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mud+bb5's=fail

747 views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  AlexRandall 
#1 ·
ok... i raced at a local short track series(it was extremly muddy) and about a third of the way through my back brake pretty much just stopped working. i could pull the lever almost all the way with little to no braking actually happening. i came home and cleaned my rotors with rubbing alchohol and i have adjusted my calipers nearly perfect(where as before my brakes would stop me just feathering them and without rubbing the rotor). Now my rear brake doesnt STOP AT ALL!!!!!!

please help, should i clean the pads?? should i let them dry??should i buy new pads??what should i do, PLEASE HELP ME
 
#3 ·
Check if you've actually got any pad left. If there is, and it still looks like its worn 'square' to the backing plate then you can clean it up. I use a knife sharpening stone......I just rub the pad up and down on this half a dozen times and it looks like its new. You will need to re-bed the pad in after this step.
If its still crap, then chances are there's oil or some cleaning-type contaminant stuck in the pad.
 
#6 ·
Did you also reset your cable when you readjusted the caliper?

This (in my opinion) is the major weakness of the BB5 -- the inability to adjust the outboard pad independent of cable pull.

I'm betting the mud ate up your outboard pad, and it's no longer making sufficient contact with the rotor. To compensate, you have to move the caliper in towards the wheel (causing the outboard pad to get closer to the rotor), and partially engage the caliper arm to force the pad out from its rest position.

Or, just install news pads when your old ones are half worn out.

You could install a new pad in just the outer position, and rotate your half worn ones into the inner position to finish them off.

Big PITA, major shortcoming of the BB5.
 
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