How to Adjust Your Disc Brakes - Electric Bike & Standard Bicycles, by sixthreezero ETrikes, EBikes & Bicycles on YouTube. 15 min 12 s.
- Video length
- 15 min 12 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Lift the bike so the wheel with the brake spins freely. Spin it and listen and look for the rotor rubbing the pads or wobbling side to side.
Wipe the rotor with a rag and isopropyl alcohol. Check the rotor bolts are tight and the rotor is not bent or worn below its minimum thickness.
Loosen the two caliper mounting bolts about a quarter turn with a 5 mm hex key so the caliper can move slightly.
Squeeze the brake lever firmly and hold it. With the pads clamped on the rotor, tighten both caliper bolts evenly, alternating between them.
Release the lever and spin the wheel. If it still rubs, loosen the bolts again and nudge the caliper a millimetre away from the rubbing side, then retighten.
For a cable brake, turn the barrel adjuster at the lever or caliper out to take up slack until the pads sit close to the rotor without touching.
Check pad wear through the top of the caliper. Replace pads if the friction material is under about 1 mm thick, and bed them in with a few hard stops.
Test the brake at walking pace, then faster. The lever should feel firm and stop the wheel without pulling to the bar.
Tips and common mistakes
Never touch the rotor or pad surfaces with bare fingers, since oil makes brakes squeal and lose power.
Tighten caliper bolts evenly and firmly, but do not overtighten small bolts into aluminium threads.
If the lever still feels spongy after cable adjustment, the problem may be air in a hydraulic line and needs a bleed.
Adjust one brake at a time and test it before moving to the other wheel.
Questions
Why does my disc brake rub after I adjust it?
The caliper is probably not centred or the rotor is slightly bent. Loosen the caliper bolts, recentre it with the lever held, and straighten any wobble in the rotor.
How close should the pads be to the rotor?
They should sit close enough that the lever bites early but not so close that they drag. Aim for a small visible gap on each side of the rotor.
Can I adjust disc brakes without special tools?
Most cable disc brakes need only a 5 mm hex key and a Torx key for the rotor. Hydraulic brakes may need a bleed kit for bigger problems.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
