CATALOG / brake-pad-swap
Template · brake-pad-swap
BRAKE PAD SWAP
Most common brake job — replace worn or contaminated brake pads (disc) or shoes (drum). Composes caliper R&R, pad inspection, type-specific pad replacement, alignment, and bed-in. Branches on brake-type.
Intake: answers gate which atoms compose
brake-type
Which brake type? (Sight-confirm — caliper shape tells you: shiny piston = hydraulic, exposed cable = mechanical, drum = drum). Vehicle context is captured separately at ticket intake; this runbook's steps are the same regardless of vehicle make.
hydraulic-discmechanical-discdrum
Composed steps · 12 atoms in order
atom:intake-consult2 steps
01intake-consult/IC.1
Listen to the customer describe the problem, then ask clarifying questions to confirm the symptom, when it happens, and what changed recently
capture“What did the customer report, in their words?”
capture“What clarifying questions did you ask, and how did they answer?”
NOTENOTE
02intake-consult/IC.2
Set expectations before work begins: the scope of the planned work, what is not included, and the likely outcome
capture“What scope and expectations did you set with the customer?”
NOTE
atom:bay-readiness2 steps
03bay-readiness/BR.1
Clear and stage the work area: bench clear, vehicle secured on the stand, fire-safe location for any battery work
capture“Work area clear and the vehicle secured?”
capture“Photograph the staged work area.”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
04bay-readiness/BR.2
Select and stage the correct tools for the planned job, and put on the PPE the work requires (gloves, eye protection)
capture“Correct tools staged for this job?”
capture“PPE on for the work being done?”
PASS / FAILPASS / FAIL
atom:power-down-and-photo1 step
05power-down-and-photo/1
Power down + photograph cable routing
capture“Vehicle powered down?”
capture“Snap a photo of the cable routing.”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
atom:pre-service-check4 steps
06pre-service-check/PSC.1
Power on the vehicle and confirm the controller comes up (display lights, fault codes clear)
capture“Vehicle powers on cleanly?”
capture“Any fault codes or display irregularities? Snap a photo if so.”
capture“Fault code recognized, or unknown? An unknown code, or one pointing to a severe electrical fault, is a stop-and-escalate.”
capture“If you stopped, note the code and what you escalated.”
PASS / FAILPHOTODECISION · 3NOTE
infoIf the vehicle won't power on, capture the symptom and proceed — battery or controller diagnosis is a separate ticket
07pre-service-check/PSC.2
Engage throttle on stand at lowest power setting; confirm wheel responds smoothly with no surge or stutter
capture“Throttle engages smoothly with no surge?”
capture“Cutoff (brake or e-brake) kills throttle response?”
PASS / FAILPASS / FAIL
warningWheel must be off the ground. Hold the frame firmly — surge can pull the bike
08pre-service-check/PSC.3
Walk the vehicle and document any damage NOT mentioned at intake (scuffs, frame cracks, missing fasteners, contaminated bearings, etc.)
capture“Damage beyond what intake documented?”
capture“Photograph each new finding.”
capture“Brief note describing each finding.”
capture“Tech sign-off on the recorded pre-service findings.”
DECISION · 3PHOTONOTETECH SIGNATURE
09pre-service-check/PSC.4
Identify the drive configuration (hub motor, mid-drive, or direct-drive) to confirm the correct procedure
capture“Which drive configuration is this?”
DECISION · 4
atom:caliper-remove1 step
10caliper-remove/CR.1
Identify brake type and execute the matching removal branch
capture“Brake type identified and confirmed?”
branch on brake-type
Caliper removal — branch by brake type
HYDRAULIC DISC — REMOVEhydraulic-dischydraulicbrake-type:hydraulic-disc-remove
brake.hd.r1Insert pad spacer / bleed block BEFORE removing the rotor or caliper
capture“Pad spacer or bleed block inserted before pulling the rotor?”
criticalSqueezing the lever with the rotor out closes the pads onto nothing — recovery may need a bleed
brake.hd.r2Unbolt caliper from frame/fork (2 bolts, 5–7 Nm typical)
capture“Caliper unbolted?”
capture“Reinstall torque for the caliper bolts — how many N·m?”
VALUE · Nm
brake.hd.r3Hang caliper from frame with a hook or zip-tie — never let it dangle by the hose
capture“Caliper hung off the frame, not dangling by the hose?”
