Brake pads

Bobajob

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 1, 2019
313
140
Cornwall
New to the ebike scene but have a haibije trekking with Shimano MT 400 brakes.
I want to get some replacements but confused yet again on what to buy.
If I go online to buy it gives all sorts of identification number but not the MT 400 specifically. Then there is what type, organic, etc etc.
Confused totally. The shop prices are quite expensive so wish to get from online.
Anyone know what MT 400 pads I need?

Thanks
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
2,214
561
77
New to the ebike scene but have a haibije trekking with Shimano MT 400 brakes.
I want to get some replacements but confused yet again on what to buy.
If I go online to buy it gives all sorts of identification number but not the MT 400 specifically. Then there is what type, organic, etc etc.
Confused totally. The shop prices are quite expensive so wish to get from online.
Anyone know what MT 400 pads I need?

Thanks
Its actually quite easy to find them on ebay.co.uk, here are a selection of suppliers, unsorted in price:-
I always buy the replacements for my e-bike on e-bay, the names fit so well!!
regards
Andy
 

Benjahmin

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 10, 2014
2,460
1,675
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West Wales
Organic/resin pads will give the best bite but not necesarily last the longest, especially if of road/dusty/gritty. Sintered pads need the disc to be suitable for them but will last longer, bite not so good..
If you stick to organic you'll be alright.

This one says compatible with BR-M4**, so should fit. Best to take your pads out and compare picrure to pad.
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
2,214
561
77
Organic/resin pads will give the best bite but not necesarily last the longest, especially if of road/dusty/gritty. Sintered pads need the disc to be suitable for them but will last longer, bite not so good..
If you stick to organic you'll be alright.

This one says compatible with BR-M4**, so should fit. Best to take your pads out and compare picrure to pad.
I agree and that is why I use organic as they are cheaper than a hospital visit!
I use several cheap ebay sets a year, with an action of stopping the bike almost immediately it seems, seemingly needing to really "hang on" when braking very hard! LOVELY!
I have never had any bike myself with disk brakes before, and it was VERY noticeable after V-Brakes on my last e-bike, just how wonderfully powerful and progressive they are in action, but mine are certainly not even the most powerful probably (or even the most expensive) ones around!
But they are very cheap to replace parts and very easy to keep working well....plus I have not noticed any real wear on the rotors yet either in over 2 years, though I keep a spare rotor and a spare caliper handy, just in case!
Mainly because a plastic adjuster part on the original brake calipers, simply gave up the ghost (UV light after about 1 year) and I bought a spare to get me going again.
But I repaired the original one myself, with some ebay stainless steel parts that I simply adapted to fit, and put it back on the bike, where it now continues to give good service.
Stainless steel being far better than plastic under most normal conditions of course! And better looking!
I was quite proud of the fix I made.
With hindsight, humans are always clever with hindsight!, I should have noticed that before it broke, but it only broke while adjusting, not on the road, so no real harm done.
Another point, I read and hear a lot about how much better epensive and sometimes hydraulic bike brakes are, but to me, after trying them out on friends bikes, I notice nothing "better" about them, other than the boasting factor!
Plus several of them have had (to me) strange problems, like turning the bike upside down, and not noticing hydraulic fluid dripping out and having none in the saddle bag, for instance.
Such tales have made me stay with "cheap & simple".
regards
Andy
PS. Second picture shows the poor quality, sun damaged plastic adjuster, and the first one shows my final fix with simple parts, fully assembled.

AndySAM_1470.JPGSAM_1452.JPG
 
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Deleted member 25121

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Further to Benjahmin's advice, check the documentation for your brakes and discs, some will stipulate the use of organic/resin pads only ie not to use resin pads.

Also note that cheaper pads will wear out quicker than quality ones and you could end up having to replace them several times a year!!
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
9,822
3,985
Basildon
I use the cheapest pads from EBay. They don't seem to have any differences from OEM ones. Performance and life is the same. They last at least 3000 miles (M765 hydraulics).

Pads for cable brakes wear or lot quicker, mainly because of alignment issues.
 
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Deleted member 25121

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I use the cheapest pads from EBay. They don't seem to have any differences from OEM ones. Performance and life is the same. They last at least 3000 miles.
Not in my experience, I guess it's down to pot luck with the source of the cheap pads. Andy-Mat seems to be getting little life from his cheapo pads but there again he's fitted his discs the wrong way around....
 
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Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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Further to Benjahmin's advice, check the documentation for your brakes and discs, some will stipulate the use of organic/resin pads only ie not to use resin pads.

