- Disc brakes are here to stay,
and whilst the pads do last quite some time,
they will eventually need replacing,
so today, let's look at exactly how to do it
so when the time comes, it's a nice and simple job.
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Now generally, you're going to want to replace
your disc brake pads when there's about 1 1/2 millimeters
or two business cards' worth of compound left
on the actual backing plate of them.
Admittedly, that is quite difficult
to measure exactly and so precisely,
but for the small cost of a new set of pads,
it's certainly worth erring on the safe side of caution
when it comes to replacing them.
Now something also worth considering here
is the huge variety of different pads
that are available out there.
They come in all different shapes and sizes,
but you do need the correct ones for your caliper.
There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all
when it comes to this, so sometimes you're lucky
and on the back of your pad you will have
a serial number or a part number, but if you don't,
just have a look around online
and try and find the same shape,
and also make sure it matches up with your caliper.
If in doubt, though, go into your local bike shop
and they'll be able to help you out
with that exact pad that's required.
Also, something worth considering, too,
is having a look on the actual rotor itself
and checking if they are designed
for a certain compound of disc brake pad.
If they are, make sure you stick to that
for ultimate braking performance.
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The process of removing and replacing the pads
is actually a pretty simple one, which is great news,
providing you keep on top of your maintenance
as well as using decent tools.
The reason I say this is because the little bolts
that tend to actually keep the pads in place down there,
well, they're open to the elements, of course,
and the actual Allen key heads on them are pretty small,
so when it comes to releasing one,
if you've got a little bit of corrosion
which has happened inside of there,
that can be a real pain in the backside, believe me.
So something I would always recommend
is periodically just remove the actual little bolt
and apply just a dab of grease on there before refitting it,
of course making sure that you avoid the pad
and the rotor in the process.
But a little bit of care here and there
will make the job much easier along the line.
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The first thing we're going to want to do
is to remove the wheel.
Now the same principle applies to both front and rear,
but today, well, we're gonna do the front one.
So simply remove it, and of course it really does help
if actually you use a pair of gloves like this.
That way any natural greases that are actually inside
of the palm of your hand or fingertips
don't contaminate the brake pads or disc rotor,
which of course can lead to the horrible shrieking noise
as well as bad performance.
Now we've got the wheel and the rotor out of the way.
We can actually inspect a lot closer the actual mechanics,
if you like, behind how the pads are attached
inside of the caliper.
So in this case we've got a pin, which is attached
via the caliper here on the inside, and a little hex socket,
which then goes through the pads
and then threads into the opposite side of the caliper.
There's also a tiny little clip on here, too,
which you are going to need to remove.
Of course, not every system is the same, but largely,
as long as you've got everything out of the way,
you can actually inspect and see how it is.
It's very, very logical and very simple in most cases.
So the first thing we're gonna want to do
is actually remove this tiny little clip here.
Helps have a little pair of pliers
so we can just pop that out, and then with our Allen key,
we can simply unscrew in the standard direction
and release the locking pin.
Keep it somewhere safe.
Now depending on the caliper type
depends on the way in which the pads are removed from it.
Whatever you do, do not use force, because you will not need
to use any force at all to remove them.
Check again to make sure there's no springs or little clips
that are holding them in place.
Generally, though, these days, most of them
are nice and simple slide in, slide out methods,
so in the case of these ones here on this SRAM groupset,
I'm gonna get myself some needle-nose pliers,
and I can just slide them backwards and out.
Now the reason I can easily identify
the direction in which to do it
is there is a tiny little lip here on the rear
of the actual backing plate of the pad
which sits against the inside of the caliper.
So it's worth spending just a little bit of time
before you try and force it out in the wrong direction.
And simply, when you've got them out,
well, if they're no good, you can just dispose of them,
but always keep hold of these little springs
if you've got them, because you never know
when you're gonna need them again.
Now that the brake pads are out of the caliper,
what we're going to need to do
is actually push the self-adjusting pistons
back into the caliper itself, the reason being
those pistons have actually been gradually
getting closer and closer to the central line
in order to make up for the lack of compound
that were on the disc brake pads that we've just removed.
So by putting in fresh ones,
of course we need that extra space again,
so grab something like a tire lever
and actually push them back into position
inside of the caliper, like so.
Make sure you don't use anything sharp
which could damage any of the components.
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Fitting the pads is simply the reverse
of the removal process, so first up,
we are going to put the pads into position.
They go in there nice and easy.
And then I'm gonna want to put
that locking pin in place there, too.
Important, of course, to remember not to over-tighten this,
because that could lead to problems further down the line.
If in doubt, do check your manufacturer's manual.
And then the final bit
is a quite often fiddly little clip here.
Now the reason for this is a kind of fail-safe,
so if the pin was to rattle loose somehow,
this little clip does in fact keep it in position,
so don't forget to use it.
And finally, we're going to want to refit the wheel
before giving the brake lever a few pumps to make sure
that the pistons are coming out of the caliper okay
and are actually self-centering with the rotor.
And then before you go out riding,
actually bed those pads into the rotor,
so I would suggest riding down the road a few times,
about 15 miles an hour, and slow as quickly as possible
but without actually locking the brakes on, of course,
then repeating that process a few times,
and then do it just a little bit faster, too,
just to make sure that the pads are all okay.
There we are, new disc brake pads fitted into your calipers.
Now if you've got any suggestions
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And now for another video about disc brakes
and five disc brakes maintenance tips,
how about clicking, well, just down here.