers. Cheap ones bend at the tip, but good quality expensive ones hold their line....... and the clip. The green handled set you see me use in my videos must be 30 years old, and they're still going strong! The Shimano pad axle uses a 90º R-clip, that isn't too difficult to deal with or replace (eBay). SRAM and Wheeltop however use a very small thin E-Clip which is loaded with a great deal of sprung tension, and has managed to outdo even my perfect pliers on several occasions! Once you know what they're called, you can easily buy replacements on the non-cycling market, just measure the diameter of the pad axle to work out what size you need. Another alternative is to replace the pad axle and clip with that is known as a Cotter Pin, a simple solution, but doesn't look as tidy.

[@davidwomack8090]

Can you be careful enough taking the cable off to not have to bleed the brakes ? I took my bike to a lbs for a bearings check, but I rounded the screw off thinking I'd just clean the brake pads, so asked them if they knew how to get this screw out and the screw came backing looking worse for wear and was told it would have to be a new one ! The pads are fine for now, but having seen this video will be emailing the shop as i had the brakes bled ?

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Hi David, You would not be able to complete the process shown in this video, without having to then bleed the system. This is because there is a large amount of hydraulic fluid within the calliper itself, which would be lost when you split it open.

[@davidwomack8090]

@@ribblevalleycyclist damn, thanks

[@dogbreath6974]

I have Shimano SLX calipers which have a split pin in them, I'm curious should they have a screw in them, as they have a screw thread on one side. I bought the bike second hand it's about 9 years old.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Every Shimano SLX calliper I've seen has a screw....... not sure about the older ones, though. A quick Google Image search will verify that. Saying that though, there is nothing wrong with using a split pin, many people do, either as a precautionary thing, or because of a previous problem. Don't feel you have to change back to a screw.

[@hockysa]

Yeah I threw those pins out and replaced it with a hex bolt.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Good idea.

[@shahedsaffari365]

I did this with my sram rivals and sadly nothing… the axel still holds it all together any idea from here? I’m close to buying new caliper :(

[@forsterdavid2]

A dremell and a flat head screwdriver saved all the bother. Cheers tho. 👍

[@gamiepo]

Same here, dremmel, a Large Screwdriver 🪛 and a lot of swearing

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Agreed, in some cases, the Dremel can work very well. The trouble with the Shimano road calliper is that you ideally want to cut the new slot into the same place as the old one, and depending on where the screw was sat when it got stuck, may mean you end up cutting into the side of the calliper. Additionally, you need to own a Dremel, which costs £50.... so not many people have one...... and the copy ones have no torque, so are useless. Everyone has the tools in this video.

[@garyputtock4159]

I found the bolt had seized the day before I was travelling to Mallorca and pads were down to nothing. Luckily I had a spare calliper. Crap design and material choice from Shimano. I bought some aftermarket ti bolts 😂

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

The titanium idea is a good way to go, but very expensive. Saying that though, the coloured ones do look very cool!

[@darrenhitchcox6345]

How ironic that I had a caliper with the very same issue yesterday. I was lucky and with a bit of weight in the screw (I am 18st), it gave in and came away. The world order has now resumed - lol

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

Sounds like you dodged a nightmare....... Go get that grease!!!!!

[@DAZLIN6]

I swap my pad bolts for split pins..... no more issues

[@protocolsoftheridersofdurian]

"...which means that you will then need to bleed the system..." Let me stop you there, I'm out.

[@lesbois53]

Strewth! I think I’ll go back to rim brakes!

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

There is weight to that argument!!

[@dh7314]

Nope, never

[@lesbois53]

@@dh7314 I got no choice mate. I have 22 bikes. 21 of them have rim brakes! I ride them all. Only one has discs. Simples.

[@johnboxxy3432]

Interesting video. It seems dumb to put a slotted head rather than a hex head on the pin. A cynical person might think it was designed that way to sell lots of calipers.

[@johnnewington6635]

Good video for the removal of the flawed Aluminium OEM design pan retaining pin. Unfortunately my understanding is you are not completely correct with your explanation on the cause. My belief the pin is made with the base metal of aluminium. Although, if you ride in wet or where salt is applied to the roads, (so that’s realistically everyone riding all year round in the UK), the aluminium pin will likely corrode, then the aluminium slot head can fail before enough force can be applied to remove the pin. My more simpler home mechanic solution is just drill out the pin in situ and upgrade your bike by fitting split pins. I much more reliable and maintenance friendly solution. A accept this simpler solution will not be for everybody, but having used disc brakes on my MTB for many years, I like the simplicity and reliability or split pins.

[@ribblevalleycyclist]

I'll be honest with you, John, I put this issue down to galvanic corrosion, as the calliper body is an alloy, and such a technically advanced organisation such as Shimano wouldn't be so incompetent as to put an alloy based bolt, into an alloy based component. I've just put a magnet on that pad axle, and it turns out they are that incompetent, and you're right. Also, the one in the video was neither rounded off accidentally, nor seized, I went with what I had, and rounded it off myself, as I felt a resolution needed sharing!!!!!! Additionally, I agree with you on the split pin method, it is technically better. However, the average 'Rodie' won't take kindly to it, and will see it as a 'Bodge'........ Even though it's been the method in MTB since the dawn of disc.

[@johnnewington6635]

Thanks, professional reply:- The material spec of this slot headed pad retaining pin is good business for Shimano, (and bike shops). As this aluminium slot headed brake pad retaining pin will be prone to part seizing in place in real world riding conditions and the slot head failing trying to remove. An aluminium slot head will be a little more robust than as you say butter, but not by much. LOL.