Interesting wheel issue...
#1
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Interesting wheel issue...
Alright so on my SE I have now had two instances of metal from the rim coming loose, getting lodged in the brake pads and causing some scoring on the rim. I am thinking Ill just take the wheel and sand down the grooves so hopefully this doesnt happen again. But I am wondering what kind of cautions I need to take, also how deep of a groove would warrant replacing the wheel?
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Check and remove the shards from your brake pads more frequently, like when you start hearing metal-on-metal sounds.
#3
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Also, maybe try softer brake pads. The pads that came stock with my Shimano brakes were tough on my rims so I switched to to softer koolstop pads. I have used black, salmon or combo pads and hardly ever find bits of metal in them.
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Sanding the braking area of the rims is a bad idea, IMO. It is more likely bits of junk are stuck in the pads. Check and clean them more often.You can use your finger tips or cotton ball along the surface, to find small shards. I clean the braking grooves with Goo Off, or similar product with a green scour pad, med to light pressure, and make sure it is totally wiped off.
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Kool Stop orange pads are great.
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#8
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When ever I have herd metal grinding I have stoped, pulled the pad and dug out the metal pieces. I was just hoping for some input on how to prevent it. Thanks for the advice and I'll try the softer pads.
Also I should say when I talked about sanding the rim I didn't mean really get after it and remove a lot of metal, i was just talking about doing a light sand with a high grit to take down the sharp edges in hopes that there would be less chance of small pieces coming off.
As far as the grooving I'm seeing and talking about, it is definitely from metal being lodged in the brake pad and then dragging on the rim.
Also I should say when I talked about sanding the rim I didn't mean really get after it and remove a lot of metal, i was just talking about doing a light sand with a high grit to take down the sharp edges in hopes that there would be less chance of small pieces coming off.
As far as the grooving I'm seeing and talking about, it is definitely from metal being lodged in the brake pad and then dragging on the rim.
Last edited by Dilldog; 06-04-19 at 02:46 PM.
#9
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Soft pads like the salmon help a lot, also very important after riding in rain is when arriving home, wiping rims with a rag to remove grit. Even a wet rag wipe back and forth on pads to remove gunge, this all goes a long way reducing rim wearing and what you describe.
And taking a close look regularly at pads for embedded stuff is always a good idea.
And taking a close look regularly at pads for embedded stuff is always a good idea.
Last edited by djb; 06-05-19 at 01:25 PM. Reason: gunge
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I have seen bits of rim lodged in brake pads before, but it always seems to be rim specific - some brands and models of rim have this problem and some don't. The rims from one manufacturer in the mid 90s were notorious for shedding chunks of aluminum, even though most of their stuff was very high quality. I won't mention the name because the same company went belly-up and has been bought and sold several times since, and has no relation to the original company except the name (if they are even still around).
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I've had a similar problem with a new wheel set in the past. While brake pads can and do pick up debris such as small stones that become embedded and cause scoring, my wheel set was poorly machined so that pieces of aluminum were breaking off and embedded in the break pads. I gave the rims a good scrubbing with sand paper and saw slivers of aluminum coming off. That iliminated the problem except for road debris.
#12
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Using my crusty old 1986 Campy NR brakes and pads with equally crusty old Araya rims produced lots and lots of aluminum bits stuck in the pads. Changed pads and rims to new stuff and problem went away.