Rotor Cleaning

[PCeBiker]

EDIT,..

I would clean the brake rotors on my car when I felt a pulsation in the brake pedal. That meant my rotors were contaminated.

I don't feel any pulsating on my ebike, so I think I'm good, and I know that the brakes will work for any emergency type situation.

 

[fooferdoggie]

EDIT,..

I would clean the brake rotors on my car when I felt a pulsation in the brake pedal. That meant my rotors were contaminated.

I don't feel any pulsating on my ebike, so I think I'm good, and I know that the brakes will work for any emergency type situation.

its usually a slow thing. or its noise first. even when pads are worn you usally just get noise at first.

 

[PCeBiker]

touch your disk with your fingers and you will see.

I touched a dish in my kitchen, and you can clearly see the finger print,..
(I'm a greasy Mo-Fo )

My thought is that if it was my brake rotor, dust would stick to the print and get scrubbed off by the brake pads, without contaminating the brake pads.

Rotors covered with muc-off is different.
That's like spraying WD-40 on your rotors.

 

[PDoz]

This cleaning of bicycle brake disks puzzles me why it is being done anyway. We never clean them on our automobiles or motorcycles so why on our bikes?
There supposedly is a certain desirable condition that occurs to the disks and pads during the bed in procedure and doesn't cleaning just remove that?

On the car, we machine or replace the disc with a pad change - so fresh metal for fresh pads.

On a motorbike, I clean the disc if I'm changing pad compound - swapping compounds without cleaning can lead to the pulsatile braking performance described above . I have no idea why, , but cleaning and bedding in seems to prevent / fix it.

I'm guilty of getting fussier as I experience the performance of higher quality equipment. My 20 year old giant has only had the brakes bled once, the discs were 160 mm of slimy mess and it was more than capable of locking the wheels. My latest bike has 4 pistons.caressing 200 mm of disc, gets bled annually and cleaned with each new set of pads - I rarely lock the wheels because I can feel what's happening and hold the tyre on the edge of locking all the way down a black run if I need to

 

[None]

But then the person behind you doesn’t see the brake lights.

I agree to use the motor to slow you down, but that creates other issues that other drivers aren’t prepared for.

Who cares? if they hit me from behind I wait in the vehicle (or on the pavement) until ambulance show up.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I touched a dish in my kitchen, and you can clearly see the finger print,..
(I'm a greasy Mo-Fo )




My thought is that if it was my brake rotor, dust would stick to the print and get scrubbed off by the brake pads, without contaminating the brake pads.

Rotors covered with muc-off is different.
That's like spraying WD-40 on your rotors.

you would only get noise with fingerprints I think. sometimes I wash my bike I need ot use acohol on the rotors or they can be noisy or not work as well. most likely I dont get everything off them when I wash who knows I am a sloppy washer.

 

[PCeBiker]

On the car, we machine or replace the disc with a pad change - so fresh metal for fresh pads.

On my car, I machined the rotors myself.
I put my left foot up against the rotor to maintain optimum RPM, then fired up the sanding drill, then I flipped the rotor over to do the other side.

I sanded down my pads too.
No more shiny,..

My rear brake pistons needed a lot of work,..

Cleaned em, greased em, and pushed em back in.
I didn't break the seal and lose any brake fluid.

What a fricken rust turd,..

 

[PCeBiker]

I'm guilty of getting fussier as I experience the performance of higher quality equipment.

I hope that I never have high quality equipment.
I don't like the commitments involved.

So as stephan would ask, do you ride your ebike?
Or does your ebike ride you ??

So far, I've put over 3600 km on my e-bike.
I've pedaled for less than 30 km of that.

My e-bike has riden me.

If I ever have to spend more time primping and preening my ebike than riding it, I will take it out behind the barn and shoot it.

 

[m@Robertson]

Use the engine instead of brakes to slow my other vehicles.
Why use the brakes when you don't have to?

An auto mechanic told me once about engine braking (a passenger car and not a truck with a bona fide jake brake): "A set of brake pads is one hell of a lot cheaper than a rebuilt transmission" He was referring to using a downshift. If just coasting down with an automatic transmission that adds no increased wear.

 

[PDoz]

I hope that I never have high quality equipment.
I don't like the commitments involved.

So as stephan would ask, do you ride your ebike?
Or does your ebike ride you ??

So far, I've put over 3600 km on my e-bike.
I've pedaled for less than 30 km of that.

My e-bike has riden me.

If I ever have to spend more time primping and preening my ebike than riding it, I will take it out behind the barn and shoot it.

