XT 4 Pot brakes

Ive got Saints on my Slayer and 2Pot XTs on my hardtail. To me, the difference is LARGE. I think that its also telling that Ive been warned not to increase the braking power on the hardtail by the maker because he says that more powerful brakes run the risk of breaking the attachment points off of the frame!

semi-related - Non-OEM brake pads for shimano - who is using what and with what level of success?

I've used Disco and Loam Goat, the Loam's have good stopping power with my Zee's, but are very loud.

trickstuff power

Koolstop's seem to be just as good as the OEM ones.

Posted by: Taz123

semi-related - Non-OEM brake pads for shimano - who is using what and with what level of success?

I've used Disco and Loam Goat, the Loam's have good stopping power with my Zee's, but are very loud.

Been using MTX reds with my XT 4-pots with great results. All the power of the OE pads and none of the rattling fins...

Posted by: Ddean

Ive got Saints on my Slayer and 2Pot XTs on my hardtail. To me, the difference is LARGE. I think that its also telling that Ive been warned not to increase the braking power on the hardtail by the maker because he says that more powerful brakes run the risk of breaking the attachment points off of the frame!

Yeah, I went Saints on my suspension trail bike, and after I got used to the immense power, I needed to upgrade the hard tail ASAP. I had been running 2-piston SLX, and so I  bought 4-piston Deore calipers to mate on there.

From my “reconfigure my brakes thread”:

Went with the XT levers, ZEE caliper on the front and XTR on the back and some brand new MTX reds.

Really really like the pads. They’re everything they say they are. I didn’t know I wanted smooth brakes but damn, they’re smooth!

I figure I’d like more modulation but am pretty adaptable but I REALLY like that aspect of these pads.

Also, they’re perfectly quiet. 

Posted by: Taz123

semi-related - Non-OEM brake pads for shimano - who is using what and with what level of success?

I've used Disco and Loam Goat, the Loam's have good stopping power with my Zee's, but are very loud.

MTX Red on both sets of XT fours. On one bike I needed new rotors too and the MTX pads bedded in well and work very close to Shimano metal pads but less grabby. But I can lock up front or rear at will if I want to. The other bike had pretty new rotors and for some reason it has taken quite a while to work well. The first ten or so rides and the rear especially was squeaky and weak. A spray of water, drag them downhill until the howling stopped and they worked well. But I had to do that every ride until just recently. Now they work as well as the other bike. Sanded and cleaned rotors and pads a few times too.

thanks for the input, I'm starting to think that my rotors are finished as they are vibrating horribly and howling with another set of new pads.

Posted by: andy-eunson

MTX Red on both sets of XT fours. On one bike I needed new rotors too and the MTX pads bedded in well and work very close to Shimano metal pads but less grabby. But I can lock up front or rear at will if I want to. The other bike had pretty new rotors and for some reason it has taken quite a while to work well. The first ten or so rides and the rear especially was squeaky and weak. A spray of water, drag them downhill until the howling stopped and they worked well. But I had to do that every ride until just recently. Now they work as well as the other bike. Sanded and cleaned rotors and pads a few times too.

I’m no expert but I think that sanding will essentially reset the bed-in process each time.

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: andy-eunson

MTX Red on both sets of XT fours. On one bike I needed new rotors too and the MTX pads bedded in well and work very close to Shimano metal pads but less grabby. But I can lock up front or rear at will if I want to. The other bike had pretty new rotors and for some reason it has taken quite a while to work well. The first ten or so rides and the rear especially was squeaky and weak. A spray of water, drag them downhill until the howling stopped and they worked well. But I had to do that every ride until just recently. Now they work as well as the other bike. Sanded and cleaned rotors and pads a few times too.

I’m no expert but I think that sanding will essentially reset the bed-in process each time.

Depends on the amount of wear on the rotor. It will always help, but some grooves take a ludicrous amount of sanding/material removal to flatten out.

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: andy-eunson

MTX Red on both sets of XT fours. On one bike I needed new rotors too and the MTX pads bedded in well and work very close to Shimano metal pads but less grabby. But I can lock up front or rear at will if I want to. The other bike had pretty new rotors and for some reason it has taken quite a while to work well. The first ten or so rides and the rear especially was squeaky and weak. A spray of water, drag them downhill until the howling stopped and they worked well. But I had to do that every ride until just recently. Now they work as well as the other bike. Sanded and cleaned rotors and pads a few times too.

I’m no expert but I think that sanding will essentially reset the bed-in process each time.

Yes that’s correct. But the rear brake especially was weak and and noisy so I figured something was on the rotor and/one pad so a reset so to speak made sense. The brakes felt “rubbery” if that makes sense and I couldn’t lock up the rear at all. But they are absolutely fine now.