disc brake pad compounds

[02GF74]

search on ebay for magura disc pad - one seller

bikefridge is selling 3 differnt pad compounds: soft, medium and hard. e.g. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magura-Marta-...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:15|39:1|240:1318

Obviously I want
1. best stoppping power (in wet and dry conditions)
2. least wear to disc
3.pad to last as long as possible

in that order, no doubt all pf those mutually exclusive.

I have contacted the seller but anyone know how each of these perform?

 

[eldudino]

I assume soft would give the best power and last the shortest amount of time, not sure about damage to disc. I just ordered pads for my mechanical disc brakes from bikefridge though, great seller, quickly posted and all that. I got the medium pads and they seem really good, much improved from the OE ones.

 

[barq]

As I think you probably anticipated, there is a trade off between braking power and durability. Harder 'sintered' pads last longer, run hotter under prolonged braking (which on massive descents might warp your disc rotors). Softer compounds have great braking power, run cooler but don't last as long. Medium pads are a compromise between those extremes.

Brake pad manufacturers frequently buy in the braking compound from third parties. Consequently quality isn't always that consistent and brand is no guarantee. So there is an argument for just buying the cheapest given that you can get two to three generic sets for the price of branded.

 

[Steve Austin]

Don't agree with you there barq I know you are better off buying branded pads as they last longer than the cheaper pads.

Also there are lots of stories regarding a lot of the cheaper pads being vastly inferior in terms of braking power and longevity. Also, lots of stories of these pads falling to bits under relatively un-demanding conditions.
I only ever use OWN brand pads as they last longer, and generally work better.

Sintered last longer and work better ime

 

[Mr Pig]

But, which ones squeal the least?!!

 

[Pottsy]

But, which ones squeal the least?!!

Don't you like squealing Mr. Pig?

 

[Mr Pig]

Don't you like squealing Mr. Pig?

My disk breaks are 'really' bad and I've not managed to stop it yet. New pads of the original type didn't work, I don't know what compound that would be. Whatever Shimano use.

 

[RedBike]

Resin pads are quiter than sintered. However, they all squeal in the wet, particularly if your calipers aren't correctly aligned.

Remove the brake caliper and any braket from your frame. If there's paint under them then the frame hasn't been faced.

Facing the frame probably wont stop the brake squealling completely but it is a step in the right direction.

 

[byegad]

I knew a Downhill racer who used ultra soft pads, and replaced them at the very least after every meeting and sometimes after every race!
I expect mine on a recumbent trike to last a bit longer than that!

 

[Mr Pig]

However, they all squeal in the wet, particularly if your calipers aren't correctly aligned.

I think that's pretty crap. They should be able to design and build these things so that they do not squeal at all, there's no need for it. I've had these disk brakes for a while now and I'm still not very convinced by them. In my opinion, plain vanilla 'V' brakes did a perfectly good job and were a lot simpler to deal with. They might have needed more effort in the wet but they still stopped you. For most riders, most of the time, disk brakes are a waste of money.

 

[RedBike]

For most riders, most of the time, disk brakes are a waste of money.

For MTBers disc brakes can be a god send.
No one riding steep wet /muddy trails is going to want to switch back to v's in a hurry!

They should be able to design and build these things so that they do not squeal at all, there's no need for it.

Not all makes models do squeal. Most only squeal when there's something wrong. The main problems are normally that the pads / discs are contaminated with oil or that the calipers are incorrectly aligned.

Mine always squeal like a stuck pig if i've had the wheel out / got something on the disc. But once you've done a few hard stops the pads re-align themselves and any oil gets burnt off the disc and they normally become silent again. The stopping power also increases dramatically!

 

[Steve Austin]

No MTBer that i can think of would consider using V-brakes again after using discs.

 

[Mr Pig]

The main problems are normally that the pads / discs are contaminated with oil or that the calipers are incorrectly aligned.

My brakes had oil on them when I got them. I took the bike back to the shop and they, actually 'we' because I helped him, cleaned the disks with meths and fitted new pads. Squealed from day one and have never stopped. That's why I figured maybe a different pad would help.

 

[RedBike]

Which brakes have you got?

If the shop didn't notice the pads were covered in oil then I doubt they spent much time aligning them correctly.

 

[Mr Pig]

Which brakes have you got?

They're Shimano M486 ones. I've messed about with the brakes quite a bit, taking the leading edge off the pads, moving the callipers, copper grease on the back of the pads, but as yet I've not found a solution. I'm sure I'll find one eventually but if there is a stock solution I'd like to know about it.