kereactive#3 - Disk Brake Pad Groove

This things, start from my curiosity, or maybe you also get noticed, why disc brake pad for bicycle is smooth, means doesn't have the groove/ line / comparing to motorcycle or car disc brake. Actually from the basic design is totally same, brake pad, master cylinder and disk it self

Below my experiment to my rear shimano disk brake

 

what you need actually only steel saw, 

make the groove line for 45 degress across your brake pad 

And then place it reverse to disk movement

make sure the groove is not deep enough

After trial some riding trips, found that actually no significant increase, maybe riding trips not quite good enough to test the disk brake performance :p

But one thing clearly, it's help cleaned my rotor, brake pad from dust / mud , i just need thin piece of steel stick inserted into that groove

kereactive#2 - Shimano Hydraulic Brake Bleeding Evaporation Method

Today we gonna show you something new about bleeding for Shimano Hydraulic disc brake
There are many ways to bleed your hydro brake, actually the aim is the same "to remove bubbles out of the brake system" , so all of your system only consist of brake fluid. This is the main point of having a hydraulic brake, because bleed the brake system with brake fluid is very easy, even all of you can doit by yourself


Commonly there are 2 technique to "remove bubbles"

1. Take out bubbles from brake reservoir tank 
2. Take out bubbles from brake caliper intake valve

In this case, this brake system is already pre-bleeded, we need perform this re-bleed because after use for several times, your hydro brake will loose its tight and loosing its power to push the caliper, this because your hydro brake system (mostly) been filled up by this bubbles
Here i show you how to bleed hydro brake with a new way, that we will use "bubbles natural flow" to go up, contrast to gravity, so bubbles automatically will out from your brake system


I use Shimano non-series M575, which doesn't have a reservoir tank
you need to purchase this from your LBS  


What you need

• Oil stopper - oil funnel ( for Shimano M575 or other shimano model )
• Shimano Mineral Oil ( Shimano disc brake only )
• 2mm Allen Key
• zip tie / rubber band / scotch tape <-- this is the main actor of this episode :)

How to do it 

Stand your bike, since i don't have bike stand i remove my front wheel :p 

and adjust your brake lever position to horizon

Open your caliper from it's mounting

 

Open the 2mm Nut,

Put the oil funnel tighlty and then fill it with mineral oil

 

Here the key action, 

put a zip tie/ scoth tape / rubber band in half tigh position  ( not to tight, but keep lever opened )
this position make bubbles get out naturally from your brake system

 let this position for one night at least, before you riding

if it is needed, you can shake your brake hose and a little hit to your caliper to help the bubbles out

after one night perform this, you can try ride your bike, 
see how much your brake performance increase better than usual bleeding method :)

Happy Riding :)