Also note that cheaper pads will wear out quicker than quality ones and you could end up having to replace them several times a year!!
I agree with your comments, but unless all the bike work is done by a bike shop, (also expensive parts, possibly !) as long as the cheaper ones still brake fully correctly, the cheaper ones are still great.
I use either 2 or 3 sets on the front brake each year, and about 1 set in two years on the rear disk.
They cost me around 2-3 UK Pounds a set on ebay from China, and are literally, a 10 minute job to replace and adjust. Winter time, they can be even cheaper....
I always buy several sets at a time, so that they are available to me the whole year round.
Though in use, the outer pad wears less than the inner pad, so I tend to swap them around to max out the life fully.
My Scottish blood at work!
I really cannot imagine that an expensive pad set, ever being any better at braking than the cheap ones, as I feel that it would need to set the basic laws of physics aside! My "cheapies" brake really hard when needed and are also very progressive, just what I need.
My brakes are BB5 type. Quite small pads, but available from many suppliers on ebay. I have never ever had a set that did not brake well, in spite of a low price...
Andy
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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Not in my experience, I guess it's down to pot luck with the source of the cheap pads. Andy-Mat seems to be getting little life from his cheapo pads but there again he's fitted his discs the wrong way around....
As apparently nobody else here has tried out the disk reversed,nobody here can know the advantages.....
Someone talking about something they have never, ever tried, is not being very complimentary to themselves I fee!
As far as I am aware, I am the only one on Pedelec, but several friends here have also tried it and are very happy with the results.
uieter braking is what most say!! I agree.
A metallurgist would understand the theory and practice far better I feel.....
Furthermore, I achieve around 3,000 KMs plus per year, possibly more on my new bike, and I use around 2-3 sets a year, which I find MOST reasonable for the front brake, and far less for the rear....
Let me say about 5 UK Pounds a year for pads!
But I have nothing concrete to compare with from other bikers, but of all the ones I do know personally, none do the yearly distances I do, nowhere near....most are still working full time of course.
How many sets of pads do you use?
In my limited experience of friends with e-bikes, the more expensive the bike, the shorter the distance covered each year! Weeks sitting unused in the garage!! Pad usage non existent!
I also here wives complaining about the price hubby paid, VERY loudly!
I could have bought at least 5 of my bikes for the money some I know gave out, plus most have only one battery, I have two!
Andy
 
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Deleted member 25121

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I achieve around 3,000 KMs plus per year, possibly more on my new bike, and I use around 2-3 sets a year, which I find MOST reasonable for the front brake, and far less for the rear....
1000km, 620 miles, on a set of front pads seems very low to me. Terrible in fact.

Have you ever wondered why its so low?
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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1000km, 620 miles, on a set of front pads seems very low to me. Terrible in fact.

Have you ever wondered why its so low?
Interesting.

Remember, I have only ever had one bike with disk brakes, so I never wasted my time "wondering" about pad or disk life....

Also, I had nothing to compare it to!! Nor do bike tests dwell on such things.....not that I read that many either!

My last e-bike's V brakes took more time and money to keep in a good working state, and braked OK, but nothing like my present brakes slow me down!

But assuming that you are right, and the wear on my pads is high, but up to no, I have still not seen any "facts" from anyone here about wear, so its possibly a result of the very cheap pads I buy!

Aso, the pad material area on BB5 sized pads is quite small in comparison to other types of pad.

But its so little money each year, and so little work to change or adjust them, I am not thinking of making any sweeping changes at all, particularly as we have very, very steep and very long hills in our forest, which means minutes at a time braking, or you might easily be touching 60 KMH or more (guessing only!) before very long!

The hills here might be considered mountains in some parts of the UK!!

I once found 40 KMH, on an unmade forest road, unnerving enough, when testing out the speed of my Weimaraner!! (Dog Breed!)

My brakes handle the "workload" for me perfectly, even though they can still get very hot, as the energy must go somewhere, they still work well! I have never experienced the fading that some e-bikers claim to get on long, steep hills....

With brakes, functionality and safety are my primary concerns, and saving 5 UK Pounds a year does not interest me in the slightest! Even 10 x that amount is of no interest either to me.

So I looked around for some facts on e-bike brakes and wear life, but other than many sellers pushing expensive products, there is not that much to see.
But I did find this:-
Q.How long do Shimano brake pads last?
A.Your mileage will vary based on weather, braking habits, pad type, riding style and terrain. But you should normally get 500-700miles from a resin pad, and 1000-1250 miles from a sintered metal pad. The Strathpuffer race ( a 24 hour MTB race in Scotland in January) is famous for grinding down brake pads in one night.


So it appears that I am in the accepted "ballpark" for my pad type and mileage, and remember, my brakes and pads are all no name, and the results above are for Shimano!

Also, there is no discernible wear from my cheap pads on the disk surface, just polishing, and thickness has remained basically the same on a micrometer, which I see as a big plus, though replacing the disks is also a doddle if need be eventually!!

Maybe the longer lasting pads that you use, cause a shorter disk life, have you considered that point? The braking energy must go somewhere!

Here also supports my thoughts rather well, read the first post copied below:-
My front brakes have gotten noisy and the pads look thin (but there wasn't much pad to start with). The measurements are so small and precise that I have no way to check.

I have a little over 1000 miles (1600k) on my bike, much of it at higher speeds (because it's an ebike). I don't think I use the brakes that much but I'm sure slowing from 45k uses much more brake than regular non-e bike speeds. Is it reasonable to think I'm probably due for new pads?
Is this an easy DIY project? I see lots of youtube videos on how to do the job.

(This is a 16/17 Turbo X with Deore hydraulic disc brakes)

So he has exactly the same wear, at around the same mileage as I get, so my wear, according to these websites, is about the same as others are getting, and mine is at a very low cost!

So why would I even think of changing anything?

So I see no reason to even think about changing, but you apparently get a much longer pad life than I,and probably a far shorter disk life, so its "6 of one and a half a dozen of the other", maybe?

Many thanks for your comments, but for me personally they offered, once I had examined more of the facts online, absolutely no useful infos at all.

But its still a great discussion forum here, with many different viewpoints!

I wish you a great weekend.

Andy
 

KirstinS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 5, 2011
3,224
899
Brighton
1000km, 620 miles, on a set of front pads seems very low to me. Terrible in fact.

Have you ever wondered why its so low?
Apologies if already already covered, downside to setting a forum member to ignore!

However, usage makes a huge difference in my experience. Far more than pad type

In winter I barely use pads as I do far less off road miles. I find the off road south downs riding in summer kills my pads farfar quicker
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,990
8,172
60
West Sx RH
The Downs can be a kiiler on pads esp when moisture is concerned making a nice rubbing paste.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
19,990
8,172
60
West Sx RH
I use resin on the front and a semi metallic on the rear.