Should just add: these polyurethane pads are for the on/off action of trials riding and for that they are unbeatable but they don't like high temps so don't put them on your gravity racer people!
Good thing I caught that part..)/* I had to stop watching you vivisect brand new pads anyway..( Would you glue rubber to rubber if you were making dh pads?)/* Be nice to your fingers bro and save some blood for the trails..)
Back in the day, we were running SD7 levers with Avid Ultimate or Shimano XTR brakes paired with selfmade pads that hada very special rubber - when road workers put down asphalt, there is a heavy roller machine that rolls it completely flat. That roller has a "cleaning" brim that runs along the length of the roller to wipe off the stuck particles on the roller. That SPECIFIC rubber made the best pads for us here in Estonia, the whole scene depended on having them. Nobody knows what was the exact compound but it sure did work well. I still have a pair of CA-glued pads in my dads house after 20+ years. Great video, loved it, good nostalgiatrip.
That's a cool story, it's funny how you sometimes stumble onto something that works well but you don't know much about why it works as well as it does :)
Omg. This is such a coincidence. About am hour ago I saw a video of you mentioning the homemade pads. I search thru your channel's videos and didn't find anything related so I gave up. And an hour later you post this... So grate!! Thanks!
Thank you for revealing your secret. I'm a bike polo player, and we borrow a lot of tech from trials riding. Disc brakes have been king for a while, but we also prefer the on/off hard bit for bike polo. I'm going to experiment with this to see if bringing rim brakes back to polo might be popular!
I love it Ali. This is the 1st hack of this sort that I am totally going to do. Excellent video illustrating the progression of learning and finding better solutions. Thank you SIr. Cheers
Hi, I'm your big fan. I think your RU-vid channel is the most useful for me. There is really everything needed for me. Technique, riding skills, bike builds... Just everything. Today I started making brake blocks for Magura brakes, exactly according to your instructions. I have CNC mounts the same as yours and a 20x20x500mm polyurethane block. I use a bench drill vise to cut extra tough polyurethane. I clamp a precision steel knife into it and cut it with a hydraulic press. And I also use a belt sander, of course. It works great. Now I hope it will brake well. 🙂👍 I am quite old (43) and a few months ago I bought my first trial bike. And I also bought one for my son and now we train hard together. Good luck!
Poliurethane is a two component mixture like epoxy resin. If you can somehow source the components, you can pour it into various shapes. Actually that's how they make engine mounts, shock absorbing bushings, flexibly shaft couplings and all that. The downside is that you have to make a negative shape to pour into, and you most likely can't reuse it unless you are able to make a polished surface and use some non-stick coating. These days 3D printing is accessible to print pouring forms. It's been a while since I used PU rods, I didn't realized that I could make my own PU parts now!
@@gabiold I did experiment with mixing and pouring my own pads (into a block rather than into a pad shaped mold) but it wasn't as good as pre-made stuff. Might be worth more testing though
Just checked out your links and its exactly what I use!! I use the red 90A for the rear pads and the dark blue 90A for the front, it is weird how different the different colors feel even though they are both rated at 90A
Nah front brakes are always sharper because of the way the braking forces are distributed. Im sure if you swapped blue to back and red to front it would be an indescernable difference.
@@owenwilson3750 Yes I've tried them each way around and same color front and back, they defiantly feel different. The blue has slightly more bite but feels less precise, my rear brake has a booster made of 6160 and I like the rear wheel to be as solid as possible so I run the red there and the dark blue on the front which is a 4130 fork with no booster. I was pleased to see in this vid that Ali had also found the different colors with the same rating gave different performance and that it wasn't just me.
I really like the blue stuff in Vbrakes but the red seems to work better in hydraulic brakes for some reason...it's weird how materials can have little nuances like this
@@owenwilson3750 the added pigment has physical properties too so not very weird. Like black is usually added coal and makes a LOT of difference. For all the 90A they use the same base material when produced.
When I was a kid I decided to make my own brake pads by molding hot glue. I lived on a big hill... the bike was screaming all the way down, and these awesome black meter-long rope-worms were streaming off the rim. Success!
@@Ali_Clarkson I was hoping to be able to use it but since i ride mountain bike not trials I’m afraid I would generate too much heat braking and the pads would separate. I do have a 1990s GT karokoram that isn’t too dissimilar to your first trials bike… hmm
I did it! Bought a A-1120 belt, cut a piece, glued it to a worn off V-brake (after cutting and sanding both) and it works like a charm. Been using it in wet weather and snow and it definitely wears off less than the traditional brake pads. And it costs 4 bucks for like 15 pads!
Nice! I don't ride trials anymore but 25 years ago I worked with the former owner 5.10 who worked with me to develop pads by putting additives and fiber to their Stealth rubber. I still have a couple of the "slumps" from the variations that we tried. The pads were amazing, but we never found an adhesive that would keep them firmly adhered to the aluminum backing.
