Keeping your brakes in good condition is critical for ATV maintenance. Once your brakes start to wear out, you could be putting yourself into dangerous situations. You need to be able to stop quickly and successfully at all times on an ATV.
Mud and moisture is the main killer of ATV brake pads, as well as excessive use. Brake pads do their job best under dry conditions. I’m not saying avoid mud, that’s the best part of off-roading, but it’s just something to be aware of.
To complete a successful brake pad swap out, the first thing you need to be aware of is if you have disk brakes or drum brakes.
Most newer quads you will see with disk brakes for every tire. Hydraulic disk brakes are the norm now a days, but you still see drum brakes here and there, and more on older four wheelers. The hydraulic disk brakes are so popular because they stop so much more effectively, limiting the amount of ATV accidents and injuries.
You will be able to easily tell if your brakes are disk or drum brakes by looking for the brake system behind the tire or on the axle. Here are some examples:
ATV Disk BrakesYou will notice where the ATV disk brakes got their name, there’s an actual disk that the brake pads press against to slow the machine down.
These are very common for sport or racing quads. The front disk brakes will very similar except they will most likely be behind the front tire, usually on both sides of the front wheels.
This is because the front brakes are used more often and are so much more critical to slowing the machine down quickly.
ATV Drum BrakesThe drum brakes will look like this picture, they are enclosed with the brake shoes being pressed onto the the wall of the drum inside the drum itself.
These are more often found on older quads or on utility ATVs on the rear wheels. Since the front brakes are most important, it’s usually fine for the the back brakes to be the less effective drum style brake system.
After you figure out which brake system you have, drum or disk, you can get the parts and do a brake pad change.
If you do have drum brakes but want disk brakes, they sell pretty good Disk Brake Conversion Kits on Amazon, just make sure to get the right kit for your make and model.
But what type of pads will you want to get? Let’s talk about the different brake pad materials.
There are three common types of brake pad material to choose from. Ceramic, Metallic, and Organic. Ceramic are usually the most expensive but run a lot cleaner. They create less brake dust which in turn causes less wear and tear to your other brake system components.
Metallic brake pads are popular for sport quads because of the high temperatures they can withstand. But they tend to be noisy and rough on the rotors. Semi-Metallic brake pads are optimal for an everyday rider.
Organic brake pads are the cheapest option of the three.
They are easy on the rotors, and contain no metallic material. The down side is they offer the least performance and slowest braking time.
Semi-Metallic brake pads are the most common and best for everyday use. Here is a link to Semi-Metallic ATV Brake Pads on Amazon to help get your search started. Make sure you get the right set for your make and model.
First step is to make sure you have all the tools you need to complete the job. Unless you like running out to the parts store in the middle of a job. Most of these tools are very common and already in most garages.
Once you have all your tools and parts ready, it’s time to replace the brake pads. This is a pretty easy straight forward process.
First remove the ATV tire and wheel assembly from the machine. It’s best practice to loosen the lugs while the ATV is on the ground. Then lift the quad and remove the lugs and wheel.
This is usually done with a socket set, sometimes with an allen wrench. Look on the back of the caliper and you will notice two bolts that hold the brake assembly on.
Remove these bolts and the whole assembly comes off the rotor. The pads may still be on the caliper held there by two pins.
You will need to suppress the pins on the caliper to remove the brake pads. This is where you’ll use the vice grips or clamp. Once suppressed the brake pads will easily fall right out of the caliper housing.
This part can be a bit of a pain, but if you get the vice grips on just right you won’t have any problems.
You will need to compress the caliper piston with a c clamp or something to get the new brake pads in the caliper.
Once you compress the caliper piston you can remove the clamp and insert the new brake pads.
Remember to set the pads back on the caliper pins just the way the old ones were installed. You will need the vice grips again to compress the pins to put the new pads on.
Simply put the brake assembly back onto the machine by bolting the caliper back into place.
There you have it, you just changed your brake pads. Not that difficult of a job, and can be easily done in less than an hour once you know what you’re doing.
Put the wheel and tire back onto the machine and lower the jack. It’s best to loosely put the lugs on while the machine is jacked up, and then firmly tighten the lugs after you’ve lower the quad back to the ground.
Press the brake down to be sure that your brake is working properly. The first or first two pumps on the pedal are soft as the piston started at a new point on the backside the brake pad.
This might be a good time to check your brake fluid and replace or add any if needed. If you want to bleed the brakes and get all new fluid in there check out this article on How To Bleed Your Brake Fluid On An ATV.
The average rider can go a few years before needing new brake pads. It’s not a good idea to judge if you need pads by how long it’s been since last replacement though.
