Multicharger — what break pads do you use?

[PDL]

Hi,

I’ve had my multicharger for 2 1/2 years and mostly love it. What I don’t love is how quickly I wear down the brakepads. I guess it’s just a heavy bike, but I never get more than 10 months and the ones I have now lasted 4 months. I’ve had a local mobile cycle guy replace them for me, but want to learn how to do it myself and am wondering what brands you use on your multicharger, and how long they usually last under different riding conditions. I mainly ride in an urban area with a few hills.

Thanks!

Peter

 

[Aushiker]

The best way to track brake pad wear is by mileage. Ten months really does not mean anything. For example, my Supercharger II front pads are due for replacement (wear is down to 2.8 mm; minimum spec is 2.5 mm) after 1,450 km. That is with the OEM pads, Magura 7C pads, their 'Comfort' pads. I haven't checked my rear pads, but I anticipate a lot less wear as I use the front brakes a lot more.

I am going to try Cooma Ceramic MT5 [Pink] Brake Pads (Ceramic) on the front and Cooma Ex Plus MT4 Brake Pads [100% Pure Copper Fibre Resin] on the rear. Even if their wear is similar to the Magura pads, I am still in front given their cost.

I assume your Multicharger has Magura MT5 brakes on the front and Magura MT4 brakes on the rear. The MT5 can take four single-piece pads (see pink ones below) or a one-piece pair of pads (Kool Stops below). If you are going from the one-piece pads to the four single pads, you will need retaining pins.

Either way, replacing the pads, at least on the front, is really simple with Magura, as they use magnets in the pistons to position and hold the pads.

This video shows how easy it is to replace the Magura pads, front or rear, which are much the same. The only thing I would do differently is (a) use a brake pad spreader such as Magura's and (b) not use a screwdriver unless you are definitely replacing the pads.

Anyway I hope this helps.

 

[PDL]

That's all incredibly helpful -- thank you. Yes, I have the MT4 in the back and Mt5 in front. I feel more confident with the front than the back, which is seems difficult to access. I'll start with the front, to get a sense of how to do it, then tackle the back. I have wheel guard installed, so probably better to remove it for access. RM didn't make it easy to put on/take off, but at least it stays on.

As for how many miles, I don't think it's more than 4-500 this time. I'm wondering whether it's oil or someone mentioned they could be glazed over, rather being worn . It doesn't quite sound like metal on metal. Do you clean your break pads regularly? What do you use? I have some disc brake cleaner that I occasionally use, but not sure if that would help the brake pads.

Thanks again,

Peter

 

[peterh_nz]

Also with a Supercharger 2. If possible, I prefer to change the pads in situ without removing the calipers

The video above does not show an important caliper alignment check that needs to be done when replacing the calipers. There are videos on this ranging from simple to more complex methods.

This is one of many Magura produced videos. It includes torque settings and wear-in requirements:

Also:

https://magura.com/en/EUR/service?primaryCategory=IRideBicycleServiceCategory

I use the equivalent of the Magura Performance pads. I think those pads or others now state suitability for ebikes.

Cheers

 

[Aushiker]

I use the equivalent of the Magura Performance pads. I think those pads or others now state suitability for ebikes.

I do wonder about "ebike pads" as the Magura pads that come stock on Supercharger are Magura 9.C Comfort pads (front) and Magura 7.C Comfort pads for the rear. There is nothing to say about them being eBike 'approved' from what I can find. See https://www.magurausa-shop.com/product.htm?pid=288841 for example.

 

[Aushiker]

I haven't bothered to clean my brake pads, but do give the discs a clean with brake clean when I remember, and my bike sees a lot of dirt and mud. If you suspect the pads are glazed, you could try sanding them (80 grit paper, I think works). If you want to clean the pads, GCN makes it simple:

Also, it might pay to check for leakages. Here is one suggested approach to checking.

To properly diagnose: take the pads out, clean everything with alcohol thoroughly, put the pads back in, put a rubber band over the brake lever to squeeze it, and let it sit overnight. Take the pads out, and you should see oil on the back plate of the pads, or somewhere on the caliper itself.

 

[PDL]

hi again,

Thanks for all the suggestions. Because of local availability I ended up getting Swissstop pads this time. I replaced the front ones and that was very easy.

When I removed the back ones, one of the pads was completely worn down to metal and the other is worn but fine. Why would that happen?

Unfortunately, the pads I bought don’t fit. Looks like the compound is too thick, so I can’t fit both of them. They’re for Magura Mt4 — are there different versions of the MT4? If so, how to tell them apart? What else could be going on?

Thanks again for helping me learn how to do this.

Update. I noticed that the pistons were not moving properly. Or one was and one was not, which explains the uneven wear. And also one was out so much that I couldn’t fit the brake pads - I pushed them back and now the pads fit perfectly now I know how they work. I tried cleaning and lubricating, but couldn’t get them both to work smoothly. Any tips?