I never guessed you were gluing the material on. The first video of yours i stumbled across where you mentioned home made brake pads and any time I've seen them since, I some how got the idea you were casting the material on to the backer and then carving the excess away. Really cool to see how you actually do it!
Remember to not just apply the super glue to the pad material and backing, but also most of your fingers, the workbench, and anything else within close proximity.
My father did one pair of brake pads (rim brake, steel wire actuated) from truck wheel chunk two years ago performed wonderful until the frame of that bike decided to give up... but these pads still in good conditions. I guess they are no longer suitable for braking without damaging a rim made of aluminum, because of galvanization process. But hey, thats cool finding your video about that topic, is a interesting one! (and yes, this trick can save a lot of money and if you do it properly, could be even more safe than the pads you usually buy at a bike store!)
Good stuff! Cutting a hole in the bottom of the plastic container, for your shop vac hose to fit in, then setting this up closely behind your sander, makes for an excellent dust collector. (The collector can easily be made using thick cardboard, scrap wood, or even an old metal bread loaf baking tin.)
A couple of suggestions for cutting the pads (no experience with this particular use case): * Paper guillotine or a cleaver kitchen knife for the initial cut (sturdy blade with good leverage). * Small C-clamps for better fixation.
Caveat on paper cutters - thicker material can be hard to secure, I've had stuff wander on me, sometimes under the blade. don't hold with your hand while cutting lest the block roll towards the blade with your hand on it. If you can't clamp it don't use a paper guillotine
@@robbiedevine8518 yeah, clamps are a must. I was rather thinking about cutting a prolonged bar. Long enough to make the leverage sufficient for hand to hold.
I've always thought you had to use molten rubber to get the pad material to match the backing. I never realised a CA glue butt joint would be strong enough!
yeah it blew my mind a bit to find out how strong CA glue can be...I have tried mixing my own polyurethane and pouring it into a block to be cut later but the end result wasn't as good as pre-made stuff
great tutorial! gotta live dangerous sometimes. a square would be helpful for the initial dimensioning. woodworking tools will be helpful also. thank you for sharing
Brilliant video, thanks Ali. Not a trials rider, but I'll definitely be making some pads. If i can get to 90% performance of my favourites, but considerably less than 15quid a pair I'll be very happy
@@Ali_Clarkson Cheers Ali, that's really great info. it will be on the rear brake on my commuter; so I just need short burts of powerful braking rather than long drags (I use my front for all the modulation etc)
I suggest a Mitre box for straight cuts. There are small hobby ones that would suit this work. Cut with small coping saw or use the knife for what works best I reckon. Thanks for sharing Ali, I know I did ask you as well about this, great video!
First, I hope your Pain gets better and you find ways to manage it in the future! I´m really about that Video, it´s the one i waited so long! I just love doing diy Hacks on my Bikes as much as posible ^^ Thanks to your Channel Content I´m building my first Trial Bike (a Work in Progress)
A band saw with a fence seems like the perfect tool for cutting the stock to size quickly and safely, but I realize most people don't have a band saw as part of their available tools. Short of that, a wooden or plastic jig (something like a miter box) could be a good addition to your hacksaw and vice method to increase accuracy and minimize metal on metal contact dulling your blades.
Wow you finally did it! Seems like a good process and I have two things I thought of: I wonder if one of the handheld ratcheting shears normaly used for cutting pvc pipe would be good. I see some around even have a little mitre box so you can cut nice angles. Then, I thought of how about casting some pourable urethane resin? That would also allow for adding things like fiberglass/silica/carbon powders to play with the friction. Anyway, cool video as usual!
I suggest trying a fine / high TPI razor saw or dovetail saw with a wide enough mitre box for the initial cuts. Stay away from those knife blades - one slip and you could easily slice through tendons and nerves and end your riding career. Or at least invest in some armoured cut-resistant gloves. Your brake pads look good and I would ride them but making them is a high impact high probability risk. Stay safe enough, cheers!
I feel like there is potential here for some kind of phase change material. Something with an ultra low melting point at first that hardens instantly. Im thinking something like glue that would grip instantly but then easily release from the rim.
Gotta say that I love this kind of diy content. Probably never using it..but good to know when I can't find proper vbrake pads. I also wonder if ppl have modded their vbrakes to get better results like an XXL brake pad, or using 4 in stead of 2 brake pads. I used a mechanical disc brake for 2 weeks..but I always got annoyed by it's inconsistency, would always fade after idk 10-15 meters of braking
At what temperature does your glue come undone, and how hot do your brakepads get? Find out with an IR-temp gun. Seems there is potential for scary downhill runs on somehting that isn't a trials bike.
Probably not much. I've seen cyanoacrilate glues advertised as high-temp, with 135 degC max. temperature. But rim brakes are not ideal for downhill anyways, disc brake pad materials are so much better and provide way better and smoother modulation in hot/cold/wet/muddy conditions, while these are essentially on/off brakes for trials.