MECHANICAL DISC — REMOVEmechanical-discmechanicalbrake-type:mechanical-disc-remove
brake.md.r1Loosen cable pinch bolt at caliper; back off barrel adjuster if cable won't slack
capture“Cable pinch bolt loosened and cable slack?”
brake.md.r2Unbolt caliper (or swing it on its mount) to clear rotor from pads
capture“Caliper unbolted or swung clear of the rotor?”
brake.md.r3Hang caliper off frame; protect rotor from contamination (no oil/grease)
capture“Caliper hung off the frame, rotor kept clean?”
warningContaminated pads → replace, never clean
DRUM — REMOVEdrumbrake-type:drum-remove
brake.dr.r1Mark current adjuster position (paint pen or photo) before backing off tension
capture“Adjuster position marked?”
capture“Snap a photo of the marked adjuster.”
PHOTO
brake.dr.r2Disconnect actuating cable or rod at the drum lever arm
capture“Drum cable or rod disconnected at the lever arm?”
brake.dr.r3Loosen the torque arm bolt at the frame so the backing plate can rotate with the wheel
capture“Torque arm bolt loosened so the backing plate rotates free?”
NONE / REGEN-ONLY — REMOVEnoneregen-onlybrake-type:none-remove
brake.no.r1Confirm ESC/controller is powered off — no mechanical brake to disengage
capture“ESC or controller confirmed powered off?”
PASS / FAIL
warningRegen still works only when the controller is powered — never assume the wheel is locked
brake.no.r2No caliper, cable, or hose to remove; proceed directly to wheel removal
capture“Confirmed nothing to remove, moving to wheel removal?”
atom:pad-inspect1 step
11pad-inspect/PI.1
Identify brake type and execute the matching inspection branch
branch on brake-type
Pad inspect — branch by brake type
DISC PADhydraulic-discmechanical-dischydraulicmechanical
PI.disc.1Measure pad thickness at thinnest point; replace at or below 1.0 mm of friction material above the backing plate
capture“Pad thickness measured — how many mm?”
VALUE · mm
PI.disc.2Inspect pad face for oil/fluid contamination and glassy (glazed) surfaces
capture“Pad face inspected — any contamination or glazing?”
capture“Snap a photo of the worst pad face.”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
warningContaminated pads → replace, never clean (oil cooks into the pad matrix)
infoGlazed pads can sometimes be sanded; if glazing returns after bed-in, replace
glossary → brakes/brake-pad · brakes/pad-contamination · brakes/glazing
PI.disc.3Decide pad disposition (keep, replace, or escalate to caliper service)
capture“Pad disposition?”
DECISION · 3
DRUM SHOEdrum
PI.drum.1Measure shoe friction-lining thickness via inspection port or by removing the drum
capture“Shoe lining thickness — how many mm?”
VALUE · mm
PI.drum.2Inspect lining for cracks, oil contamination, uneven wear, and detachment from shoe backing
capture“Lining condition acceptable?”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
glossary → brakes/pad-contamination
PI.drum.3Decide shoe disposition
capture“Shoe disposition?”
DECISION · 3
REGEN-ONLY (NO PAD)noneregen
PI.none.1Vehicle uses regen-only braking — no friction pad to inspect; confirm regen response in pre-ride
capture“Confirmed no friction caliper on this vehicle?”
PASS / FAIL
warningIf the vehicle has been retrofitted with a friction brake, re-intake to the correct brake-type before continuing
glossary → brakes/regen-braking
atom:pad-replace-disc1 step
12pad-replace-disc/PRD.0
Confirm this is a disc-brake job — drum and regen-only short-circuit here
branch on brake-type
Disc-pad-swap applicability — branch by brake type
DISC (hydraulic or mechanical)hydraulic-dischydraulicmechanical-discmechanical
PRD.1Make room for new pads — branch by brake type
branch on brake-type
Pad-room-making — branch by brake type
HYDRAULIC DISChydraulic-dischydraulic
PRD.hyd.1Insert pad spreader between pistons and gently push pistons fully back into the caliper body
capture“Pistons pushed back fully and evenly?”
warningPush BOTH pistons evenly — uneven push can pop a piston seal
glossary → brakes/caliper-piston
MECHANICAL DISCmechanical-discmechanical
PRD.mech.1Back off the cable barrel adjuster fully and (if present) loosen the inboard pad-adjust screw
capture“Barrel adjuster backed off; inboard adjuster slacked?”
glossary → brakes/brake-cable
PRD.2Remove the pad-retention pin/clip; slide old pads out of the caliper
capture“Old pads out; pin/clip safely set aside?”
capture“Snap a photo of the old pad faces (compare to new pads for shape match).”
capture“Record the removed pad set as the replaced part.”
