Yeah, And on the west coast, you probably have different vendors. I
have had very good pads from all the parts stores in the
Midwest. Not saying that something from WayC Jitney could not be
oddball either, as they have a reputation for selling some oddball
things, and anywhere from very poor to very good quality stuff.
/5 brakes were awesome in 1970 when they first came out. A lot of
water over the dam since. If I pull the /5 out of hibernation, i
will likely either sell it or buy a /6 disk brake setup for it.
At 10:27 PM 10/14/2008, you wrote:
hi Loren!
we seem to have had very different experiences; i've seen cheap
hard pads, and they are typically the same pads that don't work
well enough that i'd bet my life on them.
don't be mistaken that i might have been recommending ceramic
pads for anyone/everyone; they're great for some folks and purposes
(like in my J**p when fully loaded and crossing Sierra passes), but
as with everything, they're not great for everyone all the time...
adding to the mix, they're not all the same anymore, either.
here near sea level where we don't see freezing temps but a few
times a year, the tiny bit of extra pressure they require with a
moderately competent braking system doesn't pose a problem at the
first stop, but it might be different when colder, and someplace not as flat.
but WRT to your tangent, here's wishing you your /5 grows brakes
as good as the pre-servo ABS Brembos that came on my 1150GS; the
/5 wins on significant Cool Factor, but the the brakes on the GS are awesome!
cheers!
e
Loren Faeth wrote:
Hardness is generally related to price, with hard pads "lifetime"
costing more. The cheap pads generally last well over 100k. I
have not seen any poor quality brake pads in decades.
Put the ceramics in if you are racing. Put the cheap ones in if
you are just driving to work or across country. The cheap ones
always work, will dust, and DON'T make you "pucker" various parts
of your body on the first stop on a cold morning. The cheap ones
are prone to fade under hard continued braking, as in racing. I do
not recommend them for track events at MBCA events, or other track
events. That said, the cheap ones do well for everyday
driving. If you live in WA and plan to coast down mountainsides
without the benefit of engine braking, then put in the ceramics,
and heed ernests warning.
My R75/5 has the fantabulous "dual leading edge" front brake. IF
the front brake is cold and damp, or if you are riding in the rain
, it has only 2 modes: off and locked up. To counter this you have
to gingerly tap the brake lever as you first start off, riding in a
straight line., then gradually ride the brake harder and more often
until the brake is warm and dry. TO start off otherwise results in
severe road rash. It is a great braking system in the warm and dry.
It also will not hold you much from rolling backwards. That is a
problem in places like Burlington IA, Dubuque, and San Fran. I
made the mistake once of tapping the front brake for the first time
before I had fully straightened up turning onto the road from the driveway.
Went down Smack. One other time, I came over a hill in the rain to
a line of stopped cars on an bridge, grabbed a handfull of brake
and the front locked because it was wet, and the rear slid out from
under me because I had one of those hard badyear sportster tires on the back.
Went down Smack, and was lucky not to get run over. It was a short
time until I had a Metzler tire on the rear. I always wanted to
put a disk brake on the front, but never have. That experience is
one of the reasons why i like softer tires that grip really well as
opposed to hard uniroyals that will wear 100k miles, but slip if
you spit in front of them. I believe soft, grippy tires are the
best insurance you can buy. I like soft grippy brake pads too. YMMV
At 08:32 PM 10/14/2008, you wrote:
i find that it's not how much pads cost that determines their wear
rate and how fast they wear rotors, but their hardness (or lack thereof).
the ceramics are nice in that they don't dust and don't fade
as much under extreme and/or extended braking. downside is that
they *may* wear rotors faster and that they typically need a bit
of initial warm-up time before they begin to 'bite'; that can
lead to some serious pucker-time if your first stop on a cold
morning is at the bottom of a hill,...
cheers!
e
Loren Faeth wrote:
Buy the least expensive pads from McParts. Oreilly, AUtozone,
Advance, and NAPA all have house brand inexpensive pads. I use
NAPA or oreilly. Fronts generally run $16-$20.
Expensive pads wear out your rotors. SO next time, you have to
replace pads and rotors.
Unless you are racing, not much difference in stopping
power. The human factor (reaction time) is much more significant.
At 01:00 PM 10/14/2008, you wrote:
Okay, this will reveal that I an considering going to a McParts (thought I
did try to call Rusty a couple times and he must have been swamped, and I
had to go).
Remind me what the difference is that I will see with ceramic brake pads.
I called the local Schucks (theyre called Checker where I come from). They
offer ceramic for the front at about $60. Otherwise their
Professional line
is about $50 for front and $30 something for rear.
Talking about the 87 190D in which the brake light has been coming on, and
the brakes squeal a bit.
Havent made time to pull the wheels and look yet. Hoping mightily that I
havent let them go too long.
Brian
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For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Loren Faeth
_______________________________________
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