Tips on disc brake pad replacement - Shimano Road Disc maintenance

[@vcflyz]

What a well-produced video tutorial. Really straightforward and thorough. The subtitles make it easy to pause and review what you are looking at. You can't go wrong with that straight-ahead jazz soundtrack driving it forward! Thanks.

[@thomasdemontlivault5647]

The video I'd been looking for. I've always had the impression that my brake pads were unbalanced, I now know how to correct it! Thanks a million

[@sabamacx]

Another way of stopping rubbing is to tighten only one bolt of the caliper, and then move the other side of the caliper until the rubbing goes away, then tighten the remaining bolt.

[@ridesofjapan]

sabamacx excellent tip!

[@adrian.m258]

Two additional tips: 1) Cleaning and lubricating the pistons with Shimano mineral oil before pushing them back is a good preventative measure to avoid sticky pistons caused by dirt being pushed into the seals. You can use Q-tips to apply the lubricant. 2) Make sure to grease the threads of the pad retaining screws to avoid seizing. Do not overtighten them. Even if they get loose during riding, the safety pin will prevent them from falling out. Good alternative: Use bendable pins instead of screws.

[@massimo7506]

this is the best cycling channel on youtube....better than GCN ;)

[@danielday713]

Finally, someone plays some class music. A++

[@diver0795]

Thanks really learnt alot from this video. I may now attempt my first brake pad change !

[@GenuinePluko]

Best video i've seen on this, loads of tips, great quality, and that banging jazz swing soundtrack! A+++++++

[@GenuinePluko]

Oh and the cut up shimano packaging card worked a treat when I installed the new LO3A resin icetech pads earlier 😁

[@monty2078]

Thank you. Just followed these instructions and they worked great.didnt need to replace the pads, just followed your cleaning guide. Good thing as bike shops are closed (covid-19), but, I can go for a solo ride.

Yep, I live in marin county, many hills and as a big guy(255lb) who likes to climbs, the problem is going down. I don't ride my brakes but they still wear out more than the average rider. Nice to be able to change my brakes more often and save time and money going to the shop.

[@donross7820]

PERFECT teaching video! Just what I needed. Thank you!

[@waxedgoat]

Thanks. You really do have excellent and clear how to videos. Thanks

[@MrFedorify]

I recommend leaving the old brake pads in the caliper when reseting the ceramic pistons.

[@IanB17]

This is a great video, plenty of good information & hints / tips for those new to discs. However I don't get why after you've pushed the pistons in & replaced the pads why you get the rub? I cleaned all the caliper, greased the pistons lightly with Shimano mineral oil, popped in some news pads & just expected to pump the lever a bit & it would all be fine. Wrong. Surely if you've retracted the pistons all the way back in they should just self align to the thickness of the new pads when you pump the lever?

[@sdragnut]

Great video, Thank You for posting. Now off to the LBS to get some new pads. Thanks!!

[@bagusla_alhamdulillah]

Nice good job I about to change my break pads.

[@keithwong1423]

Most helpful tips to stop the rubbing

[@Ropetable]

I use a ear swab with mineral oil to clean the side of the pistons before pushing it back in.

[@hewen8199]

Hey, thanks for the great videos. Just want to mention, in case nobody else has, that the subtitles at the bottom don't work well if somebody has to pause to read, because youtube puts the controls over the bottom of the video area. Maybe on a bigger screen it's ok though. Keep up the great vids!

[@ridesofjapan]

He Wen Yeah, ive come to realize this as well after a few people pointed it out. I’ve since moved on from this format. Cheers!

[@StenoStrung]

Adjusting these to get rid of all rubbing can be a true nightmare. Almost reason enough not to use them. I have found that putting a light source through and visually fine adjusting the alignment to be dead center is many times the best solution. The tolerance levels are crazy small. I don't understand why they don't leave a tiny bit more space in there - the break lever could compensate for it...

[@squiresuzuki]

For something more official than a business card there are the "Birzman Clam Disc Brake Gap Tool" and "Hayes Feel'r Gauge"

[@robd2467]

Some great tips - thanks.

[@Dannnyzhukovets]

Thank you very much for the video! Thats exactly what I need!!!

