Disc Pad Installation and Break-In
Here's a quick plug for proper maintenance of your brake system.
Bleed you brakes as frequently as you can (at least once per year.)
Thoroughly clean the brake caliper, dust seals, guide pins, etc
with a can of automotive brake clean solution after removing your
old pads. On higher mileage bikes, remember to use a micrometer to
measure the thickness of your rotors. You may think a set of new
pads are all you need, but your rotors might just be one ride away
from the junk bin.
Once you've decided on an appropriate disc brake pad for your
riding style and have them installed on your bike, you'll want to
bed the pads in by making a series of gentle, controlled stops from
a speed of 40-50mph. Find a nice open stretch of road. The first
few stops may seem a little scary as you squeeze the brakes and get
poor stopping results. Don't be alarmed. This is merely the result
of the last amounts of residual moisture and adhesives working
their way out of the pad and into the atmosphere. After a few more
controlled stops, you should feel a dramatic increase in braking
effectiveness.
Resist the urge to immediately go out and hammer on the brakes with
high speed, tire smoking stops. This will likely lead to pad
glazing, a condition where the resins in the pad crystalize on the
friction surface, resulting in poor stopping performance and
excessive noise. If this occurs, the pads are useless. Throw them
away, buy another set and start the whole process over
again.