Isn't diversity a wonderful thing?
You measure miles, I measure smiles.
You fear preening, I see prepping.
You have a barn, it's a shed on my farm.
Why use a gun ?
I'll keep having fun -spinning spanners or cranks, thanks.

 

[PCeBiker]

Isn't diversity a wonderful thing?
You measure miles, I measure smiles.
You fear preening, I see prepping.
You have a barn, it's a shed on my farm.
Why use a gun ?
I'll keep having fun -spinning spanners or cranks, thanks.

I do enjoy working on my ebike. I just don't bother with the superficial stuff.
It's got dirt and scratches and chipped paint but I don't care about that.
I really enjoyed installed my new controller and display. I've always liked electronics.

I hated working on my car though. It was a disgusting rusty mess. I just did the maintenance that was required.

 

[Slaphappygamer]

I do enjoy working on my ebike. I just don't bother with the superficial stuff.
It's got dirt and scratches and chipped paint but I don't care about that.

I hated working on my car though. It was a disgusting rusty mess. I just did the maintenance that was required.

Function over fashion.

 

[None]

An auto mechanic told me once about engine braking (a passenger car and not a truck with a bona fide jake brake): "A set of brake pads is one hell of a lot cheaper than a rebuilt transmission" He was referring to using a downshift. If just coasting down with an automatic transmission that adds no increased wear.

Of course a mechanic would say that, ask any enthusiast driver (who knows how to downshift properly) instead.
When done properly, engine braking actually clear out some of the carbon build-up in the combustion chamber, allow longer engine life.
Most auto transmission cars have computer assisted downshift capability that match engine rpm better them human to engage engine braking.

 

[Deacon Blues]

How many drivers actually know how to downshift properly? I suspect very few. On the other hand, how many newer manual transmission cars are on the road in NA? Most of today's youth can't even work a stick shift.
I agree that it's much cheaper, in the long run, to use your brakes instead of downshifting.

 

[leehop71]

How many drivers actually know how to downshift properly? I suspect very few. On the other hand, how many newer manual transmission cars are on the road in NA? Most of today's youth can't even work a stick shift.
I agree that it's much cheaper, in the long run, to use your brakes instead of downshifting.

I was 15 in 1968 and my parents insisted that I learn to drive using a manual transmission!

So glad I did considering I drove a truck for the majority of my working career.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

How many drivers actually know how to downshift properly? I suspect very few. On the other hand, how many newer manual transmission cars are on the road in NA? Most of today's youth can't even work a stick shift.

Not many left, either question.

Also lost on most manual drivers: The proper role of downshifting when you're trying to drive fast through the twisties. To keep up your average speed, you should delay braking for the next curve till the last possible second, then brake to the very limit of adhesion before turning in.

You downshift in this scenario for only one reason: To be in the right gear for exiting, with the clutch engaged, just as you pass the apex and start pouring on the power again. Downshifting just to add engine braking during the deceleration phase would be an unnecessary and potentially dangerous drain on your adhesion budget.

As for younger drivers and manual transmissions...

 

[fooferdoggie]

I had some front rotor squeaking. I thought it was fro the worn pads. but new pads it was the same. I adjusting the calipers nope finally had to sand the rotor to get it to stop. that last set of pads worse out a lot faster.

 

[PDoz]

So let me check, young people can't drive a manual and have no idea how to corner?

Oops.....he was 10 ....( rh drive in aus)

As for delaying braking for the next curve.... yeah, he's got that idea.....

 

[Deacon Blues]

I was 15 in 1968 and my parents insisted that I learn to drive using a manual transmission!

So glad I did considering I drove a truck for the majority of my working career.

in 1968 I bought a huge Pontiac with an auto transmission, so I could put the insurance under my mom's name (and save a bundle of cash). She could only drive with an auto box.
I hated that car and traded it in on an Austin Mini, with a 4 speed manual gearbox. When I went for the test drive I had never driven a car with a manual gearbox.
That poor salesman! To his credit he never said a word as I ground gears and lurched through the test drive.

 

[leehop71]

in 1968 I bought a huge Pontiac with an auto transmission, so I could put the insurance under my mom's name (and save a bundle of cash). She could only drive with an auto box.
I hated that car and traded it in on an Austin Mini, with a 4 speed manual gearbox. When I went for the test drive I had never driven a car with a manual gearbox.
That poor salesman! To his credit he never said a word as I ground gears and lurched through the test drive.

Ironically, even though I learned to drive on a standard shift, my first car was an automatic 1964 Chevrolet Impala!

Just an FYI, I was born in 1953 and MANY women in my grandparents generation never learned to drive period, not even getting a driver’s license!