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Disc brakes help needed


nigelhunt78

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Hi All, 

I’m just getting back into trials after a long break and I’ve got my first ever bike with disc brakes. (SLX f&r with stock pads, hope trials rotor on the rear and a stock shimano rotor on the front). I’d say the brakes work fine, equivalent to my mountain bike but don’t have the out and out “bite” that I’m used to from HS33s etc. The question is; is there anything that can be done to improve the hold? Grind the rotor? Tar on the pads? Any suggestions would be gratefully received... the cheaper the better! 

CBF1A617-89F9-46E9-B3D9-2522F6A0C5B9.jpeg

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first up just make sure they are perfectly clean.  boiling the rotors and pads will make sure they are as free from contaminates as possible. then make sure the calipers are set up perfectly square with the rotors.  if a pad on one side is hitting first or if the pads are at an angle this will make a big difference. super anal levels of perfect alignment makes a noticeable difference.  you can tell by pulling the brake lever on and off while looking really closely at the rotor, if it flexes to one side, or twists at all, it can be made better.  

If you get them running perfectly square and you still want more power, bigger rotors or softer pads are the solution. the brakes them selves have the potential to be plenty powerful. personally i find shimano  brakes run best on shimano branded rotors, and I have had very good results from the trialtech branded after market pads

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yep you can boil both the pads and the rotors.  it does a pretty good job of lifting out oily residue. while they are out give the calipers a good clean. brake cleaner or meths on a rag work fine.  the slx brake may come with a semi sintered pad designed to work under more heat and mud/water than a trials bike expects. my personal experience is that organic compound pads have the most bite from cold, therefore suiting trials better than sintered or kevlar compounds. i have used many of the cheaper after market pads in the past like AtoZ and superstar components and reckon the genuine shimano ones are better quality but give yours a thorough clean first and see how it goes

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