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View Full Version : 400EX rear brakes suck!



08-03-2001, 06:20 AM
Does anyone know of any brake pads that hold up to sand and water.I get three rides out of a set of full-metalic pads!My dealer tells me that 400EX's eat rear brake pads and this is normal.I ride with raptors, a warrior,and another 400EX(that eats pads too),the yamahas pads are the original pads and they ride in the same conditions as I do.

Leo
08-03-2001, 07:06 AM
How old is your 400EX?

In muddy/wet conditions it's not uncommon for the rear brake pedal pivot to sieze up enough to cause the brakes to drag enough to eat pads like crazy...

An incorrect parking brake adjustment can also cause problems...

Leo

Razorback
08-03-2001, 07:39 AM
Look at what Leo said, then if everything is OK there, try EBC Severe Duty pads. They won't stop you well if they're wet, but they shouldn't wear out. If you use those quickly, then there is definitely a problem.

enault
08-03-2001, 08:55 AM
The 400EX has a rear brake? lol. I had the same problem at MX track with beach sand and found that my parking break adjustment was off. If you don't buy a block off just back that bolt out all the way. It worked for me. Also, I have noticed the more experienced I have gotten riding mx tracks and woods that I only use my front break. Helps to prepare for corners and gets your weight forward.
Later
Eric

Wheelie
08-03-2001, 08:56 AM
Two days ago I had to pull out my rear brake lever to free it up. My rear brakes seemed to be getting bad even though I had just put on EBC Severe duty pads a few weeks back. It turned out that the rear brake pivot shaft got (Edited) on it and (edited) near siezed up keeping the rear brakes partially on all the time. It works great now, good as new.

400exRacerX
08-03-2001, 10:21 AM
My rear brake lever siezed on me and i had to diassemble it and relube, havent had a problem sinced.

oynot400
08-03-2001, 10:34 AM
Mine would eat up brake pads too, more so in sand, mub, slop, ect. After I removed the parking brake I don't go through as many. The parking brake must have been out of adjusmet. I have a couple of friends with Banshees and they have the same problem. At least they all use the same pad. I think the caliper is the same also. I would suggest adjusting the parking brake or removing it.

400exRacerX
08-03-2001, 10:58 AM
the parking brake is useless anyway, why not just spend 12 buks on a block off plate and solve the problem?:huh

400ex Magnum
08-03-2001, 11:12 AM
Blade

After one ride at Wayne National Forest, my rear pads were toasted (I think Honda bought them from Polaris). I replaced them with solid brass brake pads from Box Braking Components. Check them out at www.boxbrakes.com I have not had a chance to ride with them in the mud yet to see how they will hold up, but it should be far superior to anything else. I will post a thread after my Aug 18-19 ride to say how these things held up.

enault
08-03-2001, 11:54 AM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by 400ex Magnum
[B]Blade

After one ride at Wayne National Forest, my rear pads were toasted (I think Honda bought them from Polaris).

That was a good one.

booneTRX
08-03-2001, 05:05 PM
My 99 is on the original set of rear pads. I have never changed a set of rear pads on ANY quad I have owned. I use the front brakes for better stopping power and setting up tight corners. All the rear brakes do is skid the tires and send the rear end out of control. I also NEVER use the parking brake.

Try using the front for stopping power, it allows you to brake later and harder.

08-07-2001, 01:10 PM
i switched my whole rear brakin system to a 250r caliper,rotor and caliper plate and they are more touchy and lock em up easy but they don't wear even close to as fast and i plan to use 250r fornt calipers too

QuadRacer041
08-07-2001, 04:35 PM
i also but a 250r rear brake set up on my 400ex and i think it works much better then the 400 brakes. the R uses a dual piston caliper and the ex only uses a single piston, i found it has much more stopping power and it doesnt eat'em that fast. the whole set up ran me around $200.00 and the caliper i found was even chrome.
another awsome advantedge of the R rear brake set up is ground clearance, the rotor from the R is MUch smaller then the ex hence higher off the ground.
i would recomend switching over if you have the cash.

quad041http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/quad041/lst?.dir=/&.src=ph&.view=t (http://)

86atc250r
08-08-2001, 11:05 AM
I've been planning on doing the 250R brake mod, just haven't taken the time to do it....

Blayde - Funny thing is you mention that you ride with a Raptor that doesn't eat pads - what makes this interesting is that the Raptor uses the EXACT same pads as the 400EX. Same goes for the Banshee - they're all interchangable.

465Stroker
08-08-2001, 11:30 AM
I am not too sure about the Raptor or Warrior, but the Banshee has a solid brake rotor. A solid brake rotor alone can double the lifetime of your pads.

86atc250r
08-08-2001, 11:45 AM
Yeah, I'm not sure about the Raptor's rotor either - can't remember....

I've heard from several sources for years that a solid rotor helps a ton when riding in the abrasives... I've not tried one yet myself.

