Choose your type of ATV brake pads
If you notice a decrease in performance during braking, significant wear or even the presence of grease on the lining, the change of the brake pads will be inevitable. The quality of your braking and your safety depend on it.
Before choosing the model, it is necessary to note the reference of your brakes to ensure that your future pads are compatible.
The 3 types of MTB brake pads :
The MTB Brake pads consist of a support and a lining that will come into contact with the disc during braking. The support is either steel or aluminium, the latter having a better ability to evacuate the heat that can be caused by repeated braking.
The choice of a plate is mainly made on the packing. There are 3 types of them:
- Organic (you will also find it under the name resin) : organic pads are the most common, they have the advantage of having a very good braking efficiency from the first wheel turns (so cold) and a relatively affordable price. However, they will tend to wear out more quickly and will be quite sensitive to mud.
- Metallic : inserts with a metal seal provide better performance in difficult climatic conditions, and due to a less soft seal, their life span is longer. Unlike organic ones, they require a short heating time to restore all the braking power.
- Ceramic : Ceramic pads, like metal pads, offer high braking power and will withstand even better the very high temperatures that some disciplines can impose. This performance gain implies a slightly higher price.
Manufacturers also offer compromises with semi-metallic or semi-ceramic inserts that reflect the advantages and disadvantages of each material. Note that if you change the type of lining, we recommend that you also change the brake disc.
What type of platelets for what use :
The choice of trim will depend essentially on your practice. Indeed, the braking constraints will be very different between a Cross-Country and Downhill practice for example. Among the flagship models are the Shimano B01S MTB pads .
For rando and Cross-Country, where braking is rather occasional, organic pads will be ideal because their performance is good even when cold.
For practical practices such as All-Mountain or Enduro which will put more strain on the brakes, a metal lining will provide better performance and resistance to high heat.
Finally for DH or Freeride which puts a lot of stress on the brakes, the choice will be to use metal or ceramic pads if you want regular braking power throughout your descent.
Changing the brake pads, to ensure good braking quality, requires a few steps to be followed. If necessary, do not hesitate to read our tutorial to change your MTB brake pads properly .