 

[Aushiker]

hi again,

Thanks for all the suggestions. Because of local availability I ended up getting Swissstop pads this time. I replaced the front ones and that was very easy.

[/QUOTE]
I use Swiss Stop rim brake pads and have some disc pads on standby for my mechanical disc brakes on my fatbike. I have always found them to be of good quality.

Update. I noticed that the pistons were not moving properly. Or one was and one was not, which explains the uneven wear. And also one was out so much that I couldn’t fit the brake pads - I pushed them back and now the pads fit perfectly now I know how they work. I tried cleaning and lubricating, but couldn’t get them both to work smoothly. Any tips?

You beat me to the possible solution. Good news, you have that sorted.

When you say to work smoothly. Can you please be more descriptive? Is this brake lever feel or a possible alignment issue at the disc? Are the pistons now moving freely?

 

[BlackHand]

Pretty sure this is the right Park Tool video.

 

[PDL]

Thanks. These guys are great. I did do that, but I think I need to keep pumping it for longer.

 

[PDL]

I use Swiss Stop rim brake pads and have some disc pads on standby for my mechanical disc brakes on my fatbike. I have always found them to be of good quality.

You beat me to the possible solution. Good news, you have that sorted.

When you say to work smoothly. Can you please be more descriptive? Is this brake lever feel or a possible alignment issue at the disc? Are the pistons now moving freely?
[/QUOTE]

One piston is moving, but not smoothly like the video below. As in, the video shows both pistons move toward the middle at the same time and the movement is smooth. In mine, sometimes they both move, but one moves more than the other. One seems a bit stuck, despite cleaning and lubricating. Not sure if that is clear?

 

[BlackHand]

My Tektro's have a sticky piston in the rear. I have to clean it 1-2x a year or it will start to wear the pads unevenly. Make sure to block the other pistons completely as you work the sticky one in and out while cleaning it (I use cotton swabs). You may have to work it out until it's on the verge of popping out.

Good chance you'll need to bleed the lines afterwards too.

 

[PDL]

Thanks everyone. Because I use my bike for commuting, I ended up having it looked at by a bike mechanic since I wasn’t able to get both the pistons moving properly on my own. The fluid was drained and replaced, which I think was the issue. They were probably over extended at some point, so perhaps leaked oil. My bike is now running beautifully again. The SwissStop pads are silent and so much smoother than the ones the previous mechanic put in. Hopefully they will last longer too.

Next time I will change the pads and also replace the oil myself now that I know that it’s a pretty straight forward.

Thanks for the tips and troubleshooting with me. It’s been so helpful and I’ve learned a lot.

 

[stompandgo]

Most bicycle hydraulic brakes use a mineral oil based fluid that should be changed every few years. Moisture can cause the pistons to stick.

 

[PDL]

Most bicycle hydraulic brakes use a mineral oil based fluid that should be changed every few years. Moisture can cause the pistons to stick.

 

[PDL]

I have a follow up question. My new brakes feel amazing -- they're silent and seem much more refined than the previous ones, as in I have more gradual control as I pull the lever. I'm sure there's a technical way to describe this, but it feels incredibly smooth and not abrupt and noisy the way my old ones were. There was a spring that fitted around the pads -- do they do anything in terms of the feel of the brake, or are they just to keep the pads off the rotor? The pads I removed did not use a spring.

Curious whether people use those and what they actually do, if anything?

 

[PDL]

I didn't know that moisture could cause the pistons to stick. I was sort of blaming the mechanic who serviced my bike in February for not draining oil, checking the pistons or putting in high quality pads, but maybe moisture caused the main issue. Doesn't excuse using cheap pads and charging a lot for them though...

 

[stompandgo]

I'm sure that the spring has some effect on the brake feel, but it's there mainly to keep the pads from rattling. Brake feel comes mainly from lever/hose/caliper combo and the pad/rotor combo.

 

[Aushiker]

I have a follow up question. My new brakes feel amazing -- they're silent and seem much more refined than the previous ones, as in I have more gradual control as I pull the lever. I'm sure there's a technical way to describe this, but it feels incredibly smooth and not abrupt and noisy the way my old ones were. There was a spring that fitted around the pads -- do they do anything in terms of the feel of the brake, or are they just to keep the pads off the rotor? The pads I removed did not use a spring.

Curious whether people use those and what they actually do, if anything?

Magura brakes as I understand it do not use a retaining spring, they rely on the magnets or am I missing something here?

 

[peterh_nz]

Magura brakes as I understand it do not use a retaining spring, they rely on the magnets or am I missing something here

Certainly the Magura brakes on my RM SC2 don't have retaining springs.