Formula Oro question.

Has anyone with Formula Oro brakes ever managed to change the pads without having problems?
New pads always seem to rub, even with the pistons pushed as far back as possible. Today’s change has been rubbing so badly that I’ve left one side out until the pad wears down a bit… 😕
Bodging, it’s the way forward…
Clearly it’s not because I’m doing anything wrong. So, what gives?

Never had that problem tbh… Were they definately bled with new pads? The reservoir’s not massive so if they’re bled with half-worn pads they might not have the squish room for full pads

Sometimes with closed brakes it’s worth pushing the pistons back and then leaving them pushed back for a while- no idea why this works, allowing pressures to equalise or air behind the bellows to escape or somesuch maybe. Never had to do it on any of my Oros though.

Would bleeding be an issue if the pistons can be pushed all the way back?
I kind of made the assumption that it could be too much compound.

I put a spot of brake fluid down side of exposed piston and push right back with old hayes nine spacer plastic things. It is a tight fit with new pads, but do able. you may need to lose some liquid from disk end. drop or too.

Is your caliper aligned properly? If it isn’t even if the pads are pushed right in one could be dragging. Give the pistons a clean and lube though, mine haven’t been too bad apart from with superstar pads which are pretty randomly shaped.

i know what you mean. last couple of times i have had to take the new pads and hit the back of them with the linisher to take all the paint off, dressed the edges to make sure there are no burrs or nicks and also i have dressed the leading edge of the friction material with a small file to make a 45 deg chamfer. (the chamfer kind of helps with noises sometimes as well, old automotive OEM trick)

if you dont have a linisher, find some emery cloth or some sandpaper.

I’ve found some pads have a little more material than others, but generally they’ve been OK. No major issues.

Always had problems, same as you have highlighted. Also tried most of the remedies above to solve the problems, lubing pistons etc.. However the only way I can avoid any kind of rubbing is to bleed the whole system with the new pads fitted which seems to work every time now. Oro’s are dead easy to bleed anyway so I don’t see it as a big deal.

Different pads have different thicknesses….

The superstar ones are very thick, and it takes a bit of time for them to stop rubbing.

Yeah I’ve this. I was told once that because Dot4 is so hydrophilic it will take in water over time despite the seals and so increase in volume. ie your brakes now have too much fluid in them. I’d recommend a bleed, in the mean time let a little fluid out.

Superstar Kevlars are a nightmare on Oros and Megas. I normally need to file down the back and maybe a little of the braking surface for them to fit. At the weekend I managed to contaminate the rear pads and only notice at the start of a 5 hour ride. Forced new pads in but the wheel wouldn’t rotate more than 1/4 a turn, set off anyway thinking they would wear away during the ride. 5 hrs later they were just the same, good workout though and the bike seemed so fast last night after I had filed the pads down.

cheers_drive – Member
Superstar Kevlars are a nightmare on Oros and Megas. I normally need to file down the back and maybe a little of the braking surface for them to fit.

I’ve fitted maybe 20 sets of these into 4 bikes with Oros on and never had to do any of this 😕 I did have to take a little paint off the sides on the ones I had for my old XTs though.

Formulas often come with too much fluid in the system. I know this sounds illogical but if you carefully let some fluid out, making sure you don’t allow any air back in, this could cure the problem. It certainly worked on mine when they seized in the middle of the cheviots.

Never had this problem and I’ve always used the notoriously thick Superstar pads.

i always have a problem. i just sand a bit of pad away.

never had the ‘letting hte oil out’ trick work

make sure the bite point adjustment is out before you fit as well.

I always seem to need to bleed my Oros after changing pads reardless of pad brand. Same on Avid Elixirs on wifes bike. Otherwise they rub. I guess filing them down would also work for me.