PHOTOPART
PRD.3Wipe rotor with isopropyl alcohol and a clean lint-free cloth; inspect for contamination or scoring
capture“Rotor wiped and inspected — any contamination remaining?”
PASS / FAIL
warningNever use brake cleaner on hydraulic caliper seals; isopropyl is safe on both fluids
PRD.4Slide new pads into the caliper with the friction face toward the rotor; confirm shape and compound match the old pads (or the spec sheet)
capture“New pads seated; shape + compound match confirmed?”
PASS / FAIL
warningWrong pad compound (sintered vs organic) can melt resin and ruin rotor heat dispersion
PRD.5Reinstall the pad-retention pin/clip; verify pads cannot rattle out
capture“Retention pin/clip secured; pads captive?”
PRD.6Restore caliper engagement — branch by brake type
branch on brake-type
Engagement restore — branch by brake type
HYDRAULIC DISChydraulic-dischydraulic
PRD.hyd.eng.1Pump the lever repeatedly until firm bite returns (pistons re-extend to take up pad clearance)
capture“Lever firm and pads biting on rotor?”
PASS / FAIL
MECHANICAL DISCmechanical-discmechanical
PRD.mech.eng.1Re-tension cable at the pinch bolt; adjust barrel until lever has firm bite with ~1-cm free travel
capture“Cable tensioned; barrel adjusted; lever bites at ~1-cm travel?”
PASS / FAIL
glossary → brakes/brake-lever
DRUM — SKIPdrum
PRD.drum.skipDrum brake — disc-pad replacement does not apply. The template should have routed to pad-replace-drum instead; if you reached this step, the brake-type intake was answered drum but a disc atom ran. Exit this atom.
capture“Drum confirmed; disc-pad atom skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
REGEN-ONLY — SKIPnoneregen
PRD.none.skipRegen-only vehicle — no friction pads to replace. Exit this atom.
capture“Regen-only confirmed; disc-pad atom skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
glossary → brakes/regen-braking
atom:pad-replace-drumwhen brake-type = drum6 steps
13pad-replace-drum/PRM.1
With wheel out of the vehicle, mark the brake adjuster current position (count of clicks from end-stop), then back off the adjuster to release shoe tension
capture“Adjuster position marked and released?”
capture“Snap a photo of the adjuster before backing off.”
PHOTO
14pad-replace-drum/PRM.2
Slide the brake drum off the axle to expose the shoes; if the drum binds, the shoes are still tensioned — re-check adjuster
capture“Drum slid off cleanly; shoes exposed?”
15pad-replace-drum/PRM.3
Use needle-nose pliers to unhook the shoe return springs (note their orientation); lift shoes off their pivot pin and adjuster strut
capture“Return springs unhooked safely; orientation noted?”
capture“Snap a photo of the spring layout before removing the shoes.”
capture“Record the removed shoe set as the replaced part.”
PHOTOPART
warningSprings are under tension — face shields ON, route releases away from face
16pad-replace-drum/PRM.4
Inspect drum interior for deep scoring, ridges, blueing (heat-damaged), or out-of-round wear; light scoring is acceptable, deep ridges mean replace the drum
capture“Drum interior acceptable?”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
17pad-replace-drum/PRM.5
Install new shoes — set them on pivot pin and adjuster strut, then re-hook return springs in the SAME orientation as the old shoes; springs MUST pull shoes toward the centre
capture“New shoes seated; springs hooked in original orientation; shoes pull to centre?”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
warningReversed return springs let the shoes drag — the drum will overheat within a mile
18pad-replace-drum/PRM.6
Slide drum back over the new shoes; restore adjuster to its marked position then click outward in 2-click increments until you feel slight drag; back off 1 click
capture“Drum reinstalled; adjuster set so wheel spins free with slight shoe whisper at every revolution?”
capture“Final adjuster position — how many clicks from end-stop?”
