Brake pads and metallic pieces

[ManBearPig]

Ciao.
Is it normal to have small metallic pieces stuck within brake pads? How do they appear there? Is it from the rims and braking or did I get them from "the street"?

[Jesper]

(11-01-2020, 06:21 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
Is it normal to have small metallic pieces stuck within brake pads? How do they appear there? Is it from the rims and braking or did I get them from "the street"?

Do you have a photo of the pads? You mentioned rims, so I assume we are not dealing with disc brakes here. It may be the way they are composed from new, but I am not intimately familiar with what the pads are made of. Do the braking paths on the rims appear to be excessively worn/grooved? I have some '80s "sintered" pads (Modolo and Campy) that will "eat-up" an alloy rim much quicker than a standard pad from the same era. They also stopped better though.

[ManBearPig]

(11-02-2020, 05:55 AM)Jesper Wrote:  

(11-01-2020, 06:21 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
Is it normal to have small metallic pieces stuck within brake pads? How do they appear there? Is it from the rims and braking or did I get them from "the street"?

Do you have a photo of the pads? You mentioned rims, so I assume we are not dealing with disc brakes here. It may be the way they are composed from new, but I am not intimately familiar with what the pads are made of. Do the braking paths on the rims appear to be excessively worn/grooved? I have some '80s "sintered" pads (Modolo and Campy) that will "eat-up" an alloy rim much quicker than a standard pad from the same era. They also stopped better though.

Thanks for replying Jesper. I'm in the woods this week and breathing in the nature. But a quick Google search gave me an image that has a very close resemblance with what I've got going on. My Giordano has alloy rims and side pull brakes with rubber pads.

[Jesper]

(11-02-2020, 07:09 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  

(11-02-2020, 05:55 AM)Jesper Wrote:  

(11-01-2020, 06:21 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Ciao.
Is it normal to have small metallic pieces stuck within brake pads? How do they appear there? Is it from the rims and braking or did I get them from "the street"?

Do you have a photo of the pads? You mentioned rims, so I assume we are not dealing with disc brakes here. It may be the way they are composed from new, but I am not intimately familiar with what the pads are made of. Do the braking paths on the rims appear to be excessively worn/grooved? I have some '80s "sintered" pads (Modolo and Campy) that will "eat-up" an alloy rim much quicker than a standard pad from the same era. They also stopped better though.

Thanks for replying Jesper. I'm in the woods this week and breathing in the nature. But a quick Google search gave me an image that has a very close resemblance with what I've got going on. My Giordano has alloy rims and side pull brakes with rubber pads.

Not normal in most cases! At least from my experience. If you see no damage to the rim braking surface then I would have to assume that it is road debris that somehow adhered to the pad (or rim) and was embedded during regular braking. I would think it would catch in the pad's grooves; but still, I have not seen that before (at least not to the degree in the example photo, probably a more regular issue that mechanics observe during routine and/or repair servicing); although most of my pads are older and harder (some by design, some by age). That debris should be removed immediately. I would assume that it does not sound very good when braking. I do understand that the photo is not your bike, but similar condition.

[Nikko]

I believe that the pad has caught something tiny, sharp from "the road" and over time gathered chunks of alloy from your rim while braking.

[Dirtbagcyclist]

That is fairly normal. As nikko stated, it's usually a result of some grit or debris on the rim becoming lodged in your pad, which then digs into the aluminum, collecting metal flakes. I always examine pads during tune ups to check for this. Your pads dont look too worn out, you could solve the issue by using a pick to remove the burrs from your pads, then filing or sanding them to remove any metallic buildup. I will also usually lightly clean the rims using some fine grit emory cloth to smooth out any burrs on the brake track. Sometimes new pads are needed, the rubber does harden with age or glaze over from heat making this issue more prevalent with cheaper or older pads.

[ManBearPig]

Thank you everyone for your insights. This is super helpful! You live, you learn

(11-09-2020, 11:32 PM)Dirtbagcyclist Wrote:  I will also usually lightly clean the rims using some fine grit emory cloth to smooth out any burrs on the brake track. Sometimes new pads are needed, the rubber does harden with age or glaze over from heat making this issue more prevalent with cheaper or older pads.

Coolio. I will clean my rims and change the pads cause they look overused too. I have not changed them since getting my roadie 1.5 years ago.

[ManBearPig]

@Dirtbagcyclist @Jesper

Is there a significant difference between cheap and expensive brake pads?

[Jesper]

(11-18-2020, 10:17 AM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Is there a significant difference between cheap and expensive brake pads?

I certainly think so. Decades (pre 80s or so) ago there was not much difference except probably the quality of the rubber and pattern (grooves, etc). Sinterized pads were a phase, but chewed up rims quickly. I plan on trying out the KoolStop dual composition pads on whichever bike needs it just to see the difference. I'm used to braking on short pads, fairly hard. Newer synthetics have offered much better braking performance in all conditions over traditional pads, problem is you can still buy some "new" style pads which are essentially old school except maybe a little longer, and slicker looking. I know when I want serious braking: primarily steep descents and when commuting in city type conditions. Use quality pads when you really need to rely on them. My vintage road bikes generally have old brake pads because I'm not doing any quick stopping and I have no hills that require slowing on. You can always do what I did as a kid; bolted on 2 rear calipers front and back of the bridge. Really have no idea how or why I did that!

[Steve Glenn]

I replaced brake pads last week on a couple of bikes and used Jagwire brake pads. Do you consider those as quality pads? Thanks

[Jesper]

(11-28-2020, 08:49 PM)Steve Glenn Wrote:  I replaced brake pads last week on a couple of bikes and used Jagwire brake pads. Do you consider those as quality pads? Thanks

Yes, Jagwire brand pads are decent. I have used on multiple bikes. Jagwire "self-corrected" to "Haywire" prior to my proofreading; please stay away from any braking components from the "Haywire" company; with a name like that it can not be good!

As a side note: I am using cork (homemade, but still available) pads for my wood rimmed bikes. They feel kind of squishy, had to shave them down to reduce some of the pad compression which took out a lot the sponginess in the lever feel. Might try to custom fit some cork into a modern holder with greater econtact surface area. The bike I'm riding woody's on is not going to require extreme braking given its "iight" use compared to the regular riders, although I am entertaining a century ride when the club comes out of virtual ride mode.

[Papa Dom]

(11-28-2020, 08:49 PM)Steve Glenn Wrote:  I replaced brake pads last week on a couple of bikes and used Jagwire brake pads. Do you consider those as quality pads? Thanks

thumbs up for Jagwire from my side. i used them for my mountain bike and repeatedly got new ones. in other words, i did not feel the need to change them for another brand.