How to Repair a Loose Mechanical Disc Brake

Owning an electric scooter may be fun and convenient, but e-scooter riders should also take note of basic adjustments or repairs to maintain an electric scooter and keep it in good condition. For one, you should know how to adjust the front brakes on a scooter.

The brakes are the most important safety feature that you should maintain. Electric scooter brakes can be categorised into two types: electronic and mechanical. Both types of brakes can be used in an e-scooter, but most e-scooter models feature mechanical brakes. 

Mechanical brakes include drum brakes, foot brakes, and disc brakes. Electric scooter disc brakes are considered one of the safest and best kinds of e-scooter brakes. It provides strong braking power while being lightweight, easy to adjust, and reliable. Most electric scooters, including Mearth e-scooters, use disc brakes.

Mechanical brakes usually wear down quickly, especially if you use your electric scooter often. The brake cable becomes slack, so it takes more effort for the brake pads to stop or grip the rotor.

When to adjust the brakes

When should you adjust your electric scooter brakes? For one, you can adjust when you replace your brake pads every 6 to 8 months. You can also adjust it when the brake has less power or grip when stopping or if you hear a scraping sound. If you hear a scraping sound, it may mean two things: the brakes are too loose or too tight, or the brake pads are touching the brake disc.

In these cases, you should adjust your brakes immediately to keep yourself safe while riding and prevent your brakes from wearing out quickly.

How to Adjust a Mechanical Disc Brake

Before adjusting your brakes, make sure that your electric scooter is in an elevated position, so you can turn your wheels freely and check for the brake's grip. 

Some of the tools that you may need include an open wrench and an Allen wrench. However, the sizes may differ depending on the screw or bolt size on your e-scooter.

Here are different ways to adjust or repair your loose mechanical disc brake.

Method 1: Check and adjust the brake cable

Start by checking if the brake cable has slack. Pull the brake lever, and see how the cable responds. If it has slack, tighten the cable using the adjuster. These types of brakes often include a plastic knob or lock nut to tighten or loosen the cable.

After adjusting the cable, turn the wheels and see if the brakes seem to drag. If it does, this means that the brake pads are too close, preventing the wheel from turning smoothly. Loosen the adjuster to fix this. Make sure to check how the brake responds to the brake lever.

Moreover, see if the taillight works whenever you use the brake. Take note that many e-scooter models use the taillight as a trigger to activate regenerative braking. Adjusting the brakes can affect the taillights. A taillight that doesn’t work properly is a safety hazard for you and others, so make sure that your taillight always functions after adjusting the brakes.

Method 2: Adjust the cable clamp

If tightening or loosening the adjuster doesn’t work, try repositioning the cable clamp. Use an Allen wrench to loosen the cable clamp bolt and move it forward along the cable. Then, tighten the bolt on the clamp, and check if the brake, wheels, and taillights respond smoothly and properly.

Method 3: Reposition the brake pads

If you hear a scraping sound whenever you use the brake, your brake pads may be too close to the brake disc. To fix this, use an Allen wrench to loosen the mounting bolts slightly and reposition the brake pads. The mounting bolts are the two bolts found on both ends of the brake calliper.

Once the calliper is slightly loose, move it away from the brake disc so that the brake pads no longer touch it. However, make sure that the brake pads are still parallel to the brake disc. Once you are happy with the position, tighten the bolts again and check how the brake and taillights respond. 

Do you still hear the scraping sound? Is the brake stronger? Does the wheel spin smoothly? If you want an accurate or perfect adjustment, it will take a few trials and errors on your part to achieve it.

Seek the Help of an E-scooter Technician

If trying these three methods still do not work, go to your e-scooter retailer or nearest mechanic and have your electric scooter brake repaired. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong with your brakes, avoid tinkering with your e-scooter brakes to prevent further damage. Moreover, know that repairing your electric scooter on your own can be dangerous, so it’s best to have a professional look into it.

If you need an electric scooter brake repair for your Mearth electric scooter, simply request a repair on our website and wait for a representative to contact you. Our mechanics are always eager to help you out with any repair concerns. To learn more about Mearth’s electric scooter repair policy, see our FAQs page.