excessive brake pad wear

**ranfog** · #1 26th April 2009

couple of months back i put new ebc pads in the rear,after a month and about 100 miles they where down to the metal. At no time did i feel the brake binding or sticking and it was never a problem to paddle about. But i stripped the caliper and fitted new seals any way. This was done on friday at 17,384mls,just got home today,sunday and its showing 17,422 and there shot!! 38miles!!!

its a kle500 and the caliper is floating nicely and at no time have i heard it rubbing or felt it binding.

ANY ideas welcome.

**electric_monk** · #2 26th April 2009

Foot resting on brake lever.....?? Do you have new motocross boots by any chance..?

**ranfog** · #3 26th April 2009

i do and there new too,ive looked at this and im saying its not the cause. I cleaned the bike on saturday and did the wheels,they are still clean,no brake dust on the rear wheel at all. If id been riding with the rear brake on due to new boots wouldn't there be a massive amount of dust after only 38mls?

***Touring Ted*** · #4 27th April 2009

If your pads deffo aren't binding then your rotor could be bent.

100 miles sounds like severe binding though. Either that or your caliper is out of alignment somehow.

**Threewheelbonnie** · #5 27th April 2009

Can you post pictures of the pads? When you say "down to the metal" is the friction material completely gone? Are the first and second set from the same source?

The friction material is held to the backing by one or two means. It's bonded on, basically heat causes one material to flow into the structures of the others and when cooled forms shapes that are mechanically interlocked on a microscopic level. The second method improves the first by putting metal rods (usually brass) through the friction material. This increases the bonded area, puts some of the bonding perpendicular to the forces applied and works like a rather poor rivet. Most bike pads are only bonded.

This means that if you bend or twist the pad the whole friction material will eventually fall off. This needs relatively little friction, so you get no heat or smell. I've never seen it on bikes (expertise is on trucks) but imagine an incorrectly sized pin or multiple pistons not working together would give the same result.

A pad that wasn't fully cured would crumble like cake, hence my question about the brand and the supplier.

A disk that is not flat will make a lot of noise and heat in the time it takes to wear away the friction material.

Andy

**ShaunJ** · #6 27th April 2009

Maybe defective pads
I had a set on my KLE where the friction material came away from the metal fortunately the material dropped out when replacing the wheel after a tyre change

**ranfog** · #7 27th April 2009

Thanks for your reply's fella's. The 1st set where ebc from my local kwak centre (rossendale kawasaki) the 2nd where from bitzforbikes.co.uk who are only down the road from me. Kyoto or something they where called,only a tenner so not the best quality.
Ive not took them off yet so cant post any pix,but will do in the next few days when i get replacements.Its not a metal on metal situation just yet but its very close.
The disk is a little worn but its straight and true. The caliper seems to be aligned as the last set was worn evenly.

**RicTS** · #8 29th April 2009

I'm with the boots on the lever post. The lever should be visibly lower than the pegs - I've had this issue myself, especially if you stand up whilst riding.

Best way to tell is to get the bike on a stand if you have one, sit on the bike & get someone to check the wheel for binding.

Only other reason would be the pistons just not backing off when you release the lever - but you've already stated there's no binding.

If you fancy a trip to s. manchester then we can whack it up on my mx stands and tinker.

RTS