Disc Brake Spacer How To Use

Keep disc brakes spinning free of noise — Keep disc brakes spinning complimentary of noise

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

The disc rotor and pads are highly sensitive to oil contamination. Keep them clean and they will love you for it

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

A well-stocked workshop will have bleed kits, hose-cutting tools and even frame-facing tools; although most home mechanics can get by with much less — A well-stocked workshop will have drain kits, hose-cutting tools and even frame-facing tools; although most home mechanics tin get by with much less

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Be very careful when using aerosol lubes and polishes on your bike, these can very easily ruin a set of brake pads — Exist very careful when using droplets lubes and polishes on your bike, these can very easily ruin a set of brake pads

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

While disc brake cleaners exist and work well, store-bought Isopropyl alcohol (on the left) is a good thing around disc brakes — While disc brake cleaners exist and work well, shop-bought Isopropyl booze (on the left) is a practiced thing effectually disc brakes

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

A rotor truing fork is a basic slotted piece of metal to help with the annoying scrape of a bent (or warped) rotor. A clean adjustable spanner works in a pinch too — A rotor truing fork is a bones slotted piece of metal to help with the annoying scrape of a bent (or warped) rotor. A clean adjustable spanner works in a pinch too

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

A brake piston press pushes the pistons back into the caliper bores. The plastic pad spacers that come with most bikes and brakes work just as well, and are very useful when transporting your bike without a wheel in place — A brake piston press pushes the pistons back into the caliper bores. The plastic pad spacers that come with almost bikes and brakes work just too, and are very useful when transporting your bike without a cycle in place

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Paper towel. It's something I keep in easy reach for disc brakes as I know it's clean and free of lint — Paper towel. It'south something I keep in easy reach for disc brakes equally I know it's clean and gratuitous of lint

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Okay, so this one may be a little over the top, but lightly contaminated pads can often be cured with a small blow torch (works with crème brûlée too) — Okay, and so this one may be a piffling over the top, but lightly contaminated pads can often be cured with a minor accident torch (works with crème brûlée too)

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Emery cloth or sandpaper is useful to clean brake pad surfaces, removing glazing and other contaminants

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Sometimes brakes refuse to centre themselves. In these cases, some business cards or a feeler gauge tucked between the rotor and pads may do the trick — Sometimes brakes refuse to centre themselves. In these cases, some business concern cards or a feeler gauge tucked between the rotor and pads may do the play tricks

*David Rome / Immediate Media*

Disc brakes are fantastic, but when incorrectly set up or desperately maintained they tin can likewise evidence to be a purple pain. Thankfully, most disc-related problems are normally quick and piece of cake to sort out. There are, however, enough of tools and tricks that can help bring peace to problematic discs.

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In the past, these tips and tools were specific to mount bikers, but are at present but as relevant to road disc users and cyclocross riders too.

Exist very conscientious when using droplets lubes around your brakes, information technology'south easy to do wrong here

David Rome / Immediate Media

Modernistic disc brakes are reliable and durable components, but the fundamental to keeping them working right is cleanliness. Disc brakes hate oil — all forms of information technology — even the natural oil on your skin is plenty to upset braking operation.

With this in heed, don't use aerosol sprays virtually your brakes, don't bear upon the rotors with your bare hands, always use perfectly make clean rags and exist careful how you wash your bicycle.

Beyond haemorrhage (specific to your restriction make), hose-cutting and mountain-facing tools (which tend to exist shop-only due to their expense), hither are a handful of items and tools that shops use to go on discs braking.

Clean rags/paper towel

An old clean T-shirt, towel or similar will work fine here, but really, you just need to ensure that whatever yous use is lint-gratis. Nosotros go on a roll of paper towel handy for brakes, which means there'south no uncertainty about whether it's clean or not.

Disc restriction cleaner

There are many bicycle-specific aerosol disc brake cleaners on the market place and most are very effective, if not a little as well powerful. The idea of a brake cleaner is to cut the grime, grease and oil without leaving backside whatsoever residue.