Since everyone rides their machine differently and with differing frequency, there are better ways to check of you need to do a replacement.
The best way to tell if you need to replace your ATV brake pads is by looking at the thickness of the pads. You could always measure them by hand, but a quick look is enough to tell if they’re worn out.
In this picture the pads on the right are worn and the pads on the left are new.
Another way to tell is if you hear a scraping noise while using your brakes when you’re riding. If you press down hard on the brakes and notice a jittery feeling in your handle bars, that’s another sign you should check out your brake pads.
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Source: The following post on https://www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com provides consumers with tips on how to check and service the drum brakes on their recreational vehicles.
AKRON, Ohio – With the addition of systems such as fuel injection, ABS, fancy diagnostics and so on, there are still some things that have not changed, like drum brakes.
Follow these tips when it’s time to service the classic drum brake.
It is important to work in a comprehensive manner when inspecting and servicing drum brakes. Do not assume the problem lies with a specific component. Poor drum brake performance can be caused by a problem with almost any component, and the only way to make sure the system works correctly it to examine it as a whole.
A vehicle owner may bring in a vehicle with poor drum brake performance and ask for new brake shoes. In reality, the vehicle may or may not need shoes. The lack of braking performance may be related to a poorly adjusted brake cable, stretched cable, worn or seized brake cam or a combination of factors.
The mechanical assemblies used in the activation of drum brakes must have the right amount of free play to provide good feel and power.
Measure the distance from the lever or pedal at rest to where the resistance of the brake engagement is first felt.
Related post:
Motorcycle Braking Simplified with BrakeBuTT
Adjust the free play to specification with the adjuster nut near the brake cam. The free play will increase with time and wear as the cable stretches and the shoe linings wear away. If the specification cannot be met, the cable may have stretched too far or the brake shoe linings may be worn out.
The brakes should engage evenly on both sides of an ATV.
Some models have the cable adjustment on the lever end. If this is the case, loosen the knurled lock nut and turn the adjuster as need. Tighten the lock nut when finished. On some ATVs, both cables attach at the lever, on this set up the lever operates both front brakes with an equalizer so that both brakes are applied evenly. Always adjust the free play to make sure the left and right brakes engage evenly.
The brake shoes wear out over time.
Many drum brakes have an external brake shoe wear indicator. Apply the brakes fully and make sure the indicator is in the specified zone. The brake shoes should be replaced if the indicator exceeds the wear out marking on the brake panel.
The shoes can also be removed and inspected if the brake doesn’t have a shoe wear indicator. Measure the thickness of the linings and compare the measurement to the service specifications.
Inspect the shoe linings for uneven wear or dirt imbedded in the surface. Remove any objects stuck in the surface, and clean with a wire brush. Clean away oil and grease with brake cleaner. If there are any obvious high spots, sand them down for a uniform thickness.
Use steel wool to remove rust from the drum. Spray with brake cleaner to remove grease and wipe clean with a lint free rag. Inspect the brake drum for uneven wear and damage. Measure the drum inside diameter with a machinist’s rule or caliper; measure in several different locations. If any measurement goes beyond the service limit, replace the brake drum.
The entire post can be viewed by clicking HERE.
The previous topic with this name is closed for editing (((so I'll create a new one. The first time I unscrewed the hub nut (under the cap, pick it with a screwdriver), pulled the drum over and it came off without any effort. hands of the pads, the layer of friction material was a little less for the new pad.I decided that it makes no sense to put new ones, I started to put on the drum .
.. but it does not fit))
As it turned out (and I climbed into the drum brakes for the first time) I did not reduce pads with a wear compensation mechanism (ratchet) And no idea is better than screwing the hub nut and pushing the drum into place with it, it never occurred to me))
The nut is tightened, the drum is in place, but the wheel is not spinning (more precisely, it is spinning but with wild effort). It was here that the mechanism of drum brakes became clear to me, all at once))))
And what else became clear is that the drum must be removed. For half an hour I was picking, tapping, pulling .... Sitting still, like at home)))
Sympathizers appeared (he picked everything at work near the office), one went to a friend's service for a puller. The serviceman did not pick up the phone, but the fighter was sure that he was in his service. As a result, he made a mistake, the service is closed, the serviceman is not a subscriber ((The second fighter, having learned about the failure of the first, rushed to the store to look for a puller.
