brake pad material

[Marcela]

A person can buy material for thicker brake pads, I have yet to see any thin enough for the bike pads. Somebody is making a killing on these things. I am coming up on needing a set. Anybody find any thin enough for our pads?

 

[Gionnirocket]

 

[fooferdoggie]

How would you bind it? How would you shape it so it is the right size? Would you be willing to bet your life on it working? Brake pads are not that expensive and way to f*ck around with.

 

[Marcela]

I can find material down to 1/8" thick, just can't find anything thinner. Need to go a little thinner.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I would just laminate layers of 600 grit sandpaper to the desired thickness.
This way you polish the rotors when you brake.

 

[indianajo]

I am a committed do it yourselfer. Converted my cargo bike to electric myself. Right now I am trying to bend the back of my 48" mower deck back to not drag the ground, and stay that way. A $550 problem, plus the OEM design was subject to snapping down to drag as sold. Brake pads are a $10 problem. I bought mine on e-bay, since there were 999 models of metallic ones on modernbike.com and universalbikes.com . Organic stops faster, does not require as much force. Metallic is for downhill racing IMHO.

 

[fauconnier]

I can find material down to 1/8" thick, just can't find anything thinner. Need to go a little thinner.

Brake pads don't require extreme precision. You can simply run them through a grinder, it's very doable, I've done it more than once...

 

[Chargeride]

What do you bind them with, Id feel happier making my own if that sat in a shaped holder so they couldnt suddenly start spinning around with the disc, whack you in the eyes and then youre blind with no brakes.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I am a committed do it yourselfer. Converted my cargo bike to electric myself. Right now I am trying to bend the back of my 48" mower deck back to not drag the ground, and stay that way. A $550 problem, plus the OEM design was subject to snapping down to drag as sold. Brake pads are a $10 problem. I bought mine on e-bay, since there were 999 models of metallic ones on modernbike.com and universalbikes.com . Organic stops faster, does not require as much force. Metallic is for downhill racing IMHO.

Me too. I've made my own aquarium pump and heat controllers, leak alarms, wet/dry filter and aquarium stand. Here I made my first ebike and then smart charging adapter.
But at less than $4 a pair... I think I'll pass on making brake pads

 

[kevinmccune]

I changed a set on an ebike I really liked( no longer own) those things squealed twice as loud as a wounded rabbit( in retrospect I now know what was wrong) just experiment a little something will work out it doesn't cost that much for brake pads,I kinda liked the "squealy" pads it got the deer out of the way.

 

[Marcela]

Mcmaster carr has a pretty good selection of friction material. Still nothing thin enough, only 1/8” thickness, which may work on some of the bikes, just have to investigate. Something like jb weld and a vise I would think would suffice to hold the material. Probably want an adhesive that wasn’t too aggressive if it touched the disc.

 

[Gionnirocket]

. . .

 

[Marcela]

Probably just a two part epoxy would work fine.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Probably just a two part epoxy would work fine.

Heat is a thing on brakes they would need braised on. plus the materials would be expanding and contracting in use all of the time. but hey Darwin loves cheapskates.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Darwin loves cheapskates

Maybe that should be the forum motto.

 

[OnEdge]

I would just laminate layers of 600 grit sandpaper to the desired thickness.
This way you polish the rotors when you brake.