Any tips on setting up IS mount disk brakes?

I’ve only ever had post mount in the past and trying to set a pair of IS up has turned into a nightmare! Any good tips?

Always worked OK when I have done it.

Do the mounts need to be faced??

take it slowly – only add one shim at a time and have a few variations on shim size available.

I’ve never found it to be that much of a problem, tbh, even with unfaced disk mounts.

Faced mounts help as the slot in the caliper should then be parallel to the disc, most good shops will do it for a small charge. I find the smallest smear of grease on the shims helps losing them on the garage floor. Then it’s down to patience 🙂

It does need a bit of patience.
Having a few suitable shim sizes like the hope ones or both M part ones helps.
I also find that a piece of white card/paper and a torch helps with lining things up.
Also, doing it with the pads out so you line up evenly with the slots in the caliper can help.
Just remember, once it’s done right, that’s it for as long as you keep that set up (sveral years on one of my bikes).

You want to end up with the disc running thru the centre of the caliper – if a pad rubs when it is centred then you have a sticky piston.

What I tend to do is assemble it all with no shims and the bolts left very loose – pull the lever and the caliper will line up and then from the gap between the caliper and mounting lugs you can see the amount of shims needed

If the pad drags when the caliper is centred try pushing both pistons in and holding in the one that moves easiest – pump the lever until the sluggish pad touches the disc and then release the other piston.

Unfortunatly with bicycle discs the self centring action of the pads does not always work properly as it is often easier t flex the disc rather than moving the stubborn piston hence you sometimes need to get teh pistons moving equally manually