I have recently replaced a set of brake pads and got sintered pads for my avid code 5's and after i thought i broke them in i realized that they weren't as powerful as they were before i replaced the pads. Iv'e done a few shuttle runs over this past week and they r still not as powerful as they were before. I had a friend take the pads out, give the pads a alcohol bath and clean the rotors as well to see if i could brake them in properly. riding around the street a bunch seemed to work but they r about as powerful as they were before, and not getting better after a good amount of time riding around. Should i get new brake pads, rotors, or just bleed the brakes again? Thanks
Sintered pads will run hotter, if you glazed the rotors then alcohol or even brake cleaner will not remove it. Get some fine grit sandpaper, say 1000, and lightly sand the rotors and the pads. Sand in one direction and not a back and forth movement or up and down. You can just pinch the rotor with the paper and spin the wheel. The pads will have to be removed to make it easier to sand them. Reading that you bleed the brakes brings up a question, when you say the brakes do not have the same power, are you saying the brakes do not stop you as fast if at all, meaning the wheel keeps rolling/spinning no mater how hard you pull the lever, and will not lock up? OR Do you mean you have to pull the lever farther to get the bike to stop but it does stop?
lever throw and lever reach are 2 mutually exclusive things. if after your bleed, your throw is longer, then you have a bad bleed.
Re-bleed, adjust lever reach and if possible the "bite point". Go for a ride. Some brakes only have the reach adjustments. One way to test for air in the system, pull the lever, hold it tight for a minute or two and feel if it slowly moves towards the bar. If it does, then release the lever, pump it a few times and check again where it sits when the pads grab the rotor. If there is air in the sytem it will firm up right after pumping and then soften again as you hold it.
