How long does disc brake pads last?

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TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12456
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

ghostinthemachine wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:38 pm
TobinHatesYou wrote:
Tue Aug 02, 2022 5:44 am
Anyone getting 1250mi or lower out of sintered brake pads in dryish conditions needs to learn how to ride a bike.
I'm getting not far off that sort of mileage out of soft compound pads in wet conditions, on an MTB. About 1500 km, give or take.

Road disc pads I'm usually replacing because it seems like a good idea at the time or just before a big block of training/racing. Usually mid season/~8000km. The "worn" pads usually are good for emergency spares still. i.e. I'd still happily put them back in for a couple of months light training use locally.

Personally, my discs get swapped when i fancy a change of colour.😊

In that reply chain we’re talking specifically about road applications.

ghostinthemachine
Posts: 780
Joined: Thu May 07, 2015 9:18 pm

by ghostinthemachine

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Fri Aug 05, 2022 5:56 pm
In that reply chain we’re talking specifically about road applications.
Yes, and 1250 miles per pad change is MTB levels of wear, certainly not road.

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bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

My data point for SRAM Force AXS stock pads (resin) is 370 miles. My first ride on this bike was Jan 11, and I had to use a different bike today because I discovered the pads were shot (flush with springs) on washing the bike yesterday. In that time I've been riding on gritty, wet roads, typical of the UK at this time of year, but nothing extreme and not overly hilly either. I I knew resin pads didn't last long in adverse conditions, but I'm still surprised that I got less than 3 weeks out of them.

I thought resin pads were supposed to be quiet? These sure weren't and honked to an embarrassing level almost every time I came to a stop. Yes, I did bed them in, and after a few rides I cleaned everything with isopropyl alochol and give the pads and rotors a scrub, which quietened them briefly, but as soon as moisture got in, they again squealed and honked like a farm yard animal. That's not to mention the scraping, metallic noises that frequently occurred just riding along as they picked up grit from the damp and dirty roads. (I am guessing this is what causes them to wear so quickly)

Anyway, as a stop gap, I've bought some cheap semi-metallic pads from Amazon, but for quality pads for these type of conditions, am I right in thinking the Swissstop E compound is the one to get? I am also confused about which size to get, as the stock pads are the Disc 26 shape, but the docs say that Disc 35 is the right one for Force AXS. Are these actually interchangeable?

Any other recommendations for pads or compounds that last in winter and are not too noisy?

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12456
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

SRAM resin pads wear pretty fast in my experience. The only pads I’ve used that stay quiet in wet conditions are SwissStop RS pads, but they also don’t last very long. Disc E is definitely the way to go, but will honk in the rain.

The Disc 35 shape is technically the correct shape but the other pads will work too.

ooo
Posts: 1590
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 12:59 pm

by ooo

bobones wrote:
Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:36 pm
I thought resin pads were supposed to be quiet? These sure weren't and honked to an embarrassing level almost every time I came to a stop. Yes, I did bed them in, and after a few rides I cleaned everything with isopropyl alochol and give the pads and rotors a scrub, which quietened them briefly, but as soon as moisture got in, they again squealed and honked like a farm yard animal. That's not to mention the scraping, metallic noises that frequently occurred just riding along as they picked up grit from the damp and dirty roads. (I am guessing this is what causes them to wear so quickly)

Any other recommendations for pads or compounds that last in winter and are not too noisy?
May be you need to face flatmount?
'

bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:57 am
SRAM resin pads wear pretty fast in my experience. The only pads I’ve used that stay quiet in wet conditions are SwissStop RS pads, but they also don’t last very long. Disc E is definitely the way to go, but will honk in the rain.

The Disc 35 shape is technically the correct shape but the other pads will work too.
Thanks. I'll give the E 35s a go once I've worn through these cheap Amazon jobs, which actually seem to be a lot quieter than the stock SRAM ones.

bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

ooo wrote:
Mon Jan 30, 2023 7:15 am
May be you need to face flatmount?
I wouldn't have thought so: the frame seems well made and finished generally, and it's fairly easy to get the pads and rotors aligned. The scraping noises are due to grit picked up in the damp conditions and the honking also seems strongly correlated with damp/wet pads and rotors. I am hopeful that different pads will be less noisy.
Has anyone had success with ceramic grease (e.g.
Mintex Ceratec
) or copperslip on the back of the pads or spray treaments like Swissstop Brake Silencer?

wilwil
Posts: 694
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:47 pm

by wilwil

About 2500 miles mainly winter riding. Set of Campanolo pads front and back cost £64.00. Roughly the same price as an H + Son Archytype rim on my winter wheels. I reckon before the winters over I might need another set. I thought it was crazy having to replace the the rear rim every winter but maybe it wasnt. A lot less aggravation than discs too. I did have a dud caliper though that was replaced under warranty.

bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

Just back from a short ride with the new pads, and they're silent! It wasn't hissing down, but the roads were damp, and there was no honking. Even the gritty, scraping noises were absent. Stopping power and modulation were good (not that I'm an expert on the finer apsects of braking). Obviously, it's far too early to say anything about durability, but given how cheap these were (£10 for 2 sets delivered), I'll be happy if I get a month or two out of them in winter. Just shows how bad those stock SRAM pads were.

bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

Oh well, I spoke too soon. Brakes were back to honking/squealing during this morning's wet ride. If I dragged the brakes for a few seconds, they'd quieten down, but that initial pull is very noisy. On these rides, I am really only braking for corners and stops, no prolonged descents, so not enough time for them to go silent on their own, and every pull is noisy. It's a pita and almost embarrassing to be honest, but from what I understand, it's the norm for discs in the wet (apart from perhaps Swissstop RS pads which are not durable/economical for winter use). I will try putting some ceramic grease or copperlslip on the back of the pads as per this article from November Bicycles. If that doesn't work, I'll try the Swissstop Brake Silencer. Does anyone have the secret for quiet, durable and economical disc braking in the wet?

ooo
Posts: 1590
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 12:59 pm

by ooo

is it front or rear noise?
do you have any pictures of weared pads?
can you record video with noise?
I still think facing flatmount is a good idea on ANY frame/fork
'

bobones
Posts: 1271
Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:19 am

by bobones

ooo wrote:
Tue Jan 31, 2023 2:13 pm
is it front or rear noise?
do you have any pictures of weared pads?
can you record video with noise?
I still think facing flatmount is a good idea on ANY frame/fork
Both front and rear. I threw out the worn stock pads, so no pictures of these. The other pads are new, and I thoroughly cleaned the rotors with solvent before installing them. I was careful to go through a bedding in process, and they seemed to be quiet on the first ride yesterday. However, this morning (cold, wet, windy and miserable as usual ), they were making noise from the outset, but as I said, they go silent if I dry the pad/rotor surfaces by dragging the brakes for a few seconds. It's kind of like the noise of a wet squeegee on a window or car wipers on a drying windscreen,and it feels like vibration due to the moisture. I am very curious as to whether the grease or spray solutions will have any effect.

I'll stick on my GoPro next time I'm out in daylight to record the action.

I understand what you're saying about facing the flat mounts, but that's got to be a last resort (other than selling the whole damned bike!) given the time and expense involved.

If there's anyone out there, who regularly rides in cold, wet weather, and has quiet(ish) disc brakes using reasonably economical pads and rotors, please tell me how you do it.

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