Doh ! WD40 on rear disc/pads :(

CSA

CSA

CSA

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my MTB rear brake disc has stopped gripping,its all tighened correctly and the pads have a lot left on them,i can only pressume the wd40 i sprayed onto the cassette the other day has penetrated the pads and now they wont lock on the disc under braking

a quick google suggests cleaning it with alcohol but i dont have any and i wanted to use the bike in the morning,is there anything else i could clean it with ? nail varnish remover ? thinners ? washing up liquid ? lol


would any of those work ?
 
bugger , bikes only a month old too oh well ive ordered some now but i'll also clean with nail varnish remover just incase because i want to use the bike in the morning,i dont suppose lightly grinding the top layer off the pad would help would it ? :D
 
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Find a big hill and burn the WD40 out of them, you'll either stop, which means they are fixed.... or you'll crash and die :D
 
CSA said:
i dont suppose lightly grinding the top layer off the pad would help would it ? :D
Click to expand...

May as well try it, the other option is to get new pads.
I'v tried various cleaning products (alcohol, thinners, 'brake cleaner', blowtorch) but never found anything that gets tham back to what they were like before. I'v also heard boiling them in a pan of water can help, but never tried it and i dont really believe it would do much good :p


On a side note, dont use wd40 to lube your chain. It's a degreaser rather than a lubricant and wont properly protect it.
 
i dont use wd40 for anything as its horrible stuff.

i stick to teflon grease you can get some dry teflon stuff in spray on form aimed for motorbike chains it leaves a waxy film so doesnt attract dirt like regular grease would
 
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thanks all , some good advice there !

hopefully the new pads will arrive in a day or two,i left them soaking in nail varnish remover last night , gunna take them out and boil them now then lightly grind the tops off before i set out on the bike :D
 
Smear some mud over your disc rotors too, I find that works beautifully to skim the top layer of disc pad material off and give a nice fresh 'bite' to the pads - the sandier and grittier the mud, the better :)
 
well after a 27.5 mile ride this morning they feel alittle better,still not good enough to call them "fixed" but better than they were, i'll still replace them as soon as the new ones arrive

i'll try that with the mud thanks matt for that advice and to every one thats posted , much appreciated :)
 
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Isopropyl alcohol is the best stuff for cleaning rotors/pads, you can get it from chemists but they're a bit shifty with giving it you somtimes. I've found that Halfords' own brand brake and clutch cleaner works just as well.
 
when replacing pads on my motorbike, i use very fine wet and dry to remove deposited material on my discs. this allows new pad too mate with my disc,

so id of just use very fine wet and dry on both pads and gentle rub on disc
 
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