…..after my Avid rant yesterday…
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/avid-sticky-pistons-amp-bleeding-stupid-contraptions

………..this might help a few people out.

I had to go to my bike shop – Terry Wrights Cycles in that nearby Deeping St james to drop a bent wheel off for a mate. While there I mentioned the phenomena of sticky pistons/pads and the suggestion was made that I should scrape off the paint around the edge of my SSC pads. The guy (Paul) said that if you compare the Avid and aftermarket pads, most of the AM ones for some reason come with paint on, which means they are a tighter fit in the caliper.

So, I trundled home and after 20 mins fettling with a scalpel to remove paint from the edges and creating a small chamfer onto the back edge, I refitted the pads, realigned the calipers (just in case) and whoopy-bloody-flippin-bleeding-do. Both wheels are now almost 100% free of any drag. The front drags slightly at one point in the wheels rotation so i think the rotor is a bit out. But a 1000% improvement!

So now I won’t be expending energy needlessly at the Enduro6 on Sunday!!

Sand paper would have been easier than a scapel. Very good tip.

I’ve found this with 3 ‘different’ brands of aftermarket pads in My Magura Louises. I attack them with a file.

Sorry, I never read your previous thread because I’d have suggested this straight away if I had…!

🙂

Juicy calipers are poorly made too – I had to remove some material from inside one of my calipers to stop the same problem of the pad backing catching and sticking on the caliper.

p.s. that happed with any variety of pads, originals included.

Not on a thin, fiddly edge like that it wouldn’t…sharp scalpel is very effective, didn’t cover me in black powder and feels more fettley (which is obviously important! 😉

Plus I had a scalpel in my tool bag, whereas I would have had to have routed around for some sand paper……might try and find a cheap needle file for future use. I did have a set of small diamond needle files but don’t know what happened to them

Oh, Peterpoddy! Shame on you for not mentioning this yesterday!!

I suppose you don’t want to take too much off or the pads will rattle around as well.

mk1fan, I think the spring separator should stop most of the rattling, and to be honest my bike makes enough squeaks and rattles for the pads to be the least of my worries! 😀

I’d happily trade nice un-binding brakes for a little rattle, anyday!! Yesterday out on a ride, a mate was coasting along a lumpy section of trail without pedalling at all. I had to pedal the whole way through it just to stay with him. As soon as I stopped pedalling I slowed dramatically because of the pads binding!

But just think how much faster you’ll be than them now you’ve had the extra training!

True…..every cloud and all that……I would post a smiley up but for some reasons all the buttons have disappeared….!

And of course think of all the weight you’ve shed by scraping off the excess paint!!
I always found my Avid Juicy’s to be a pain in the bollix. They worked for about half an hour a month, and the rest of the time dragged like one of those old dogs whose back legs don’t work. It was horrendous, and on the new build I went with Formula Oro’s instead. Voila – they just work.