New brake pads too tight...

a.s.

Mr. Chainring
Installed new pads on my Guide RSC brakes and now they are rubbing the rotors. What am I missing? How do I get them to open up? Do I just push the piston in a bit?
 
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JDurk

Well-Known Member
Installed new pads on my Guide RSC brakes and now they are rubbing the rotors. What am I missing? How do I get them to open up? Do I just push the piston in a bit?
So if you didn't push in the pistons before installing the new pads, you should push the pistons in. Remove the wheel, remove the pads, and using a thin plastic tire lever, push the pistons back in. Reverse the process.

Edit: It's just me, but I also adjust pad contact point to fully open and lever reach adjust before pushing in pistons. No sure if that's required.

Edit #2: I have Shimano brakes on 3 of my bikes. SRAM might be different.
 

John the Plumber

Well-Known Member
Are you using a brake alignment tool after you open the piston? You have to loosen both bolts on the brakes push the tool between the pads pull brake lever in and tighten bolts. A perfect alignment. Hope this helps.
 

a.s.

Mr. Chainring
What @Ryan.P said. It's so easy to do with the SRAM kit too. Literally takes 5 minutes a side.
I bled my brakes back in February. I think the issue is that the new Galfer pads are slightly thicker than stock Sram pads. I let out a bit of fluid and that seems to have helped.
 

Dave Taylor

Rex kwan Do
I bled my brakes back in February. I think the issue is that the new Galfer pads are slightly thicker than stock Sram pads. I let out a bit of fluid and that seems to have helped.
I had something similar with my sram force brake pads. I bought some off Ebay then bought original red pads. They both rubbed until I bled the system.
 

krink

Eddie Munster
Are you using a brake alignment tool after you open the piston? You have to loosen both bolts on the brakes push the tool between the pads pull brake lever in and tighten bolts. A perfect alignment. Hope this helps.
Which alignment tool do you use?
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
I’ve never had success using those, so I rely on precision eyeballs.

seems the rotor does a good job of aligning it with the rotor ??
;)

now is the rotor true ?

rotors are also different thickness - if the piston is retracted all the way, then it is either pad or rotor thickness causing interference.
Use the @Kaleidopete method, and ride the bike until it self corrects!
 
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