Vent: I keep seeing shops set disc brake pad gaps way too tight

I've worked on over a hundred bikes this year and maybe half come in with the pads almost touching the rotor. The other side says a tight gap gives better lever feel and quicker bite. But I've measured warped rotors on bikes that were fine a month ago, and I'm sure it's from heat buildup when the pads are a hair's width away. A proper 0.5mm gap on each side prevents this and still stops fine. Am I the only one who thinks we're causing our own rotor warp problems?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowanj213d ago

Watched my buddy cook a brand new rotor on a long descent because his shop set the pads stupid close. Had to tell him that tiny gap was basically holding the heat in.

david_adams4d ago

Ran into the same issue with my own bike last season. Backed the pads out to a full millimeter total gap and the lever feel is still solid, plus no more heat-related pulsing. That extra bit of air really does help with cooling.