VALUE · clicks
atom:caliper-install1 step
19caliper-install/CI.1
Identify brake type and execute the matching install branch
capture“Brake type identified and confirmed?”
branch on brake-type
Caliper install — branch by brake type
HYDRAULIC DISC — INSTALLhydraulic-dischydraulicbrake-type:hydraulic-disc-install
brake.hd.i1Reinstall rotor before caliper (check rotation arrow if directional)
capture“Rotor back on the right way around?”
warningContaminated rotor → clean with isopropyl, never brake cleaner on hydraulic seals
brake.hd.i2Bolt caliper loose to the frame/fork; do not torque yet
capture“Caliper bolted loose, free to float?”
brake.hd.i3Pull the pad spacer / bleed block; pump the lever until pads bite the rotor
capture“Spacer pulled and lever pumped to bite?”
brake.hd.i4With lever held, torque caliper bolts to spec to centre the pads
capture“Lever held while torquing the caliper?”
capture“Caliper torqued to spec — how many N·m?”
VALUE · Nm
brake.hd.i5Release lever, spin wheel — confirm no rotor rub
capture“Wheel spins free with no rotor rub?”
PASS / FAIL
MECHANICAL DISC — INSTALLmechanical-discmechanicalbrake-type:mechanical-disc-install
brake.md.i1Reseat rotor and remount caliper to frame/fork; torque caliper bolts to spec
capture“Rotor and caliper back on?”
capture“Caliper torqued — how many N·m?”
VALUE · Nm
brake.md.i2Re-tension cable: pinch bolt + barrel adjuster until pads contact at ~1/3 lever pull
capture“Cable re-tensioned to pad contact at one-third lever pull?”
brake.md.i3Spin wheel and squeeze lever — confirm clean pull and no rub
capture“Lever pulls clean and wheel spins without rub?”
PASS / FAIL
DRUM — INSTALLdrumbrake-type:drum-install
brake.dr.i1Seat backing plate against the torque arm; tighten torque arm bolt to spec
capture“Backing plate seated against the torque arm?”
capture“Torque arm bolt — how many N·m?”
VALUE · Nm
brake.dr.i2Reconnect actuating cable or rod at the drum lever arm
capture“Drum cable or rod reconnected at the lever arm?”
brake.dr.i3Restore adjuster to the marked position; verify free-wheel + firm engagement
capture“Adjuster restored to the marked position?”
capture“Wheel spins free and brake engages firm?”
PASS / FAIL
NONE / REGEN-ONLY — INSTALLnoneregen-onlybrake-type:none-install
brake.no.i1No caliper or cable to reinstall; confirm wheel is back in the dropout
capture“Wheel seated, nothing to reattach?”
brake.no.i2Power up and verify regen response before declaring brake-side complete
capture“Controller powered up, regen response confirmed?”
PASS / FAIL
criticalIf regen is the only stopping system, a failure here is a no-go
atom:caliper-align1 step
20caliper-align/CA.0
Confirm this is a disc-brake job — drum and regen-only short-circuit here (drum brakes self-centre via the adjuster, no caliper to align)
branch on brake-type
Caliper alignment applicability — branch by brake type
DISC (hydraulic or mechanical)hydraulic-dischydraulicmechanical-discmechanical
CA.1Loosen the two caliper mounting bolts about 1/2 turn each — caliper should now float freely on its mount
capture“Caliper bolts loose; caliper free to float?”
PASS / FAIL
CA.2Execute the matched centring branch by brake type
branch on brake-type
Centring action — branch by brake type
HYDRAULIC DISChydraulic-dischydraulic
CA.hyd.1Pump the brake lever firmly and hold — the hydraulic pressure self-centres the caliper on the rotor
capture“Lever pumped and held; caliper visibly centred on rotor?”
PASS / FAIL
glossary → brakes/caliper-piston
MECHANICAL DISCmechanical-discmechanical
CA.mech.1Slack the cable barrel, slide a business card between pad and rotor each side, take up cable while the caliper finds centre
capture“Business-card shims in; cable taken up; caliper centred?”
PASS / FAIL
CA.3While holding lever (hydraulic) or business-card position (mechanical), torque the caliper bolts to spec in alternating sequence
capture“Bolts torqued in alternating sequence — what N·m setting?”
VALUE · Nm
Cited sourcessign-off seam
source → park-tool-axle-torque-2024✓editorial · Afam · 2026-05-20
CA.4Release lever / pull shims; spin wheel — confirm NO rotor rub at any point in rotation; if rub remains, repeat from CA.1
capture“Wheel spins fully without rub?”