[@jimnyfuchs]

Good job! I do open the reservoir of the brake lever while pushing back the pistons, in order to make them stay plumb in the caliper. Is that unnecessary?

[@ridesofjapan]

jimnyfuchs Thanks! I have not found that necessary for just a pad change. If I feel the levers has become “spongy” I usually open the reservoir and do a proper bleed. But that have not coincided with a pad replacement for me (yet)

[@Freddy_Merckx]

Thank you a lot for that video! Helped me so much!! 😊👍🏼

[@TheDiegoloop]

So… what if that doesn’t work completely? I’m installing ultegra R8070 on my bike and can’t seem to get the caliper centered. With new pads there is obviously even less space for the rotors and every time I tighten the bolts at least one of the pistons is flat against the rotor. I’ve pushed both pistons all the way back and tried and tried with no luck.

[@marven1891]

Awesome, thanks! Managed to change the pads myself after watching this video :-)

[@rosscads]

Brilliantly produced content as always! 👏🏻 Just what I need to service the disc brakes on my gravel bike.

[@ridesofjapan]

Ross Cadogan thanks mate! Much appreciated! 🙏 This video feels a bit old now, I highly suggest you also do the piston cleaning shown In this later video for optimum brake performance! kzbin.info/www/bejne/goqoqZevlN6haaM

[@danroberts007]

Such a good video and excellent music choice. Too bad those brake pads are as rare as hen's teeth! So hard to get these days, but the tutorial is still 5-out-of-5 stars. Thank you!

[@georgefouskitakis6697]

Please, make a video on how to fix sticky road bike disk brake pistons. Can you also explain the reason(s) why (sometimes) pistons do not retract properly?

[@ridesofjapan]

George Fouskitakis kzbin.info/www/bejne/goqoqZevlN6haaM there you go :)

[@kipcrew6163]

So great, thank you!

[@milkouille]

Thanks a lot! How many kilometers did the brake pads had?

[@ridesofjapan]

I think I got around 2000km on these. A lot of descending though.

[@massiveyellow5902]

how do I determine the left and right side? it all depends which way you are looking and standing? no left marking on the pistons!!!!

[@ridesofjapan]

massive yellow as long as you are standing in the direction of the “bike travel” left with be on your left and right will be on you’re right :) (I was confused as well in the beginning, but as long as you remember that it make everything easy 👍)

[@massiveyellow5902]

@@ridesofjapan thanks.....I thought so. the right/left is always associated with your right/left hands as you ride the bike. in any case, the orientation is only for the fined pads as the fins need to be parallel to the bike motion for efficient cooling.

[@Girlymanmanman]

Great video! Keep the content coming mate!

[@squiresuzuki]

Great vids! Have you used the version without fins (K02S), and do you notice any difference in brake fade? Also, have you tried the sintered versions (L04C/K04S), do they last significantly longer than the resin?

[@ridesofjapan]

Andrew Suzuki I have not used the non-finned versions actually, so happy with the performance of these. I’ve used the “metal” ones, don’t remember the model number and they where good up until I had to change them, the new ones squealed like crazy so I eventually gave up and bought the resin pads... that was in the early days on my first disc brake bike, I would probably have done more research today to quiet them down... but been happy with the resin pads since then. The metal ones lasted longer though.

[@blendtecbrah5761]

I have both the finned resin (J02A) and finned metal (J04C) pads and I've never really seen a marked difference between the two. I have the metal pads and XT M8000 calipers on my commuter bike and resin pads and RS785 calipers on my road bike, both have 160mm ICE-Tech rotors. I think the metal pads might be ever-so-slightly more "bitey" but they still have plenty of modulation and don't have any of the on/off feeling that some have noted. I've never really witnessed much difference in raw stopping power, as I can easily lock the wheels up with a single finger on the resin pads. Both are dead silent and easy to bed in. They're both excellent pads, and you can't really go wrong with either, so I'd just buy whichever is cheaper.

[@farhadansari8840]

Very nice, thanks a lot.

[@mdx9286]

It could just be me but it appears your pads were on the incorrect side. The left pad should be on the outside, and the right pad should be on the inside.

