Cleaned my disc brakes, but worse now?

[TSchultz]

I just got done cleaning my mech disc brakes with brake cleaner. I pulled them apart sprayed them and the discs down and wiped/scrubbed them with a cloth, but they stop even worse now than before I started. What's the deal do I need new pads?
Should I be cleaning them a different way?

[BRacing]

did you use AUTOMOTIVE brake cleaner? it has detergents in it that prevent the squealing (and friction) of automotive brakes - which operate at much higher pressures and a much lower coefficient of friction (about half).

The solution? Clean your brake pads with cheap soap and warm water. Don't use a soap that has moistureizers or scents in it. Finish by wiping them with a WHITE PAPER TOWEL and rubbing alcohol. Colored paper towel will leech the inks into the pads. If the pads are really bad to begin with, you can start by putting them in the dishwasher (with dishwashing detergent) when you run the dishes. Then follow the rest of the steps.

For the rotors, check if they look glazed. If so, rub them with a med grit sandpaper and water (wet-sanding). Then wipe them down with the paper towel and rubbing alcohol in the same fashon as the pads.

It is important to allow the pads to dry overnight, or all day in the sun. Then re-wipe with rubbing alcohol.

Don't oven-heat or fire-expose the brake pads (as some may suggest). This will cause the friction material to release from the backing pad, as well as damage the friction compound.

Overall, it's pretty easy. Remember to "bed" in the pads once you have cleaned them and the rotors. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon peel.

Enjoy!

-Brad

[oldfart]

I have used brake cleaner and the brakes did not stop as well until I had a bunch of hard stops on it. Maybe that's all you need???Same thing with alcohol cleaning. You need to perform a bunch of hard stops before the performance returns.

[ThePriceSeliger]

Ok.... get some new pads(about 20 bucks for a nice pair;quick stop or summin) and then take off your rotors and get acetone on a clean rag(just a little bit) and clean your rotors then get another rag and it needs to be very clean and dry off your rotor then assemble your rotors to ur hubs and get riding away.

[UltraViolet]

i remember seeing a guy who in all of his wisdom had sprayed his disks with WB40 as the brakes where squeeling alittle, took me ages to get them back up and running well

[ioscope]

hehehe... I guess I'll nix the oven idea!!