Disc brake issue/slanted pad
 

Hello,

I'm looking for tips to solve a baffling issue with hydraulic disk brake that I couldn't google anywhere. Just for sake of completeness, the brakes are SRAM Level TL, fairly new (less than a year, not ridden much and not exposed to extreme elements or a crash), the rotor is straight. Happens only on the rear brake, front brake is OK, both pads there are nicely parallel to the caliper and the rotor.

The problem is that one side (right side in the picture) of the brake pads (red) is somewhat slanted and slightly rubs against the rotor (grey) at all times. The other side looks parallel both to the rotor and to the caliper body.

Things I tried so far:

1/ flip around the pads. The situation looks the same, still the right side is slanted, so I guess the problem isn't with the pads themselves. Something must be pushig the far end of the right side pad towards the rotor.

2/ remove rotor, remove pads, feel around with fingers/tyre lever for any unevenness. Couldnt find anyting. I pumped the brake several times while pads/rotor were removed (only slightly not to pop those pistons out). Tried to push the pistons back using fingers/tyre levers. To no avail.

3/ loosen the brake body mount, squeeze the brake to center it on the rotor, tighten the body to the mount again. No visible change.

Any ideas? Googling didn't yield even a single description of this issue, let alone a solution.

Thanks a lot in advance,

Tony



Bloody hell, the forum engine won't let me upload pictures, so my painstakingly drawn schematic goes out of the window :(

I hope it is possible to visualise the issue from the description :) Just adding that the pad is slanted so that the "far" end of the pad, near the rim of the rotor, is further away and the "near" end, closer to hub, is closer to the rotor, to the point of rubbing against it.

The manual outlines a Pad Advancement Procedure, a Pad Gap Reset, and Pad Retraction Reset. Might go through the process to see if it helps. There's also info on how to remove/replace the pistons.

All you have to do is tell us you put them in your gallery. There were 3 others there, but they looked the same to me. So I only posted this.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...52c3f2e39d.png

Get more than 10 post's and maybe a day after the 10th and you'll be bestowed with the super human ability to post your own pic posts. <grin>

I was only helped by the exchange on a new one.

Yeah, that's it, thanks a lot mate. Maybe there could be a message telling new users that attached pictures will be shown after some pre screening. All I got was a block page telling me I can't post links or pics until 10 posts.

Made me wonder if I should spam the forum with 10 posts so that I could receive the special powers ;)

Should be posted in 'bicycle mechanics' not GD, obviously a mechanical question.

Yeah, I saw the manuals already and pretty much did all the steps they suggest. Didnt change anything though.

That will get you disciplined, too. I think you're allowed 5 posts per day when you're on probation. It's all meant to put the brakes on real spammers.

If you bought this at a local shop, then I'd take it back and just see what they say about the issue and if they offer to do anything towards fixing it.

However if the pad is worn to the point that it's obviously worn uneven as you show, then at the minimum you need new pads. I can only imagine that the pad didn't slide freely where it is pinned at the top. However perhaps the brake piston was askew in the cylinder from the get go and caused the pad to be worn unevenly.

I don't know how to solve your brake problem, but that diagram is one of the best illustrations of a problem I've ever seen on this forum. Well done!