QuadRacer041
08-09-2001, 11:14 AM
i disagree 465, a brake rotor has holes in it for a reason, that reason is to disapate heat. with the solid rotor heat will start to build up after hard riding and your brakes will start to fade making you use more energy cause you have to push harder to stop. also after some time your rotor will start to warp and your pads will develop heat cracks in them, also causing your brakes to fail sooner then they should.

quad041

exTAZe400
08-09-2001, 12:01 PM
A Warrior also has a solid rotor. I noticed that last time I went riding w/ a friend on his.

I removed my e-brake and seems to have helped quite a bit as my latest set of pads have lasted about 6 months so far and are about 1/2 gone.

Good luck.

greg

86atc250r
08-09-2001, 12:07 PM
Never experienced "brake fade" on a quad or 3 wheeler. On a car - yes. On a Quad - never.

Also never heard Banshee owners, Warrior owners, etc... complain about brake fade.

A quad just doesn't travel at high enough speeds, have the braking duration, or the weight necessary for brake fade to become a real problem.

TREX400
08-13-2001, 09:02 PM
I have the same problem. My pads are shot in the rear after riding in the sandy mud of haspen acres. Gonna check the slide and relube also. already have brake block off. I think the stock pads are kinda cheap. Have heard others complain also.

QuadRacer041
08-14-2001, 02:13 PM
86atc250r, i dont want to start a feud here cause its not worth it but, if you say that doesnt happen then why do they make an antifade lock nut for your brake hub and why do all after market brake rotors have holes drilled in them, its not just for weight purposes.

86atc250r
08-14-2001, 02:37 PM
There's all sorts of products available that don't really do what they're advertised to do or take care of problems that don't exist. Besides, I think that most people that get "anti-fade" lock nuts are trying to cure the problem of constantly loosening axle lock nuts more than anything, plus there's the "coolness" factor (no pun intended) of having the shiny aftermarket part.

Not all aftermarket rotors have holes drilled.

I've personally never experienced brake fade on a quad, have you? I typically push my quad pretty hard as well as compete at state level events (also a few nationals). I imagine maybe a TT racer on a fast course with tight turns may be able to heat the brakes significantly, but for the riding that most do, cross country racing, and MX racing, I don't really think it's an issue - especially on a 4 stroke bike that has lots of compression braking.

Can't answer why Honda drills their rotors, also can't answer why Yamaha doesn't feel it's necessary...

JabberJaw
08-15-2001, 08:41 AM
I don't know anything about brake-fade, but I love Honda's Throttle-fade.

Thats when you put it to the wood, and the people behind you fade away.

MOFO
08-15-2001, 10:20 AM
Ok, ok....the main reason we have slotted rotors is to get rid of the sand and mud that would be between the pad. Heat is NOT a serious problem for most riders/racers on quads. Now on cars, its a different story. They slot the rotors to get rid of the heat and the gas that forms between the rotor and the pad. Ask anyone that upgraded their rotors on a high performance car...they go through ALOT more brake pads than the solid rotor. This is the same case with the 400EX rotor...it has holes so we are going through more pads. I also ride with some yamaha guys....Raptors and Warriors. They both have solid rotors and are alot easier on pads. The difference is, take a 400EX and a Raptor through a muddy stream and then do a brake test. The 400EX will stop better and feel better too....

Another example is like those little cheese grinding things. You take a peice of cheese and run it across the grinder to get shredded cheese. Our rotors/pads are not much different...the holes just eat the pad away...


Eric

08-15-2001, 01:09 PM
Just do like I did and take all the breaks off,,who needs em anyway,,,,YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW....:D :D :D :D

465Stroker
08-15-2001, 01:41 PM
The reason brake pads wear easily on vented brake rotors is because of the venting holes allow mud or sand to become permenantly or even temporarily trapped within. The sand or mud usually clogs the holes in the rotor which in turn acts like sand paper to your pads.

It is not always the clogging of the holes either - dry sand can become trapped within the holes of the rotor long enough to pass by the brake pads and wear on them momentarily. After this repeated process your brake pads will wear down quickly. Usually most of the wear from this is when you are not using your brakes at all.

A solid rotor on the other had can keep about 95% of the elements (sand or mud) out because the pad is always slightly touching the rotor even though the brake is not being used.

I would not use a brake pad that is of lesser metallic content than stock. Stock OEM pads are far superior than most pads out there on the market. Aftermarket brake pad manufactures produce several different levels of pads - mostly because of application and cost. The diffence between a $20 brake pad and a $28-$35 brake pad is huge. 90% of the time you WILL go thru 3 times as many $20 brake pads as you would with one set of $35 ones.

400ex02
11-12-2001, 05:31 PM
Where do u buy those ebc's brakes from. help because my back brakes are gone and i need some brakes before i am riding again.

Lil90man!!
11-12-2001, 07:14 PM
haha i agree with rico lol besides brakes are highly over-rated anyway!! (haha like someone said about sitting down and the seat and rear fenders!!!)