How To Replace Avid BB5 Disc Brake Pads - Easy! 

For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button ► bit.ly/SubRJTheBikeGuy

Thanks for posting the content. I was having trouble with the BB5 on my rear wheel. If I adjusted the inner pad until I got good braking efficiency, the inside pad would rub on the disc. If I backed it off two clicks, then I had serious brake fade. I still had plenty of lever motion, and I adjusted the pads to a very even and narrow gap on both sides of the rotor and I still could not lock up the wheel. I bit the bullet, pulled the wheel, removed the pads and pulled out the metric vernier calipers. One pad was 3.56 mm, and the other pad was 3.0 mm. I replaced both pads with AVID OEM pads and the wheel locks up nicely, even down grade on rough asphalt. Great descriptions, and great video quality.

RJ you are my hero this vid was *exactly* what I needed! The spreader comes out the *back* of the caliper housing, and the pads come out the front! I was trying to get the spreader in the same slot as the pads, derp!! Nice videography too, difficult to light the inside of the caliper housing.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

Great video. Just replaced mine using this and it took 5 minutes. Thanks for uploading.

thanks a lot RJ ,was really helpful , u bring just the right kind of videos for a budjet cycles

Video is very helpful. For those who need to know, You can indeed slide the caliper back and forth a bit by loosening the 5 mm Allen bolts to better position the outer pad closer to the rotor however in my case the pad is almost flush with the caliper itself and causes the rotor to rub directly on the caliper. In short there is little room for adjustment so new pads are necessary.

It is fun watching your channel, because of the detailed explanation, the good quality camera work and your obvious passion for bikes. Thank you

Great video! Changing my disc brake pads was a cinch.

Great tips! Seems that installing the inboard pad first, was the thing I was NOT doing. Huge help!

I love this video RJ THE BIKE GUY

Great, straightforward video. I found it very helpful.

Such a nice clip. On point, sir!

Wow, this was just the video I was looking for. Thanks!

Hi, all you working videos are teaching all of us greatly. Can you show us one day how do you customise bike adjustments after bike restoration or repair before testing?

I was wondering about the mechanics of these disc brake calipers worked, my questions have been answered.

A little note here on wear adjustment on the BB5: There are at least two sets of instructions on this from SRAM. One of them, the installation guide (95-5018-005-000 Rev A), says not to adjust for pad wear using a barrel adjuster. The other, the BB7/BB5 service manual, page 11, says that you should use the barrel adjuster on the caliper, but to make sure that you use the locknut after you're done. I remember adjusting a friend's BB5 caliper once, and specifically remember reading official instructions that said to use the barrel adjuster. In any case, this seems the obvious way to do it on the BB5, because there's no other adjustment for the outboard other than possibly pulling more cable through the bolt (which I wouldn't really like to do). Incidentially, this stupid problem was solved with the BB7, which has adjustment knobs for both pads. Mechanical brakes like the TRP Spyre and Spyke also have adjustments on both sides.

Thanks for the easy-to-follow video.

Very helpful thank you! just about to switch mine out now.

Thank you for the detailed explanation! Just completed my first ever replacement of brake pads.... Went smoothly without a hitch, nice braking power now. Great how you took care to explain also the minor stuff that might have really tripped me up. I was kinda afraid of the procedure before, but feeling confident now. :-)

Super helpful tutorial video sir!

Thanks for saving me time!

Thanks a lot by watching your video I could change the brake pads and also regulate the disk. :)

Thanks, helped a bunch today.

Hi mate thanks for the explanation!! I need to replace mine as well but nor sure what pads I should buy. Originals by avids are around 15 for a pair or I could get another brand on amazon and they are 10 for 2 pairs. Which one would you go for?? Thanks for your time and stay safe.

Great stuff. Thanks for explaining things so well.

I have those type of brakes, it's just I was hoping you showed the same thing for Rear Brakes.

Looks like you left the barrel adjuster all the way down or did you have to adjust again once the wheel was back on?

How thick are these BB5 pads in the first place? You measured the old ones but I was hoping you'd measure the new ones as they didn't look that much thicker to the eye!

Interesting nice video, I nearly always remove the calliper and replace the pads on the workbench. Maybe i am wrong

Nice work RJ...

Awesome video as always.

Hi RJ THE BIKE GUY I NEED HELP I have broken bolts on the disc break rotor how do you remove it I still love your videos

Very good, but had one problem and found solution. When I removed spreader using pliers (maybe too big) caused clip to be compressed some. It would not lock in after. On the other wheel, I used a small jewelers screw driver in the bend in the spreader and pulled it out easily without bending it. Went back and shaped first spreader like the unbent one and it stays in now.

