Brake clunk shudder?

[Richard Du Heaume]

My Eventon Pace 350 has Tektro MD-M280 mechanical brakes which stop the bike just fine but seem to have excessive free play between the outer brake pad plate and the caliper housing. This allows the pad plate of the front brake to drop when the brake is released. When the brake is applied, the pad plate has to be pushed upwards again before it can retard the bike. This produces an annoying clunk and shudder from the front brake. This never happens with the rear brake because, unlike the front, the caliper is mounted forward of the rotor therefore the pad plate is pushed downward under braking where it is already resting. Is this normal or can it be fixed?

 

[indianajo]

My 2017 yubabike bodaboda has tektro Aries disk brakes. The pads do not shift. They are held in place by a cotter pin. They wear the outer part more than the inner part, which considering pads last ~4000 miles front only, is not much of a problem. I do not use the rear brake often. I buy organic pads. Shimano pads fit.

 

[Aushiker]

My Eventon Pace 350 has Tektro MD-M280 mechanical brakes which stop the bike just fine but seem to have excessive free play between the outer brake pad plate and the caliper housing.

It does not sound right. My only suggestion is to check the install against the installation instructions provided by Tektro to ensure it is correctly installed. Alternatively, do you have an LBS that can check it out?

 

[Richard Du Heaume]

I am certain that the brakes are assembled correctly. The pad plates pivot freely on the cotter pin as they should but seem to have excessive clearance to rise and fall. More than a millimeter. The brake works perfectly at slowing and stopping the bike.