Brake pad / rotor question

[wkkie]

Is it necessary to clean rotors when changing pads from one compound to another? Say from a metallic pad to a resin or Kevlar pad?

Can it cause any damage to the pads or rotor?

 

[Flow-Rider]

It's good to give the rotor a roughen up with sand paper then clean it off with some metho.. It helps the bedding in process of the pads more than anything.

 

[moorey]

I never do unless I suspect contamination. And never sandpaper them

 

[wkkie]

I never do unless I suspect contamination. And never sandpaper them

Even with different compounds?

 

[moorey]

Yep. Makes no difference I’ve ever noticed. Occasionally slip metal in. Usually resin all round.

 

[Oddjob]

Always clean rotors after you do anything to brakes just in case you've touched them with oily fingers. Isopropyl alcohol is best.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[moorey]

Or just don’t touch them. I’m assuming Wkkie isn’t as hamfisted as the gorilla he resembles?

But yes, if touched, clean them. I used to use isopropyl, and acetone. Only ever use metho these days, and works as well.

 

[wkkie]

Gorilla ey..... I'm flattered!

I'll always keep my grubby miss away from braking surfaces on pads and rotors, and usually if I think there's an issue I'll hit the rotors with isopropyl.

This question came more from laziness as I'm looking to swap wheels from metallic xt pads on the hardtail to the Uberbike race-matrix pads (which are some kind of magical concoction) on the Zees that are on the dually.

 

[teK--]

Definitely clean with alcohol but never sand. By sanding you are creating micro scratches which cause an uneven braking surface.

 

[pink poodle]

Talk about fussy. I don't clean them. I even touch them occasionally when I'm playing with the bike. A partial finger print hasn't hurt yet.

I do avoid spilling noticeable amounts goo on tthem. When it happens I cry for a bit and then put on a new rotor. I used a commercial brake cleaner once and the result was ok. I also used metho once and it didn't really help.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Definitely clean with alcohol but never sand. By sanding you are creating micro scratches which cause an uneven braking surface.

Why do you think there is a coarse finish on brand new rotors ?

 

[link1896]

Metho is for drinking when you're down on your luck and sweet fuck all else.

Use shellite. It dissolves grease like a mofo. Wear gloves, use in a well ventilated area, breathing it in isn't nice. You can buy it at bunnings.

 

[ozzybmx]

Never cleaned a rotor in my life... rubbed a bit of rust off my fatbike rotors (riding on the beach with seawater) on a few occasions but that was on the rotor support arms, I've never touched the ring that the pad contacts with.

 

[moorey]

Metho is for drinking when you're down on your luck and sweet fuck all else.

Use shellite. It dissolves grease like a mofo. Wear gloves, use in a well ventilated area, breathing it in isn't nice. You can buy it at bunnings.

Never ever shellite. Leaves an oily residue.

 

[Flow-Rider]

I wouldn't use a flexi hone on MTB rotors but nothing new with disc brakes. I worked on disc brakes long before they were even thought about being used on MTBs.

http://www.flexhoneblog.com/2012/02/flex-hone-for-motorcycle-brake-rotors.html

 

[moorey]

Yes, but what fucks Mtb braking, barely effects a car. My Landy used to leak oil right onto one rotor....didn’t effect performance at all.

 

[link1896]

Never ever shellite. Leaves an oily residue.

Contaminated or bad batch I'm guessing. It's my go to in the workshop, and for optics and glass at work. Sometimes it will leave a faint white residue, but never oily. If you leave the lid off the container long, the xylene, which does all the cleaning, evaporates.

Calling redbruce our chemist. I think it's xylene, whatever it is, it's a shiz for cleaning.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Yes, but what fucks Mtb braking, barely effects a car. My Landy used to leak oil right onto one rotor....didn’t effect performance at all.

I bet if it went fast enough you would have, nothing unusual to deglaze rotors and pads between races in a race car.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Contaminated or bad batch I'm guessing. It's my go to in the workshop, and for optics and glass at work. Sometimes it will leave a faint white residue, but never oily. If you leave the lid off the container long, the xylene, which does all the cleaning, evaporates.

Calling redbruce our chemist. I think it's xylene, whatever it is, it's a shiz for cleaning.

Ciggy lighter fluid R55

 

[ChrisJC]

Talk about fussy. I don't clean them. I even touch them occasionally when I'm playing with the bike. A partial finger print hasn't hurt yet.
.

Your braking performance would likely be decreased by half a poofteenth! I hope you allow for that as you charge into that -30% hairpin and pull a stoppie to get around it!