I have an older mountain bike with disc brakes and the pads are round are all the round pads the same size or are they all different sizes.

Thank you so much very helpful

Cheers bud, helps so much seeing how's these things are done.

Its a really helpful thanks so much

Thank you - very helpful

Thanks! I'd also recomend checking if the disc or housing needs de-greasing, as it can affect the braking power. Maybe more important on the rear brakes though, with the chains potentially throwing oil around.

RJ - Your channel is awesome, it saves me significant time and money. Get yourself a Patreon account and I'll be the first one to contribute.

another timely video... i should check mine

Piece of cake easy job

will this be the same as changing the break on my catrike trail also?

Amazing video

Pads are still quite thick, you can adjust the cable bolt to make the calipers and pads move closer to the rotor at rest. Same with the static caliper on the other side.

Thank Youuuuuuuuuuuu very much Sir!

Thank you!

Nice and very understandable video/explanation :) Just a question, there's no need to re adjust the barrel adjuster up anymore ? thx

excellent thankyou

I don’t use gloves 🧤 for bike for fixing them I same BB5 I wounding how they made bike disc break and Roder too

hey rj i replaced the ball bearings and the race was big, but when i turned in on the frame it became kinda stiff to ride

Ey so I did the same thing you did putting the pads but why when I use the brakes the brakes feel really loose how can I fix it

It almost time replaced Disc break soon because when you put new BB5 pads it eat the rotor also could be dangerous if don’t replace it now be careful put it properly

It about power disc break AVID BB5 I have to make sure that the pads not to close to the rotor

I have the same rotor, it's from a huffy.

Why you didn't put off that red rotating cap? It would be 3pl easier to replace pads after

Is there any similar video for the rear wheel...

It is a dual actuated caliper?

Hello, I have a 2014 Santa Cruz Chameleon with Avid disk brakes. The brake model isn't listed in the specs on the the SC website. I can't figure out what brakes they are and what replacement brake pads I need, and Santa Cruz and Avid are both unwilling to help (they just want me to go spend unnecessary money at a dealer). Any ideas for how to figure out what pads to get? Thank you.

I have Promax Render mech discs and a problem with the adjustment knob of the pads: front one doesnt wanna move at all and rear rotates both the know and screw, but there is no effect on the pivots. Whats the deal? Oh and the allen bolts inside of the knob are both stripped.

I have done it to but they have both the same also looks scary it been using long time

I have same disc and calipers

The disc does not look like it's good at all it looks the exact same disc as the mongoose dolomite but idk I would like to know how well they stop you?

RJ the bike GUY BB5 pads they have different colors be careful install pad

I read my caliper thought it was named Ariel lol

RJ my disc break is touching the rotor it that ok or not

nice tutorial, but this design is not that great, you can only adjust one pad, with TRP Spyke you can adjust both. I did not know about this after market brand,always great to discover brands.

Good demonstration for replacing pads. But, every symptom he describes is just the cable needing tightening. That's why the not-that-worn pads were not performing well. So, waste of time and money to replace pads in this instance. Just tighten the cable.

This same thing happened to me

The outer pad of the BB7 gets worn out earlier, because it moves towards the disc when braking and then presses the disc towards the inner pad. In case of a light braking maneuver the inner pad might not even touching the disc I wanted to find out if the pads of the BB5 are symetrical and had a look on this channel. The pads of the BB7 are not symetrical. So it is not possible to change the more worn out pad with the less worn out pad. In case of the BB5 it seems to be possible. To mention the video, I would have tighten the string a bit after screwing the barreladjuster back again to really wear the pads down to 3 mm. Many say the BB5 is not as good as the BB7, because the BB5 has no adjuster for the outer pad. I wonder if that adjuster for the outer pad is really necessary when there is a barrel adjuster for the string instead.

HELP... Anyone? New pads are too close together, not allowing the disk fit. My "spreader" pin is install. What is wrong?

this has nothing to do with the video but just out of interest have you ever used a single chainring up front on a bike ??

I fix it before

Ahhhhhhhhh so ok ahhhhhhhhj brakes ahhhhhhhhh

Mechanical disc brakes, welcome back to the 90's

Terrible design. Too fiddly and there's no way to tell if the spring is in place properly. Thanks for the video.

Thanks!

Thank you!