Cartridge brake pads - beware!

[Cyclist33]

Hmph!

Cycling down to the shops this evening, along a short cobbled street, heard a sound like a tube popping, so pulled up a few yards later, checked tyres, no probs, carried on to shops, when I got to car park and braked, the rear lever had a LOT of give in it and I realised there was almost no braking at the back.

I got off and checked and the pad had disappeared from the cartridge - twas this that I heard dislodging and hitting the street earlier. Turns out the little screw holding the pad in the cartridge must've worked loose and dropped out.

As it was nearly dark I opted not to go looking for a 5mm long screw on a cobbled street, so there's another item for the bike stuff shopping list!

But a timely reminder perhaps to check screws are snugly fitted on these vital bike parts, especially on the greasy winter roads this time of year.

Stu

 

[ColinJ]

Mine are just a friction fit. What I need to be very sure of is fitting the left ones on the left and the right ones on the right, otherwise the blocks can be dragged out of the slots in the cartridges when braking!

(I.e. make sure the cartridges are on the correct sides when you fit them, then just fit the blocks the right way round.)

 

[VamP]

Some of us have different pads fro different wheels.

OP must have installed his pads wrong, with correct installation this can never happen. The cartridges are typically marked left and right, ignore this at your peril. The retaining screw is not there to hold out against the force of braking!

 

[fossyant]

Give me a shout if you need some of the little screws !

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 2829828, member: 45"]I really don't see the point in cartridge pads. The chrome corrodes before you're through a couple of sets of pads.[/quote]
Cheap and nasty ones, perhaps! The Campagnolo brake cartridges on my Basso are 14 years old and have been ridden in all weather conditions for tens of thousands of miles and still look immaculate.

 

[User6179]

Hmph!

Cycling down to the shops this evening, along a short cobbled street, heard a sound like a tube popping, so pulled up a few yards later, checked tyres, no probs, carried on to shops, when I got to car park and braked, the rear lever had a LOT of give in it and I realised there was almost no braking at the back.

I got off and checked and the pad had disappeared from the cartridge - twas this that I heard dislodging and hitting the street earlier. Turns out the little screw holding the pad in the cartridge must've worked loose and dropped out.

As it was nearly dark I opted not to go looking for a 5mm long screw on a cobbled street, so there's another item for the bike stuff shopping list!

But a timely reminder perhaps to check screws are snugly fitted on these vital bike parts, especially on the greasy winter roads this time of year.

Stu

you must of fitted them wrong way round .

edit-screw goes to the rear so even if it falls out the pad stays in cartridge under braking!

 

[numbnuts]

I've been using them for years, as they say so far so good

 

[MontyVeda]

i switched to cartridge pads in the summer... no issues so far.

 

[Cyclist33]

you must of fitted them wrong way round .

edit-screw goes to the rear so even if it falls out the pad stays in cartridge under braking!

I didn't. The pad still fell out.

 

[endoman]

my TT bike has no retaining screw, only a split spin which quickly became useless so I run with nothing to hold them in place. Unless you rotate the wheel backwards with the brake engaged it's not going to come out. I change the pads for carbon wheels to alloy training wheels and have had zero problems.

 

[Cyclist33]

my TT bike has no retaining screw, only a split spin which quickly became useless so I run with nothing to hold them in place. Unless you rotate the wheel backwards with the brake engaged it's not going to come out. I change the pads for carbon wheels to alloy training wheels and have had zero problems.

Nonetheless, and noting that I'm not as thick as you seem to be trying to suggest, it did come out.

Stu

 

[HLaB]

[QUOTE 2829828, member: 45"]I really don't see the point in cartridge pads. The chrome corrodes before you're through a couple of sets of pads.[/quote]
My ultegra holders outlasted the bike (during which time they've had several pads). That was circa 24,500 miles and the rear is on my new bike circa 2000miles old (the only reason the front isnt, is that it didn't fit my new forks)

 

[Cyclist33]

i must've got cheap or faulty systems. at any rate it seems the weight of evidence is in favour of them. I'll buy again, but probably shimano instead of unbranded.

 

[ColinJ]

Nonetheless, and noting that I'm not as thick as you seem to be trying to suggest, it did come out.

Stu

Sounds like you got the wrong ones! I have to hammer mine in, and use a screwdriver to lever them out when they have worn down.

I did buy the wrong type once and they ... were loose and fell out!

 

[Cyclist33]

Sounds like you got the wrong ones! I have to hammer mine in, and use a screwdriver to lever them out when they have worn down.

I did buy the wrong type once and they ... were loose and fell out!

How can I convince you all that I do have a CQ (Cycling Quotient) above 44?

The pads were the ones that came with the cartridges. I didn't pick them under separate cover. Who can say how it came to pass but I was either thick in a high-CQ manner or it was no fault of mine. But it wasn't just a stupid mistake on my part!!