[legalize]

Hello again! I finally got around to riding my '09 Hardrock Disc with the "Tektro IOX, mechanical disc, caliper/adapter w/ 6" rotor" brakes. All I can say is either the pads are worn, stale, or just terrible. Holding the back brake fairly heavily I can still push the bike with the wheel spinning... The front is a little better but doesn't feel like by much. Of course they get me to a stop in a way that I would call fine, but I haven't had to hit them to avoid a collision yet, and I'd like to know I have brakes when I need them.

Is there anything you guys could recommend, I read that simply changing the pads could bring a world of difference... I'm not really looking to replace the whole system. I'm just unsure which pads and if they differ in size!

 

[Quo Fan]

A couple of things could be wrong. The pads could not have been "bedded", they could be out of adjustment, or they could just be no good.

With new disc brakes, the pads have to be "bedded". How this is done is when the pads are new, you get the bike up to speed and then stop hard. The first few times this is done, you will think the bike will never stop. After a few times, the brakes will start to grab better.

The Tektro mechanical brakes have a stationary pad and a moving pad. The stationary pad should be about a business card thickness away from the rotor and the moving pad should almost be touching the rotor.

Hope this helps.

 

[legalize]

I'm pretty sure they've been bedded by now. I'm pretty sure the pads are both pretty close to the disc, I think the pads are just no good anymore.

Can you recommend a decent brand pad? Is there a specific size or something that I would need? thanks!

 

[Quo Fan]

The problem with mechanical discs is they lack power. I would look to upgrade to hydraulic discs.

That being said, Most pads sold by online retailers are good pads. I'm not sure you would be able to find pads for the Tektro brakes. Pads will always list the brand and model they will fit.

 

[legalize]

I'm not ready for hydraulic yet, a little pricey and I'm not sure I want them on my "first" bike. Thanks for the info!

 

[Quo Fan]

Nashbar.com has Aztec pads that may fit your brakes.

 

[legalize]

Is that ~15 bucks for just front or rear, or does "pair" or set mean both front and back? I mean for a car it's usually front set or rear set, with bike pads I noticed it simply says set

If it's only for one end, isn't that a little pricey? I saw a BB5 brake kit with front/rear pads plus an extra full set for about $60 on ebay... I think that would make more sense?

 

[Quo Fan]

1 pair will fit front or rear. To replace all pads, you need 2 sets/pair.

~$15/pair is not a bad price. Branded pads usually run ~$20/pair.

 

[rockofullr]

Mechanicals are much harder to set up than hydraulics. The most common mistake is having the "stationary" pad retracted too far. This causes the rotor to contact the caliper rather than the pad and you will have no braking power.

In my experience this is almost always the problem when people complain about their mechanical disc setup not working. Either take some time getting them adjusted yourself or see if your local shop can get them working before spending money on pads. I doubt the pads are the issue.

 

[legalize]

Thanks guys, I'm a fairly technical guy and watching a bunch of youtube videos I see how the systems work... Now I can have a go at it ! Will let you know how it goes.

 

[legalize]

Well, the pads look fine, at least 3-4mm left on them. The caliper certainly isn't doing the braking, at least not anymore. The stationary pad is as close as it gets without rubbing, the moving pad is pretty close as well as I wanted my levers "tight enough"... which was pretty damn confusing because after taking off the back brake the lever touched the handlebar upon reassembly, took a while to get that fixed because I couldn't really figure out why that happened as all I did was loosen the caliper in order to realign it.

Ended up having to pull more cable through the thing that holds it on the caliper, then the brakes wouldn't close because moving that thing to grab more wire brought it too close to some other piece that now got in the way. Anyway, now the levers feel fine, the pads appear to be grabbing how they should (visually) but the braking power just isn't there... The back wheel spins if I apply any downward pressure to the bike, and the front maybe is better now, but not what I expected.

Edit : found why the lever was off, skipped a step. I'll have to try again after work , however I can't imagine the pads will touch the disc any differently than they do now!

A little disappointed

 

[rockofullr]

Problems with mech disc braks are usually setup related. As you found out it can be really complicated. If it came from a bike shop they may be able to set it up for you free of charge.

If it is a problem with the pads (contamination can reduce breaking power) the first thing to try is cleaning the pads and rotors. Pull the pads and rotors off the bike and give them a thorough cleaning with brake cleaner.

This will cause the pads to need to be "bedded" again so you will need a hill to break them in on before seeing any increase in stopping power.

 

[legalize]

This will cause the pads to need to be "bedded" again so you will need a hill to break them in on before seeing any increase in stopping power.

Words of wisdom.

It's pouring here today so I wasn't able to take the bike out to try it, however spinning the wheel with the bike suspended and braking lightly (so it makes full revolutions) a few times gave such a tremendous increase in brake power. I guess I did adjust them properly I figured they need to be bedded after being cleaned, but after the frustration with the cable adjustment I completely forgot about it.

I owe you guys a few colds ones!

 

[legalize]

Well, got to take the bike out finally. The brakes...

suck! The rear is a little better, at least when pushing the bike backwards haha. The rotors are on correctly, as are the pads. Not sure what to check anymore, other than where to buy BB5s Can't even come close to locking the back. Unless 200lbs is really that heavy