avizandum

Looking to use old pad backing to take up some pedal travel. Any easy recommendations on getting off remaining brake pad material? (Soak in solvent, etc?)

John Shiels

my advice buy a couple of shims that are available at different prices and different materials. They are cheap.

froggy47

+1

jlutherva

I don't see how adding shims takes up petal travel. The shims simply push the pistons back into the caliper and reduce the heat to the pistons/brake fluid. As the pad material wears, heat to the pistons is increased. You may have another problem like a wheel bearing going out that's pushing the pistons back.

Jim

avizandum

After 10 minutes on the web & forum I give. Where might I find them? Hard Brakes only sells 0.5mm titanium.

StreetSpeed

I'm getting ready to make some prototypes for C5s from .063"" titanium. If you want to wait a week I may be able to sell you a set of 4. I own a machine shop and seeing that Hardbrakes is the only place that sells these things there might be an opportunity for my company to make these things just for a couple of vehicles.

MySR71

A couple of years ago I called Carbotech and bought a set of backing plates (pads just minus the friction material) for my StopTechs. I don't remember how much they charged but they might be worth a call.

Addicted to track

I had to do it once in a pinch. I just chiseled the remaining pad off and then took an angle grinder with a flap disk to the rest. It cleaned up pretty nice. Took about 10-15 minutes a side.

deepcj7

Kns brakes has them.

dbratten

I just use old worn down pads (past the wear grove) that aren't tapered. Usually one shim only on a corner which is enough to make up the thickness difference between a new set of pads and a worn out set -- like when going from worn race pads to newer street pads. It doesn't hurt anything to have pad material on the "shim".

--Dan

CHJ In Virginia

It's easy to get the remaining pad material off the backing plate and make an inexpensive set of shims. Use a bench grinder and the coarse grinding wheel. It will take the remaining material off quickly. Then just retract piston and slide them in. I use them on my Wilwood calipers when pads are about 1/2 gone. The shims keep the pistons deep in the calipers away from the brake dust and track garbage that can score them.

Sidney004

That's how I did mine.

froggy47

Isn't a backing plate too thick for a shim?

I know its one side only.

avizandum

Must have been backing plate Crazy Daze. Carbotech hooked me up for $2.00 ea. for plates. Not worth messing with / cleaning / grinding old pads... (bought a set of fronts to take advantage of prepaid shipping)

Thanks!

Bill Dearborn

I would be careful of the Hard Brakes ones if you are using stock C6Z calipers. I purchased them for my C6Z rears and they are not usable with padlets or single piece pads that are notched for the caliper pad springs. Probably would work fine with Cobalt single piece pads since you have to remove the springs to use the pads.

When I installed them with a set of padlets I had a continuously soft pedal no matter how much bleeding I did. Pulled the shims out and got an instant hard brake pedal. They were getting caught up in the springs and flexing under pressure and then moving back after the pedal was released. Drove me nuts for about a week.

Bill

waddisme

It crossed my mind Sat when I was removing my old pads why I couldn't use one as a shim. They are not tapered and there is plenty of room in the caliper. I am guessing there was less than 1mm of pad left before rivets. Anyway, I saved them for next time I run the pads down that low. Not sure if it is good for pistons to be pushed out that far and fluid be that low in master.

EyeMaster

From what I understand, it's not about pedal travel, as that is already taken care of everytime you release the brakes and the brake fluid gets released. What you want is the piston to stay inside the caliper as much as possible, also increasing the distance between the caliper piston and brake disk so that you don't overheat the fluid and caliper. Ok fine!

So guys, please post a pic of the 'shim' you put in there. Are there no concerns about having an extra piece of metal that's not really held in place? Are the pad sliders thick enough to hold the 3mm thick metal plate and another pad in there safely? Do you just put them in there or do you have something in between, like brake grease or something?

I'm asking all this because if there is a benefit, I might do it myself, but I just want to be assured it's safe and understand it correctly.

Thanks.

froggy47

On a stock caliper, if you use one old backing plate, which side does it go on? Piston side or the other side?

dbratten

Correct. The shim doesn't change pedal travel but does change the amount of fluid needed in the system for the brakes to work. As the pads wear down more fluid is needed to fill the system as the pistons move out. Where this becomes a problem for me is when I switch between old pads and new(er) ones. The pistons must be pressed back into the calipers and the fluid is forced back out of the master. Keeping the pad thickness consistent with shims allows you to keep the same amount of fluid in the system.

I've run with the worn-down pads as shims for several years on the street, for autox, and for HPDE with no issues. I run one shim per caliper which is enough for me. I don't do anything special. No grease. Nothing to hold the shim in place. Just make sure it's sliding freely just as the pad does.


I've run them to both sides. I don't know if it matters but I've thought that the shim might make a thermal barrier to the pistons. Here you can see the shim to the inside. I have front calipers on the rear, also.




FYI -- I am using Carbotech pads, usually the XP10s, which have a smooth backing plate. I change to the 1521s for extended street use.

--Dan

0Todd TCE

They're "pad spacers" or "wear plates". Ideally they go behind BOTH pads- inner and outer to keep the caliper centered correctly. Their main purpose is to control piston extension and keep bore conentricity under control. As the pads wear down the pistons become extended in the bores. That leads to the possibility of the piston becoming cocked or misaligned in the bore. That in turn prevents proper release and pull back leading to excessive pad wear, tapering and possibly caliper body damage. By installing the pad wear plate behind the pad you simply keep more of the piston in the bore longer.

Titanium ones are usually much thinner: .035-.065" thick and are intended more for heat rejection. They can be used both with and without conventional spacers. Thicker Ti does not make a better thermal barrier that's why they are thin. The Ti is also more expensive to produce.

Typically they run about 1/8" thick. You can stack them up if you like but as was mentioned above; if they are not flat you're going to know it as they will create a spongy pedal feel. Hence the grinding idea is not quite ideal.

On a sliding caliper you'll need to make certain the outer plate is secure to the caliper- that can be a problem if it uses clips. This is not the issue on a race caliper tho.