[jmonica]

Hi, I was hoping one of the smart, knowledgeable people on here might give me some advice on this.

Installing new sintered brake pads up front. They did not come with the shims that clip to the back of the pads. The existing pads have the shims. The manual says to remove them and put on new pads, but beyond that I am getting conflicting advice. Some people are telling me not to use the shims if the new pads didn't come with them.

Having more experience with car mechanics, those shims are usually there to prevent squeaking and normally come already attached to new pads from the mfgr., but in regard to motorcycle pads, some people are telling me those shims are there to help center the pads. Honestly, I do not believe that's why they are there, but what do I know?

So would you guys suggest using the shims? I guess I should check with the brake pad mfgr huh? I do trust the opinion of guys who have been there and done that though, which is why I come here for help and advice.

Thank You!

 

[jmonica]

Was going to bump this but honestly there's not much activity on here so it seems pointless. Thanks anyway.

 

[Intuit]

Hey @jmonica . Missed this one.
From experience, unless they're badly deteriorated, I don't see a problem with transferring them to the new pads.
I normally clean'em up and stick'em back on there. I use a very small amount of grease around the piston to keep that from wearing into or sticking.
They don't seem to do jack for squeaking. I think that's just a function of the pad material. Organic pad compositions are much better for squeaking but suck in wet/cold weather. Suspect they're there to serve as a predictable surface for the piston. The backing for the pads vary and may be painted or coated with something you don't want building up on or reacting with your caliper pistons.

 

[jmonica]

Hey @jmonica . Missed this one.
From experience, unless they're badly deteriorated, I don't see a problem with transferring them to the new pads.
I normally clean'em up and stick'em back on there. I use a very small amount of grease around the piston to keep that from wearing into or sticking.
They don't seem to do jack for squeaking. I think that's just a function of the pad material. Organic pad compositions are much better for squeaking but suck in wet/cold weather. Suspect they're there to serve as a predictable surface for the piston. The backing for the pads vary and may be painted or coated with something you don't want building up on or reacting with your caliper pistons.

Awesome Thank You for the reply! I'm following your advice.