question for the detailing gurus

Discussion in 'Maintenance' started by bonjo, Jun 23, 2020.

  1. bonjo

    bonjo Active Member

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    Do you guys clean the disc cross-drilled holes? and how?
     
  2. Slick

    Slick Elite Member

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    I do mine when I free the buttons. The holes get cleaned first with a drill bit, then the buttons using the nut and bolt method.
    Whole lot treated with iron fall out then brake cleaner.

    Lol brakes dont work on first application but once primed very nice!
     
  3. hitch

    hitch Elite Member

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    Any further explanation would be great (for me at least) ....I don’t really get what you said :oops:
     
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  4. bonjo

    bonjo Active Member

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    bilt humbert auto whell as you mentioned in another post?
    another good detailed write up slick for bad weather days?:)
    (by popular demand:D)
     
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  5. Slick

    Slick Elite Member

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    Cleaning the brake buttons is required as it allows for the different expansion rates between the disc and carrier. If the button become too locked up the disc can warp slightly pushing the pads back, in worst case the disc might be permanently deformed see video using the nut and bolt method.



    The holes in the disc primarily allow gases to escape between the pad and disc. Cleaning them is more of a detailing thing rather than improving performance. Just a suitably sized drill bit is used to scape the crud out. I prefer to do this with Bilt Hamber Autowheels
    1 it contains iron removal so loosens the crud
    2 as its wet it reduces the nasty dust

    Rinse the whole lot down with water then clean just the disc surface with brake cleaner. Be careful with brake cleaner, as it actually degrades the caliper seals so sparingly is the key
    At this point the disc is actually too clean, it needs a layer of brake dust to work so need to be reprimed before used in anger

    HTH
     
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  6. dern

    dern Well-Known Member

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    I get that you might want to do this for a museum bike to show it off at its best for for one that gets used I really don't think that cleaning the accumulation of material on the disc is a good or even safe thing to do. In effect you're relying on more or less bedding your brakes in after doing this. I don't see the need or sense in this. I'm not trying to controversial and apologies for disagreeing but this seems like an unsafe thing to do.

    I've only found that you need to free the disc buttons very rarely, it's not something you need to do as part of a maintenance schedule unless you habitually ride the bike through the winter and it doesn't get much cleaning. I get it though if you want to make it look box fresh.

    Edited to add... that's a useful video to sort out bobbins but that guy's bike is a shit tip and he should have made a video with the message "look at your disks occasionally for marks that might suggest they're not working correctly and don't leave it to the mot like an idiot like me" ;)
     
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  7. Slick

    Slick Elite Member

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    LOL don't talk about Delboy like that!

    Agree with your point re cleaning the discs as it really is a 'detailing thing' and requires a reprime/rebed before use but I would alway do it if the pads/discs got contaminated(leaky fork seals etc) or I was changing pad compound eg race pad or different manufacturer.
     
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  8. bonjo

    bonjo Active Member

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    Thanks for the feedbacks guys

    Must say I was happy see confirmation of my own thought about the disc vents being more detailing.
    So I gave the bike a full clean (since Jan :eek:) and did the bobbins.
    I was also happy to notice than once I started the nout+bolt moving, they were very free and I didn't need to continue using the spanner to turn them:)
     

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