Noticed a huge shift in how shops handle disc brake noise over the last 5 years

Back in 2019 everyone just told customers to "bed them in" but now I see three different bleed kits and a torque wrench come out before anyone even spins the wheel.

2 comments

2 Comments

pat_hall872d ago

...actually read something from a mechanic who said the shift started when manufacturers changed their pad compounds around 2020 or so. Something about new environmental rules making them use different materials that don't bed in as easy as the old stuff. That would explain why shops are grabbing for the torque wrench instead of just telling people to go ride their brakes hard for a few stops. I've got a set of organic pads on my gravel bike that just won't shut up no matter how many times I follow the bedding procedure.

gibson.sean2d ago

That bit about pad compounds makes sense, but I think the bigger change is how shops got burned by warranty claims when their quick "just bed them in" advice didn't fix it and customers came back demanding free rotors. Once shops started realizing torque specs and proper bleed procedures actually cut their comeback rate in half, they stopped taking shortcuts. The environmental rules just gave them an excuse to charge for labor they were already doing behind the scenes.