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I sought advice on this when I first joined the GSR a some months ago. I said I would post results and a proceedure if it worked..
Well it worked
The problem:
I had soft brake pads. they had been sitting (like the rest of the bike) for about 12 years in a barn. could have been brake fluid, could just be deterioration, could been water absorbtion.
The Solution:
On the chance that it might be water absorbtion, I placed the pads in the oven to sort of dry them out. My goal was actualy to recure them, removing water and undoing a small amount of damage that aging had done to the pads' composition.
I heated them up to between 110 and 115 dgrs C, and left them to sit like that for about 90 minutes. I then cooled them down to 70 dgrs C over the course of another 60 minutes, and then air cooled them.
The Out Come:
I didn't have to buy new pads.
If you do this, DO NOT allow any part of the pad material to go beyond 120dgrs C. beyond 120, you start to get into temperatures that are used in the initial curing stages of brake pad production, which is also done at higher pressures. It is possible that around 130 and higher, you can cause the liquidation of some compounds, and the alterations of others which may not be visible, but which may alter the internal strength of the pad.
Also, heat and cool the pads slowly. steel and brake pad have different expansion rates.
Test the pads. remove the top layer of material, and then test how well they stop.
place weight on the pads. hit them with a hammer. make sure that they are tough enough to not fracture. how hard to hit is up to you. I cannot really quantify that for you.
If anything looks suspicious, or different from the original product, go buy new pads.
Well it worked
The problem:
I had soft brake pads. they had been sitting (like the rest of the bike) for about 12 years in a barn. could have been brake fluid, could just be deterioration, could been water absorbtion.
The Solution:
On the chance that it might be water absorbtion, I placed the pads in the oven to sort of dry them out. My goal was actualy to recure them, removing water and undoing a small amount of damage that aging had done to the pads' composition.
I heated them up to between 110 and 115 dgrs C, and left them to sit like that for about 90 minutes. I then cooled them down to 70 dgrs C over the course of another 60 minutes, and then air cooled them.
The Out Come:
I didn't have to buy new pads.
If you do this, DO NOT allow any part of the pad material to go beyond 120dgrs C. beyond 120, you start to get into temperatures that are used in the initial curing stages of brake pad production, which is also done at higher pressures. It is possible that around 130 and higher, you can cause the liquidation of some compounds, and the alterations of others which may not be visible, but which may alter the internal strength of the pad.
Also, heat and cool the pads slowly. steel and brake pad have different expansion rates.
Test the pads. remove the top layer of material, and then test how well they stop.
place weight on the pads. hit them with a hammer. make sure that they are tough enough to not fracture. how hard to hit is up to you. I cannot really quantify that for you.
If anything looks suspicious, or different from the original product, go buy new pads.
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