I only recently put on some ceramic brake pads (~200km) and noticed that there seems to be some pitting and chipping at the brake pads… Now I am concerned wether that may be a safety hazard in any way. These are the brake pads of my front brake – the rear brakes show similar pitting on one side but not nearly as severe… I am a heavy rider, so maybe excessive heat(?)
Should I replace the pads? Or is it fine?
Thanks 🙂
by Cold_World8455
4 Comments
I’ve never used ceramic brake pads on a bike but that doesn’t look right for sure. Maybe send those photos to the manufacturer and ask them?
I’ve always sworn by using semi-metallic for bikes as a good balance of power, feel and heat management.
They look very contaminated, have you had oil or grease or any kind of cleaning products near your brakes or discs?
I would replace them. Look worn out. Make sure to give that rotor a good cleaning before the next new set you install.
What led you to pull out the pads and look at them? Squealing? Loss of power? If they are dirty, clean them with isopropyl alcohol (or automotive brake cleaner). Before cleaning I usually sand off the top layer with 300 grit sandpaper if there was any contamination. Sometimes I even put them in a 450F oven for an hour or so before the sanding and cleaning. Do not try a blowtorch. Cramic pads will partially melt, and if the backing plate is aluminum that will deform.
Those pads have plenty of material, don’t believe anyone saying they are “worn out”.
Ceramic brake pads are a bitch, though. I switched to sintered metal and it made my disc brake life immensely simpler. Sintered metal can also take a blowtorch as long as the backing is steel.