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I noticed last night that my M4s seem tp put more energy into noise than actually stopping me. They feel well-bled, so I'm thinking new pads.
However, inspection of the rotors shows they've both worn down. There's a visibly obvious "step" on each side, which no doubt will interfere with new pads when fitted, until the new pads wear a matching step into them.
Should I retire the rotors to the great metal-recycling skip in the sky?
And if replace the lot, what's the flavour of the month for pads? I've just fitted some Fibrax red ones to my XTs on the other bike and they seem very, very nice.
The pads are wearing a step into the rotor - its the braking track that gets worn, new pads will just carry on wearing the same braking track down further.
But yes, you should replace rotors when there is an obvious step in them.
Best pads I've used personally were fibrax semi metallic plus. I've been courting superstars as well though, mostly for the cheapness. They're OK.
The hope rotors seem to be made of cheese these days and i badly wore a set over two weeks in the Alps a couple of years back.
Hope did tell me the minimum thickness a rotor could go to, but can't remember what it was.
Contact Hope and they will give the safe working thickness
EBC Greenstuff pads are very good - they bite nicely in wet and dry, are reasonably hard wearing, don't seem prone to squealing and don't produce at much brake dust as some. They're about £8 a pair and are available for the vast majority of disc brakes, including your M4s.
Hope's own pads are also pretty good.
Immediate response from Nick at Hope:
[i]generally when there is a step we would advise to change them as this will drag on the pads when new one’s are fitted and also with the step it can cause the pistons to twist and lock.[/i]
So there you go, off to the shops go...