In the store, having learned what diameter of the drum the puller was needed, they twisted their finger at the temple))))
While the sympathizers were burning gasoline in search of a puller and cursing. I sat on my ass and thought. And came up with the following. On the inside of the banana on double-sided tape, strictly in the center of the hole, I glued the key to 17. I screwed the banana (without fanaticism, slowly and as evenly as possible). The drum slipped 3-4 millimeters. He threw off the banana, wrapped a peppy washer in the center of the key with electrical tape. I screwed the banana, the drum slipped another 3 millimeters. And so I repeated the procedure until the drum slipped completely. nine0009
I don’t remember where, I read that the hub nut must be tightened with a force of 75 Nm. So I did, the marks applied before disassembly coincided.
Photo with springs
Well, to the heap
Last edit by moderator:
nine0010
I have only one question - in what condition are the brake cylinder rods now, if, in fact, several tons of force is applied to their grooves for the pads, in an abnormal direction? The bottom stop is at least visible.
And what about the brake cylinder now, what about the glue with which the pads on the pads are glued? In general, the minimum is to thoroughly sniff the brake cylinder so that the pistons run like clockwork. nine0009
It was this question that tormented me when I pulled the drum. Stripped off the side of the lining, brake pads. There is no more damage.
You are lucky.
But in the course of a similar procedure, the gear ring of the ABS system was also damaged, since I also removed it by force, but with my hands and with a twist. Fortunately, the system there is bad, oaky, the ABS sensor has sensitivity with a margin for rust and dirt - it still works.
Pads are bullshit, if "you can't unscrew with a screwdriver" (linings, the old way of checking counterfeit goods), then they will reach their deadline. nine0034 -
Give the drum to the turner, let him chamfer, the next time you change the pads, you will remove the drum by hand.
If you give it away, there will not be a drum in a 3-jaw chuck because of 4 pins, one will have to be knocked out and hammered back.
it was possible to drain the liquid from the cylinder a little, but it is better to remove the chamfer, of course, but this is not free.
nine0006
If normal, then there should be no pressure in the cylinder if the brake pedal is not pressed. Dropping is almost useless. In theory, it should go down by itself, back into the tank, under the action of the force of the springs compressing their pads.
But not by much. And the bevel is big.
Hence the problems,
problem number two - when changing pads, many do not follow the rule:
"First, assemble everything, then bring the pads with auto-supply by pressing the brake hard, AND ONLY THEN CAN YOU LIFT THE HAND HANDLE.
" nine0034 Which must be omitted at all times.
As a result, the piece of iron-lever in the handbrake drum rests against the spring holder on unattached pads, after which, after pressing the pedal, the auto-supply is supplied in the wrong state, and:
1. The handbrake stops working
2. It is useless to loosen it in order to remove the drum pushed to the maximum.
Photo: www.alltechautomotive.com
Many drivers try not to use the handbrake in the cold season, so as not to provoke the parking brake pads to freeze. But what to do if it is already too late to think in advance - if the car is still stuck due to icing of the mechanisms? The AvtoVzglyad portal will suggest several effective ways to solve this insidious winter problem.
Kristina Izvekova
We won't talk about how best to park your car in winter.
After all, all drivers already know that at negative temperatures, it is recommended to leave a car with an “automatic machine” in the “parking lot”, with a “mechanics” in gear. And if you definitely need a "handbrake", then its pads must be "dry" in advance with a couple of sharp braking.
Let's get straight to the point - to the frozen handbrake. So what needs to be done to free the pads from ice captivity? nine0009
First, as silly as it sounds, make sure the car is refusing to move because of the locked brakes. Sometimes agitated drivers mistake completely different problems for icing the handbrake pads.
Photo: www.detailking.nz
If there is no other reason why the car could "grow" to the ground, then try to "wiggle" the pads - raise and release the parking brake lever several times. At the end of the manipulation, try to move. No, not going? Okay, let's move on to plan B. nine0009
Use regular hot water brought in a kettle from home. Generously pour water over the brake drums, and as soon as the wheels start to turn, dry the mechanisms in the same way - with several sharp handbrake braking.
And this is the easiest way of all possible.
Those who for some reason do not like the idea of boiling water can be advised to bring a jet of warm exhaust gases from the engine of their own car to the iced brakes. This will require a hose, which on the one hand will need to be “pulled” onto the exhaust pipe, as well as a supply of time and nerves. nine0009
904248
Photo: www.miamivalleytaxidermy.com
1315398
Another recommendation that some drivers resort to is to use a heat gun, household hair dryer or portable gas burner. Yes, such gadgets are not found in every garage, but there is no doubt about their effectiveness.
As a last resort, if there is no hair dryer, no boiling water, no hose at hand, you can try to knock on the brake drums - perhaps, ice crusts will fall off from external influences. Here, a small wooden block is suitable as a tool. nine0009
Among other things, you can use special liquids for defrosting locks, of which there are plenty on the shelves of auto parts stores.
