Brake Upgrade

[SGSpyderGirl]

I am still having squealing going on in the brake area of the spyder, the dealer said it could be either the dealership where i got it use some kind of wheel cleaner and or tire shine and got it into the brakes (which is possible because it was on the show room floor of a non-bike dealer) or it could be just because of the type of brakes and they upgrade them to the organic brake pads..

My question is, how hard is it to change out the brake pads and is there a site with decent prices for the organic brake pads because im looking around 350 and up at the dealer for them to buy and put on the brakes.
Thanks in advance!

[Bob Denman]

Are you still running the original brake pads? BRP came out with a new design in about 2010 that cuts down on the squealing considerably. I even managed to change the rear pads myself; it's a very do-able task!

[SpyderAnn01]

You can buy brake pads from BajaRon a site sponsor or just pick them up from your dealer. As Bob said, they are pretty easy to install the front is even easier than the rear.

[BajaRon]

I am still having squealing going on in the brake area of the spyder, the dealer said it could be either the dealership where i got it use some kind of wheel cleaner and or tire shine and got it into the brakes (which is possible because it was on the show room floor of a non-bike dealer) or it could be just because of the type of brakes and they upgrade them to the organic brake pads..

My question is, how hard is it to change out the brake pads and is there a site with decent prices for the organic brake pads because im looking around 350 and up at the dealer for them to buy and put on the brakes.
Thanks in advance!

Changing out the brake pads is not all that difficult. You can get pads for a lot less than $350 (that surely includes labor?? )

I sell EBC Semi-Sintered brake pads. They have been developed using technology from their racing line of pads.

For price comparison the front pads are $46.50 a set (you need 2). Rear pads are $35.95 (you need just 1). A full set is $128.95 including shipping. I have found that most people need to change the front pads every other time they change their rear pads (rear pads seem to last about 1/2 as long as the front pads).

But you may not need new pads. Here are some things you can try, not necessarily in this order.

1- Blow out/off your brake pads with compressed air or pressure wash with soap and water. Some squealing is caused by a buildup of brake dust fibers.
Advantage - Very cheap, easy. Disadvantage - Temporary cure

2- Use brake/rotor spray cleaner. There are many products out there.
Advantage - Cheap, easy. Disadvantage - Temporary cure

3- Use a brake pad compound (applied to the back of the brake pad).
Advantages - inexpensive, provides a more permanent cure. Disadvantage - Requires you remove brake pads to apply. Best done when you have to replace the brake pads anyway.


4- In some cases it may help to use a fine Emory paper to lightly sand the rotor to remove glazing. Helps if you have glazing, doesn't if you don't. But won't hurt anything. This also helps to re-surface existing pads or to 'Bed' a new set of pads.

5- Make sure your pads are free to move and seek their own position as designed. If the pads/calipers are binding at all the pads may not release completely. This is easy to check. Lift the tire off the ground and spin it. The pads will just touch the rotor because they never release 100%. But the drag should be minimal.

The rest of the story is the various brake pad materials. Originally, Spyders came with Semi-Metallic brake pads. Now BRP sells Organic pads for them. Here is a generalization about the various options.

1- Semi-Metallic - (Steel particles embedded into pad compound) Original equipment on early Spyders.
Advantages - Extremely good stopping power - Excellent fade resistance - Long life.
Disadvantages - Can be very noisy (squealing) - Hard on rotors (not really that big a deal) - Brake dust will rust and adhere to parts/wheels

2- Organic - Current OEM on Spyders
Advantages - Quiet - Easy on the Rotors (not that big a deal) - Brake dust removed more easily, will not rust.
Disadvantages - Reduced stopping power - Reduced fade resistance - Relatively short life span.

3- Semi-Sintered (similar to Semi-Metallic except that a copper alloy is used in place of steel)
Advantages - Stopping power equal to Semi-Metallic, Fade resistance as good or better than Semi-Metallic - Longer life than Organic but less than Semi-Metallic - Easy on Rotors (not that big a deal) - As quiet as Organic - Brake dust removed more easily, will not rust.
Disadvantages - Shorter life than Semi-Metallic

[NancysToy]

Don't forget to remove the sleeves and put some disk brake lube on the o-rings if you dismantle the brakes.

[arntufun]

I am still having squealing going on in the brake area of the spyder, the dealer said it could be either the dealership where i got it use some kind of wheel cleaner and or tire shine and got it into the brakes (which is possible because it was on the show room floor of a non-bike dealer) or it could be just because of the type of brakes and they upgrade them to the organic brake pads..

My question is, how hard is it to change out the brake pads and is there a site with decent prices for the organic brake pads because im looking around 350 and up at the dealer for them to buy and put on the brakes.
Thanks in advance!

Because you own a Tacoma which is the baby brother to my Tundra, I will give you a link that will show you how to change these pads.

All BRP dealers now have the good Generation 3 pads or you can buy EBC from Ron. Either one should work fine. The EBC from Ron has some good reviews when he first started selling them, but haven't heard much lately about them. I guess no news is good news.

