This is the big question: how to adjust disc brakes on an electric scooter?
Many customers contact us about the settings of their brake on their electric scooter. Indeed, it is useful to drive safely to regularly adjust the brake caliper so that it works optimally.
This guide is therefore particularly aimed at users of electric scooters with disc brakes. We are going to explain to you how the disc brake works and how to properly adjust it to maintain quality braking .
Special guide to adjust electric scooter disc brake
If you feel that your brakes lack bite , it may be time to tighten your brake caliper . Before thinking about changing your brake pads, these, if not yet worn, most certainly require a simple tightening.
When to change your brake pads?
At Weebot, based on our experience with electric scooters, we generally recommend changing the brake pads between 500 and 1000 km traveled (excluding city use) . If you drive exclusively in town, it may be necessary to change them between 200 km and 500 km, depending on your driving style. Light and long braking consumes your brake pads faster.
If you need to change them, we can do it in our Service Centers in Lyon and Boulogne-Billancourt without an appointment.
But this operation can also be carried out by you. Thanks to fast delivery via our online store, you can receive new brake pads within 48 to 72 hours.
You should know that if your brake pads are too worn, your brake disc will be permanently damaged. Do not delay, because when the brake lining has completely disappeared, a friction noise will be heard during braking. And you will also have to change the disc .
What kind of brake lining
There are 3 types of lining for brake pads:
- Organic
- Sinter (or sintered metal)
- Ceramic
In this electric scooter brake guide, we deliberately leave out the ceramic lining because it is generally reserved for competition models (like the Rion electric scooter). This type of pad is only really useful on fast electric scooter models requiring the best braking.
Let us then focus on the other 2 much more common types. While organic trim is the cheapest, it also wears out much faster than sinter models. Having less bite than cold organics, the metal pads are however much more enduring and considerably delay the point of overheating which leads to the loss of power under braking.
For a good compromise between quality, longevity and cost, Weebot recommends the SINTER version, also called sintered metal.
Regular tightening of the brake pads
The wear of a brake pad is natural but also depends on your driving. If you adopt a sporty driving style with your electric scooter with powerful braking, this will tend to remove the trim more quickly. Your weight also affects brake pad wear. The higher it is, the more the vehicle will need to press its brakes.
After some time of use, you may then feel that you need to press the brake handle particularly far. This means that the pad packing layer has shrunk. It is therefore necessary to bring the pads closer to the disc to benefit from more effective braking.
For better safety on the road but also for better comfort of use, Weebot advises you to tighten the pads as soon as there is too much slack in the brake handle. This operation is not very complicated, nor long to carry out. It takes a quarter of an hour even if you are not a professional.
How to properly adjust your mechanical disc brake?
To benefit from good braking without having to press too hard on the brake handle, the adjustment of the pads is carried out in just 4 steps.
step 1: unscrew the brake caliper from its support
This step is used to access the clamping screw which is located on the back of the brake caliper. Remove the 2 calliper retaining screws shown in yellow in the photo.
step 2: tighten the brake pads around the disc
Once the caliper is removed and in hand, turn it over to reveal the flat clamping screw (circled in blue). Please note that this step requires an Allen key.
You must now tighten this screw (per quarter) on the back of the brake caliper to leave only 1 millimeter of space between the pad and the brake disc of the electric scooter.
step 3: replace the brake caliper on its support
Put the brake caliper back in place, but do not fully tighten the 2 retaining screws. This must remain sufficiently mobile before performing step 4.
step 4: hold the brake handle fully
Press and hold the electric scooter's brake lever tight, then fully tighten the 2 calliper support retaining screws.
Before hitting the road again with your electric scooter, we invite you to do some tests, at low speed, then gradually increasing the speed to check that the braking system is properly adjusted.
The wheel should spin effortlessly and quietly.
optional step 5: refine the settings if necessary
You can then loosen the knobs on the brake levers and on the calipers.
Weebot's advice
When changing brake pads on an electric scooter, a break-in is necessary to obtain good braking. Weebot advises you to perform small quick braking jerks to break in the pads more quickly. It usually takes about fifteen kilometers for the braking system to be optimal on your electric scooter.
To maintain and protect your disc brakes for as long as possible, don't hesitate to invest in a spray can of special brake cleaner for electric scooters.
Mechanical or hydraulic braking system?
We often hear that hydraulic disc brake is better than mechanical disc brake. This is not necessarily true. A properly adjusted mechanical disc brake is as effective as hydraulic braking on an electric scooter.
The hydraulics only allow comfort of use by having less pressure to exert on the brake handle. You should know that in the event of a change in the outside temperature, moisture can seep into a hydraulic brake system. It is then necessary to loosen the system at the level of the brake levers and give several quick jerks on the handle to drive out the gas bubbles inside.
If hydraulic braking is more comfortable on a daily basis, it still has an additional cost of around 200 or 300 euros on electric scooters.