It's 11 at night and the auto parts stores are closed I was trying to find DIY brake pads for the car. I couldn't believe actually found one! I think I might give this a go on my girl's old Camry. After all, what's the worst that could happen
As an old school BMX rider I like the idea of homemade brake pads but I have a weird problem that I run V-brake pads on my U Brakes.... I've been doing it for a long time and I don't plan on stopping. LoL
if you want super advanced geometry you should consider Ben from Applied Science's method of cyrogenically cooling the rubber (can be as simple if you like uber sketchy as home made cyro napalm (i.e. acetone or isopropyl alcohol in dry ice) which enables him to machine it like it's plastic
For your cronic neck pain (which i also do have) its due to your scapula (muscle wing anotomy)... If you retract your scapula your neck pain will relief and probably gone ... the problem is while riding I tend to close the scapula without realizing so it stiffs the muscles and also the neck, making a stiffness in the neck and inturuducing NECK PAIN horray!! however it can be solved by retracting the scapula XD At least it works for me... Learnt it with my P.T. which he didn't even knew that worked for neck pain due to riding a bike but made total sense because i do everything wrong XD
I tried but honestly nothing works quite as well as a blade, polyurethanes strong points are it’s resistance to abrasives (why it makes a good trials pad) and tearing. This means trying to sand or cut it with hand tools is very tricky
Hello Ali, I have no idea if you look at comments on previous videos but the materials you used and said was your favourite isn't available anymore. Can you maybe update the link or give another one? I would really like to try and make my pads. Thanks a lot anyways
I have wondered about a razer sharp chisel, no idea how it would work being hammered into a rubber though, slicing seems to work better than impacts. I know some people have used mills to cut the pockets from a big sheet but that's getting into another level of DIY then haha
Great video as always For one night only a special episode of don’t try this at home Lol No JD this weak my GF brought me a bottle of scotch I am sotted till next week
I only recently discovered printing in PU was a thing, would be interesting but computers aren’t my strong point so I don’t think I’m the man for the job
I tried it. In my experience they are not good, it seems thermoplastic poliurethane has poor mechanical properties compared to casting urethane. Anyway it could depend on 3d filament (brand, additives, etc). Try to find a local 3d print service, it cost to me 30€.
Hot wire or long razor mite be faster but iv never tried that I normally just sand a little bit of old pad and put a little bit glue d on and then cut it off like you mine didn't work that good tho must of been bad for brake was to slipery
@@Ali_Clarkson thanks for reply. I tought so, would never got any idea to use them but nice idea anyway. Just imagine riding down the mountain road and your brake pads melt while breaking at 70kmph 😬
hi ali im new here great video i have an electric bike with v brakes and always having to replace the pads would it be possible to use the same material for both front and back if so what was it you used again please
I wouldn’t recommend this to you unfortunately, this is very specific to trials riding and the material I’m using will just melt for any riding that generates heat.
@@Ali_Clarkson thank you for replying its a shame there isnt another video that shows you what you could use for electric bikes would be much cheaper to make your own pads that way
@@garrylee8355 it’d just be a case of experimenting with different rubbers but once you found one that worked it would be the same process as the video
If you do it regularly, best way to cut rubber is mini table saw machine. Its take a second, and minimum risk, if you take safety measure. Also, its cost ~100$. Less than your fingers
@@Ali_Clarkson Hello again Ali, thx for replying. I'm still a little confused. Doing some research I found out that there's the regular vbrake pads, the hydraulic rim "click" pads and the CNC backing pads. Do all of those work with normal deore vbrake arms? How do you physically mount them on the arm (I noticed that there's a hole in the CNC ones is it for the screw?)? Thx again, love your content
@@luizcarvalho4245 no they need to be specific v-brake versions which have the threaded rod like normal v-pads. As I said these are very rare now and I don’t think there are currently any trials brands making CNC v backings.
@@Ali_Clarkson oh, that sucks. So on a deore vbrake I'll have to go for the regular ones? Do they work as great (with custom made pads and grinded rims)? Thx one more time
2.47: to make your two no-no’s clear, it could be helpful to impose a big red X over them. I think this would be clearer for your followers for whom English is not their first language and who might not have followed your voiceover too well. Btw, rather than bleed over your workshop, the National Blood Service is appealing for people with your blood group (and mine, as well) to donate as stocks of them are low.
@@YanDoroshenko Don’t just think, do! I’ve been a donor since 1965 and will give my 81st donation next month. It’s easy and beneficial to others. You hope you’ll never need a transfusion yourself, but if you did, you wouldn’t half be grateful to the donor! (End of recruitment drive!)
Great video. I feel like the increased complexity and initial investment you in materials you highlighted at the start will help steer people who have no business making and using these away from it.