Link under my Spyder on the bottom of my post that will show you how with videos.

[Chupaca]

Start with the cleaning processes mentioned. Check your wear to see how close you are to needing pads. If close then change pads. Have a 2012 and brakes squeal some in certain weather conditions. Good luck..!!

[ulflyer]

I had a set of Ron's Semi-Sintered put on the rear last spring to stop the squealing.....it did, and still does, and also made stopping more positive. If you can have it done when you have a rear tire installed it doesn't cost much for labor.

[SGSpyderGirl]

wow thanks everyone for the amount of responses. The price did include the labor but we decided to try the brake quiet first that I bought a few months back to see if that cures the problem with some cleaning of the brakes. The spyder has around 7K miles but not sure if the previous owner ever changed them, but I believe the brakes are still in good shape. I figure worst case scenerio I buy the upgraded brakes and install them.
We are going to pull the fronts today and see how everything works. Again I appreciate all the info definitely will use it today in our venture with it and ill let you all know how it goes

[arntufun]

With only 7k miles on it, I'm 99% sure they would be the original pads. That means they would be the generation 1 pads on your 2008.

I'm also sure the pads will be in good shape, but no matter what you do the squeal/squeak will return unless you change them because generation 1 pads were plain horrible

IMO change the pads and don't waste your time cleaning them. You will have them apart anyway, so why would anyone do a job twice knowing the squeal will return ??????????

[BajaRon]

With only 7k miles on it, I'm 99% sure they would be the original pads.

It is possible that the previous owner had them changed out for quieter pads but not likely since they are not quiet.

That means they would be the generation 1 pads on your 2008.

They will be Semi-Metallic pads

I'm also sure the pads will be in good shape, but no matter what you do the squeal/squeak will return unless you change them because generation 1 pads were plain horrible

Plain horrible for noise, very impressive for stopping and longevity.

IMO change the pads and don't waste your time cleaning them. You will have them apart anyway, so why would anyone do a job twice knowing the squeal will return ??????????

I think there were a few who managed to get their Semi-Metallic pads to quiet down for the most part. It may be a losing battle but it also may be worth a try.

Let us know how you fare!

[SGSpyderGirl]

Just following up to my post, we ended up using the brake quiet because I didnt feel like riding with the squealing till I could get new brakes and it worked great! Tried to find locally that had them in stock and no one had them in stock at least for a can am spyder. So I will be ordering the new brakes and when the brake quiet wears off and the squealing comes back I will replace them. Thanks agian for everyones replies!

[boborgera]

Gen 3 Brake pads, They stop the squealing, Front # 219800164;
Rear # 219800165;

[jwmcclellan]

I have a 2012 RT Limited, and my brakes only squeal when I back up. They squeal until I apply the brakes, then the squeal goes away. Hoping they don't start squealing going forward.

[SGSpyderGirl]

Gen 3 Brake pads, They stop the squealing, Front # 219800164;
Rear # 219800165;

I am planning on getting the new ones very soon, plus the squealing is slowly coming back, had to do something for the time being because it was just driving me nuts

I have a 2012 RT Limited, and my brakes only squeal when I back up. They squeal until I apply the brakes, then the squeal goes away. Hoping they don't start squealing going forward.

Now I do have some kind of squealing every once in a while when im backing up, not sure if its the brakes or something else but the brakes are not being applied. Did it really bad when I first got the bike but I think it was because it had been sitting for just months and months and not being really moved or used.

[1551retired]

I have a 2012 RT Limited, and my brakes only squeal when I back up. They squeal until I apply the brakes, then the squeal goes away. Hoping they don't start squealing going forward.

I'm getting the squeal real bad on the rear brake when I back up. Installed the rear pads last fall (third gen I assume) and only have about 1,000 miles on them. If I apply the brakes when backing up the squeal goes away. Would the "Disc Brake Quiet" help?

[1551retired]

I'm getting the squeal real bad on the rear brake when I back up. Installed the rear pads last fall (third gen I assume) and only have about 1,000 miles on them. If I apply the brakes when backing up the squeal goes away. Would the "Disc Brake Quiet" help?

So no one else has the squeal when backing up?

[NancysToy]

So no one else has the squeal when backing up?

I think we all do from time to time...especially after the Spyder sits a while, in high humidity, or if the brakes get wet. Thorough cleaning of the pads, calipers, and rotor with brake parts cleaner can help. Sometimes the caliper needs to be removed and the sliding sleeves/pins cleaned and the o-rings for the sleeves lubed with disc brake lube. Also make sure your parking brake is correctly adjusted. Using the brakes hard a few times can help sometimes, too, especially if the pads are glazed.

[BajaRon]

I'm getting the squeal real bad on the rear brake when I back up. Installed the rear pads last fall (third gen I assume) and only have about 1,000 miles on them. If I apply the brakes when backing up the squeal goes away. Would the "Disc Brake Quiet" help?

Like I said, there is no current compound that is immune to this issue. Some pads are much less likely to make noise than others but your experience can vary depending on all the variables that are involved.