[@ridesofjapan]

I think you're right! It original pads must have been inserted the wrong way around! I thought they only fit one way o_O Luckily didn't experience any problem, and at least I managed to install the new pads correctly. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@zach_geale]

I noticed the same thing. I think the reason they are left and right is due to the shape of the cooling fins go ensure air is drawn away efficiently. Shouldn’t have any measurable effect on braking under normal riding :)

[@onilovni1234]

Hey, I'm having a terrible shuddering or shaking noise when I'm braking hard on my Dura-Ace R9170 brakes. The pads are about 50% worn out and I'm confident they aren't contaminated with anything. As for the rotors, they are the Dura ace ones and they appear to be straight. Have you ever had this issue before, and if so, did you find a solution to it? Thanks in advance.

[@jaspreetsidhu5708]

First step clean the rotors with running alcohol try again. Few things loosen the caliper squueze and retighten (your caliper might not be straight with the rotor and its causing issues. If this doesn't work take the pads out you might have uneven wear. Sand the pads down till flat and then do the step above. If that doesn't work look at the pad. Use a fine polishing compound give it a good clean. Then clean with alcohol and repeat step one. Most of these steps should pinpoint the issue.

[@falcoperegrinus82]

On my rear brake, my right pad is much more worn than the left pad. Is this normal?

[@ridesofjapan]

Normally they should wear reasonably evenly. if they are show extremely uneven wear you might have a sticky piston and(or) because of that might not had have the caliper centered.

[@falcoperegrinus82]

@@ridesofjapan Thanks!

[@brianswan3559]

Very interesting.

[@georgefouskitakis6697]

Hi, at 1'.03'', by the time instant you remove the old pads, it seems that you remove from the left side the right pad. What is going on? Thanks, George.

[@ridesofjapan]

George Fouskitakis yes those are the wrong way around. The video is pretty old and I don’t remember if I did any extra takes (video takes) and put them back reversed... or if simply rode with them the wrong way.

[@chrlmn7372]

Hello sir! Very good YT Video with valuable tips and high quality video recording too! Much appreciated! Big and warm THANK to you for publishing your excellent YT Videos here! Wishing you a very good start for this new cycling year 2018 with safe rides and happy moments during your rides! All the Best wishes to you sir from Sweden :-)

[@ridesofjapan]

Charl Mlln tusen tack!

[@rickreynolds186]

Nice!

[@bosco2814]

I don’t own a disc brake bike but I stil watch the whole video lol

[@gdfggggg]

How do you know which is left and right on the pads in relation to the caliper? I mean, some callipers are fixed on the bottom or top and some are back or front facing so left or right is meaningless. Is there no way of telling which way to insert the in relation to the actual caliper? Many thanks

[@ridesofjapan]

I was confused about this as well at first, but they are actually facing the same direction. So if you stand in the direction of the bike, the left pad will be on your left side on both front and back.

[@gdfggggg]

@@ridesofjapan yes, thanks. I worked that out in the end, the calipers are installed the same way. Cheers

[@blendtecbrah5761]

I thought thru axles were supposed to (amongst other things) made disc rub a thing of the past?

[@ridesofjapan]

blendtecBrah the thru axle will prevent the wheel from moving under heavy breaking, but you still need to set up the brakes correctly from the start... that haven’t changed no matter what the axel standard you use.... unfortunately 😅

[@azza5839]

But then as soon as you go outside on the road and brake then the pads rub against the disc! Absolute nightmare

[@Dardjiskien]

👌thanks!

[@wangdangdoodie]

Why would you stick with Shimano pads? Much better after market alternatives available.

[@ΔημητρηςΜ-ρ5ο]

Very nice 👌👌

[@tomahoks]

I like your videos better now since you talk.

[@brettdalpozzo8363]

Please don’t use degreaser anywhere near disc brakes. Isopropyl or brake cleaner.

[@cesarjom]

1:38 "bit of degreaser on a rag is enough" Please DO NOT USE DEGREASER anywhere near your disc brake system. This will contaminate the entire pad/disc/pistons and cause permanent damage!!! Only use alcohol to clean and wipe down the brake system.

[@pl.sargento]

Thank you, very helpful video!