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Brake Pads & Brake performance...

KnappAttack

KnappAttack

24X ISR World Drag Racing Champion
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
4,673
Location
Welch MN
Country
USA
Snowmobile
2023 Sidewinder LTX-LE
2017 Sidewinder LTX-LE
Went for a short ride the other day to break a belt in and noticed my brake performance has gone away. I suppose running big tunes may have a bit to do with this as well. LOL! Lord knows its gets there quick and way too many times I have to be hard on the binders!

I thought for sure I'd find a piston or two froze up in the caliper, but took the pads out yesterday and see both pistons moving in and out nice and freely, and even backing off when letting off the lever like they should.

The lever is not the least bit spongy, the brake fluid was replaced last season and it helped a bit, but the brake has been getting weaker over time needing way more pull and pressure than I think it should.

Upon taking out the brake pads yesterday to check the pistons, I noticed the pads look cooked, real flakey looking and just baked. I have the factory Race Brake on the sled with the factory lightweight drilled rotor and race pads being it's a 17 LE, I always thought the breaks were fantastic before when sled was newer. The last couple years they had weakened.

Now it just takes way too much pull in the lever. Has anyone just replaced the pads and got brake performance back or switched brands of pads on the Winder? I can't help but think my pads are toast and just dont have the bite any longer, even thought there is still plenty of pad left to wear.

6000+ miles on the sled and wondering if a pad swap with get that new brake feel back. Has anyone changed pads and got the feel back? If so what brand of pad did you use? I see the stock pads are plenty of money, but if I get the performance back thats fine, just wonder if there's a better pad out there than the stock ones?
 

I’m in same boat. Ironically It became noticeable after I blew my first belt at 4500 miles end of last season. I scuffed rotor with brake clean and scotch brite when I swapped track this fall with 0 change. Bdx rotor and some new pads are my next stop
 
My one finger brake has always worked that good. I mean just a touch is all I’ve ever needed if bled properly.

I did have to change both rotor and pads because of rotor gouged where it meets to the bearing, but even then it worked with one finger and not much travel. New rotor and new pad work much the same once I did the fill thing from bottom up. I had some warranty work done on it and my brake was spongy until I got all of the air out of it!
I’m at 9K. Another that I ride with had similar brake problems with both new rotor and pads last season. Once all air out of his, it works as good as new. One finger with not much travel, he’s at 13K.

New oil in both of ours, so maybe that’s part of the reason? Dot4.

I should add that my buds sled had aftermarket pads on his when bought with 8-9K on it. They make a real dust mess, worse then a JP belt. Yamaha pads are very very pricey, but that’s what we both run.

I paid $129 with a discount from dealer. I did my Ford Explorer rear brakes, rotors and pads for $182...Sled parts are priced too high! If you wanna play your gonna pay!
 
Last edited:
KnappAttack said:
Went for a short ride the other day to break a belt in and noticed my brake performance has gone away. I suppose running big tunes may have a bit to do with this as well. LOL! Lord knows its gets there quick and way too many times I have to be hard on the binders!

I thought for sure I'd find a piston or two froze up in the caliper, but took the pads out yesterday and see both pistons moving in and out nice and freely, and even backing off when letting off the lever like they should.

The lever is not the least bit spongy, the brake fluid was replaced last season and it helped a bit, but the brake has been getting weaker over time needing way more pull and pressure than I think it should.

Upon taking out the brake pads yesterday to check the pistons, I noticed the pads look cooked, real flakey looking and just baked. I have the factory Race Brake on the sled with the factory lightweight drilled rotor and race pads being it's a 17 LE, I always thought the breaks were fantastic before when sled was newer. The last couple years they had weakened.

Now it just takes way too much pull in the lever. Has anyone just replaced the pads and got brake performance back or switched brands of pads on the Winder? I can't help but think my pads are toast and just dont have the bite any longer, even thought there is still plenty of pad left to wear.

6000+ miles on the sled and wondering if a pad swap with get that new brake feel back. Has anyone changed pads and got the feel back? If so what brand of pad did you use? I see the stock pads are plenty of money, but if I get the performance back thats fine, just wonder if there's a better pad out there than the stock ones?
Click to expand...
Yes, new brake pads with fresh dot4 synthetic and its better than new. Just a slight tap and I'm good to go.
 
I have had that spongey feeling also, both times the drive shaft needed replacing, but this was coming to a stop or slowing after a full pull. At trail speeds usually was fine.
 
2019 SRX got the new feeling back by replacing the pads and new lightweight drill aftermarket rotor @ about 1200 miles of hard riding and multiple lake runs on Maxspool 17 on a short lake 129.9mph 1/4 mile and 140mph top speed runs but no room for error for shut down there was still pad left but they looked cook and didn’t perform well.
 
KnappAttack said:
Went for a short ride the other day to break a belt in and noticed my brake performance has gone away. I suppose running big tunes may have a bit to do with this as well. LOL! Lord knows its gets there quick and way too many times I have to be hard on the binders!

I thought for sure I'd find a piston or two froze up in the caliper, but took the pads out yesterday and see both pistons moving in and out nice and freely, and even backing off when letting off the lever like they should.

The lever is not the least bit spongy, the brake fluid was replaced last season and it helped a bit, but the brake has been getting weaker over time needing way more pull and pressure than I think it should.

Upon taking out the brake pads yesterday to check the pistons, I noticed the pads look cooked, real flakey looking and just baked. I have the factory Race Brake on the sled with the factory lightweight drilled rotor and race pads being it's a 17 LE, I always thought the breaks were fantastic before when sled was newer. The last couple years they had weakened.

Now it just takes way too much pull in the lever. Has anyone just replaced the pads and got brake performance back or switched brands of pads on the Winder? I can't help but think my pads are toast and just dont have the bite any longer, even thought there is still plenty of pad left to wear.

6000+ miles on the sled and wondering if a pad swap with get that new brake feel back. Has anyone changed pads and got the feel back? If so what brand of pad did you use? I see the stock pads are plenty of money, but if I get the performance back thats fine, just wonder if there's a better pad out there than the stock ones?
Click to expand...
Did they look glassy? Probably glazed them.
 
kharb said:
Did they look glassy? Probably glazed them.
Click to expand...

No they dont look Glassy, but they just looked very cooked, burned up & flakey. I just ordered up some new Semi-Metalic Niche brand brake pads off eBay to try now based on the guys here saying that new pads seemed to fix things. Looks like you can get organic, semi-metallic of full metallic. I elected for the semi-metallic which should be what the factory pads are. If they dont work well, I'll get some factory pads in there.

My disc is in fine shape and not warped at all, so lets see how these aftermarket pads work out. I remember when new I had a one finger brake and could lock the track all to easily, had to be careful not to lock the track, I'm sure I can get that back as the lever is very solid & has new fluid in it.

Thanks for all the comments guys!
 
Get a brake bleeder and bleed that fluid. You will be amazed at how dark it is when it comes out.
 
stgdz said:
Get a brake bleeder and bleed that fluid. You will be amazed at how dark it is when it comes out.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you didn’t see I mentioned that I just changed the fluid. And it was dark yes.
 
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