The bottle on the left (filled with Isopropyl alcohol) gets a workout on almost disc brake repairs

David Rome / Firsthand Media

Isopropyl alcohol is an alternative that you can purchase from pharmacies or supermarkets. This popular antiseptic is the perfect safe cleaner for disc brakes. I utilise mine in a cheap universal spray canteen with a mist setting.

No, information technology's not every bit hardcore at cutting through the grime, simply the fact that it won't dry out out the delicate piston seals is why almost brake manufacturers recommend it.

Pad setting spacer

A pad spacer specific to your brakes is very handy to keep around

David Rome / Immediate Media

This is needed for travelling without your wheels in place, but a pad spacer is as well perfect for re-setting the brake pads before adjusting them, or after an adventitious clasp of the lever with the bike out.

Many tool brands practice offer a workshop version of this, chosen a piston press. They are useful in a shop, but realistically don't achieve more than what tin can exist achieved with the free plastic version.

These plastic pad spacers will often come with your cycle or brakes, but politely asking your local store mechanic should become yous ane too.

Rotor truing fork

Brake rotors can get slightly out of true, enough to rub the pads in ane spot. This is fixed by bending them back inline, merely be very gentle

David Rome / Immediate Media

Information technology's common for disc brake rotors to warp slightly, whether that's through bicycle transportation or excessive rut. An inconsistent rub, 'ping' or 'shing' on every wheel revolution is often a giveaway that things could be straighter.

Rotor truing forks are simple, just a slotted piece of metal that you slide onto the rotor for fragile angle leverage. Cheaper options include a well-cleaned adjustable wrench or even your thumbs when used with a clean rag.

Calliper centring helpers

Old business cards or feeler gauges tin exist handy for stubborn calipers

David Rome / Firsthand Media

Well-nigh brakes adjust by only squeezing the brake lever, and so tightening the caliper bolts evenly. But sometimes tolerances are tight and pistons don't pull evenly. In such cases, effort sticking something betwixt the pads and rotor to assist create a counterbalanced gap and then retry the normal prepare technique.

Quondam business cards piece of work a treat here — they are a good thickness and the paper shows when they are dirty. A set of automotive feeler gauges is some other pop selection, allowing you to observe an advisable thickness. I use the Hayes pad and rotor alignment tool, with its feeler-judge prongs pre-aligned to slide over the rotor.

These simple tools aren't e'er a perfect solution to centring a fussy caliper, but sometimes they're merely the fox.

Soft light torch

Okay, this isn't a common 1 among mechanics. Merely if you're struggling to run across between the restriction pads for the crusade of the rubbing, shining a depression brightness torch (a cheap one) through the back of caliper will highlight your trouble.

A more common option is to utilize a white piece of paper placed on the other side of the caliper to which you're looking — this light, plain background is often plenty to spot what's wrong.

Emery fabric (sandpaper)

Over time, restriction pads (and rotors) can glaze over, and brake functioning will suffer. A quick fix is to remove the pads and lightly rub them across clean sandpaper. You don't want as well fine a grit — a grit of 120 or beneath will exercise the chore well. I cut fiddling pieces as I need them, that way the remainder of the canvas stays clean.

Accident Torch

Although non a perfect solution, sometimes a little excessive rut is needed — it works for crème brûlée too!

David Rome / Immediate Media

A blow torch comes with an chemical element of danger, but it is a viable pick for bringing some life dorsum into lightly contaminated brake pads (in conjunction with sandpaper).

If you've poured oil or grease on the pads, but give up, this is for pads that still offering some bite but are perhaps squealing or lacking 100 per centum power. But be very careful and don't burn the house down!

Some other serious precaution is that excessive estrus like this may weaken the bond between the brake pad surface and backing plate — so certainly don't bake it to a glowing red and, if in doubt, replace the pads.

If burning and sanding the pads doesn't work, it's time to get new brake pads and ensure your rotors are beyond clean (in rare cases, you'll need to change these too).