How do the pro mechanics deal with centerlock rotor spacing issues?

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ms6073
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Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:24 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

by ms6073

I have a flat mount disc brake bike and two tubeless disc brake road wheelsets built on DT Swiss 240s center-lock, straight pull road disc brake hubs with IceTech RT-99 140mm center-lock rotors. I used wheelset A to align calipers and when swapping wheels between bikes, the rear brake rotor spacing is dead on, but the front rotor sits more inboard and contacts the brake pads.

With 6-bolt ISO style hubs, I would use dosc brake rotor shims to adjust the spacing, but there does not seem to be similar available for center-lock hubs. I had a thought to use a .5 mm cassette shim, but the inner diameter is insufficient to clear the center-lock splines. So seeing as many pros at the CX world championships were running thru-axle equipped bikes with center-lock rotors, how are these pro's mechanics dealing with such inconsistencies?
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

Fisherfreerider
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Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2011 1:19 am

by Fisherfreerider

Use some cutters to cut the spacer at one point and the you can get it past the splines. Thats what i did on mine.

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AJS914
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Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

I recently read a Leonnard Zinn column on Velonews where he was talking about bending the rotor to shape using this park tool:

http://www.parktool.com/product/rotor-truing-fork-dt-2

http://www.velonews.com/2016/11/bikes-a ... nce_424791

mattr
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Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

I *think* problem solvers have centre lock shims listed. Or at least, they used to.

mattr
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Location: The Grim North.

by mattr

Don't seem to have them listed. :/

Suppose you could cut a coke can up?

joejack951
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by joejack951

Diameter over the centerlock splines is 35.5mm and the rotor to hub mating surface is right around 40mm on my Icetech rotors. If you get it over the splines, a 40mm OD by 34mm ID shim would stay nice and concentric based on my hubs' dimensions

Since you are in the US, check out www.mcmaster.com, they sell a 45mm OD x 35mm ID shim which ought to work. They have 0.1mm to 1mm thick options.

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ms6073
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by ms6073

joejack951 wrote:check out http://www.mcmaster.com, they sell a 45mm OD x 35mm ID shim which ought to work. They have 0.1mm to 1mm thick options.

Thanks everyone. I think the option above offers the best solution for dealing with cl rotor spacing issues for multiple wheelsets.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

UpFromOne
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Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:23 am
Location: Olympic Nat'l Park, WA

by UpFromOne

Of all the non-standards in this industry, you'd think disc hub manufacturers could all agree on setting the rotor a specific precise distance (12mm or whatever it usually is) from the hub axle contact edge (= frame dropout surface).

Understand that this can't take into account every rotor's thickness, but this would go a long way toward being able to insert your other disc wheel without having to re-bolt the caliper every dang time.

ming
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by ming

ms6073 wrote:
Wed Feb 01, 2017 10:41 pm
joejack951 wrote:check out http://www.mcmaster.com, they sell a 45mm OD x 35mm ID shim which ought to work. They have 0.1mm to 1mm thick options.
Thanks everyone. I think the option above offers the best solution for dealing with cl rotor spacing issues for multiple wheelsets.
love finding helpful posts like this. for those curious the part numbers are
98055A342, 98055A343 and 98055A344 for .1, .2 and .3 mm shims, all packs of 10. My cart total was $12 for 30 shims. Boyd Cycles charges $12 for 4 of the .1mm shims.

szazbo
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:26 am

by szazbo

I have used the shims before for changing wheelsets, but in the long run didn't work well. Seems with D/A and Ultegra calipers as the pads wear, the pistons don't move evenly and the pads end up rubbing anyway. I have changed the process when changing wheelsets, to push the pistons back in and use a Birzman shim over the rotor. Then pump the brakes to allow them to recenter them selves. This method will take into account previous pad wear and excercises the pistons to prevent binding.

Image

Cord1138
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:26 pm

by Cord1138

I set up a second set using Shims as well, there seems to be more choice in the US, took me a while to find them in the UK https://cyclocrossracer.co.uk/collectio ... ck-of-four, worked well.

wooger
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2021 11:32 am

by wooger

Cord1138 wrote:
Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:36 am
I set up a second set using Shims as well, there seems to be more choice in the US, took me a while to find them in the UK https://cyclocrossracer.co.uk/collectio ... ck-of-four, worked well.
The most laughably expensive washers ever purchased, but there seems no other solution.

£14 for 4!

CarlosFerreiro
Posts: 421
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Location: Shetland, Scotland

by CarlosFerreiro

If you search "Shim Washers DIN 988 High Quality" on UK ebay there are 10 packs in different sizes/thicknesses for £4.29

Roadbiker10
Posts: 495
Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:22 am

by Roadbiker10

I have an issue with spacing, not on the discs but the cassette side. Could you use some shims for that too? And which ones?
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Vespasianus
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by Vespasianus

Do you guys reset the pads when switching out wheels?
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