PASS / FAIL
infoA faint rhythmic tick (pad-slap) right at the start is normal; constant rub is a centring failure
glossary → brakes/caliper · brakes/pad-slap
DRUM — SKIPdrum
CA.drum.skipDrum brake has no caliper to align — shoe-to-drum contact is set via the drum adjuster (see brake-cable-adjust drum branch). Exit this atom.
capture“Drum confirmed; caliper-align skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
REGEN-ONLY — SKIPnoneregen
CA.none.skipRegen-only vehicle — no caliper to align. Exit this atom.
capture“Regen-only confirmed; caliper-align skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
glossary → brakes/regen-braking
atom:pad-bed-in1 step
21pad-bed-in/PBI.0
Confirm this is a disc-brake job — drum and regen-only short-circuit here
branch on brake-type
Bed-in applicability — branch by brake type
DISC (hydraulic or mechanical)hydraulic-dischydraulicmechanical-discmechanical
PBI.1Confirm fresh disc pads installed AND rotor clean (no oil/fluid/cleaner residue); abort bed-in on contaminated pads — replace first
capture“Pads fresh and rotor clean?”
PASS / FAIL
warningBedding in contaminated pads bakes the contaminant into the friction layer permanently
glossary → brakes/pad-bed-in · brakes/pad-contamination
PBI.2Ride at ~15 km/h, brake firmly but smoothly to walking pace (not a full stop) — repeat 10× with at least 5 m roll between stops
capture“First 10 progressive stops complete; no skids?”
capture“Pad bite firmer at stop 10 than stop 1?”
PASS / FAIL
warningDo not lock the wheel — locked = skid = no friction transfer
PBI.3Coast for 60 seconds without braking to cool the rotor; brake gently a couple times during coast to even out heat
capture“Cool-down ride complete; rotor cool to touch (back of hand)?”
PBI.4Repeat 10 progressive stops from ~20 km/h to walking pace
capture“Second 10 progressive stops complete?”
capture“Brake bite firm and consistent through all 10?”
PASS / FAIL
PBI.5Final cool-down lap; on returning, lever should feel firm and rotor should show even grey/brown deposit (no rainbow oxidation, no shiny spots)
capture“Lever firm and rotor showing even deposit pattern?”
capture“Snap a photo of the rotor face after bed-in.”
PASS / FAILPHOTO
DRUM — SKIPdrum
PBI.drum.skipDrum brakes do not require bed-in — the shoe-to-drum contact patch beds itself during normal first-mile use. Confirm the drum is reinstalled and adjuster is set (see pad-replace-drum), then exit this atom.
capture“Drum reinstalled and adjuster set; bed-in skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
REGEN-ONLY — SKIPnoneregen
PBI.none.skipRegen-only vehicle — no friction pads to bed in. Confirm regen response in pre-ride-check, then exit this atom.
capture“Regen-only confirmed; bed-in skipped as not applicable?”
PASS / FAIL
glossary → brakes/regen-braking
atom:findings-handoff3 steps
22findings-handoff/FH.1
Explain the findings and the work done in plain language, without jargon, and confirm the customer understands
capture“How did you explain the findings and work to the customer?”
NOTE
23findings-handoff/FH.2
Communicate any battery findings verbally: state of health, charging guidance, and safety notes, and confirm they were understood
capture“What battery findings did you communicate, and how did the customer respond?”
NOTE
24findings-handoff/FH.3
Communicate any drive-system findings verbally: motor, controller, or sensor behavior observed during service
capture“What drive-system findings did you communicate to the customer?”
NOTE
deviation_rules · 6 declared
ad_hoc_step
a captured step is not in the runbook for the resolved vehicle / brake-type branches
missed_step
a runbook step for the resolved branches has no capture in the job record
missing_required_evidence
a step's capture.evidence item went unfilled by the tech's narration
branch_candidate
narration matches a finding pattern (unexpected wear, contamination, soft brakes) but no branch was taken
contaminated_pad_kept
narration mentions oil, brake fluid, or grease on pads but no pad-replace-* atom was executed
dot_mineral_crossover
narration mentions both DOT and mineral brake fluid in the same job record
snapshot_hash: sha256:41f23da1c23394a6… · served as ETag on read · X-Relay-Schema-Version: 0.8.0