Chinertown

Other Resources => Maintenance, Mechanics, & Tools => Topic started by: PLA on March 18, 2024, 10:28:15 AM

Title: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: PLA on March 18, 2024, 10:28:15 AM
any from aliexpress that aren't shit?

thinking of adding one to my toolkit.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: robinoco on August 19, 2025, 01:20:50 AM
I guess this is a no then? Anyone???
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: ZacItaly15 on August 21, 2025, 09:18:03 AM
there is only the icetools cutting tool but it's not a bargain
I suppose the LBS can't charge you more than 20bucks for a facing
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: pushpush on August 21, 2025, 08:08:47 PM
The precision you desire for this task is not what you should expect from a cheap tool.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Ultramic on August 24, 2025, 02:29:17 AM
Get a sanding block, bridge between the 2 mounts and sand it down. If it has been painted over, then take away all the paint. Its not perfect but it works.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: pushpush on August 24, 2025, 10:26:40 AM
Get a sanding block, bridge between the 2 mounts and sand it down. If it has been painted over, then take away all the paint. Its not perfect but it works.

Please don't follow this advice. Ensuring perpendicularity to axle is critical. If you don't plan to do this correctly, pay someone else to do it correctly.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Ultramic on August 24, 2025, 05:17:24 PM
Please don't follow this advice. Ensuring perpendicularity to axle is critical. If you don't plan to do this correctly, pay someone else to do it correctly.

Go ahead and pay a bike shop, be my guest. I've built up many bike and done this and the brakes have been perfect, no rubbing whatsoever.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Blueberry on August 25, 2025, 11:45:31 AM
I've struggled to find shops that can face a frame :/ A few years ago I called like 10 different local bike shops looking for one with facing tools. None of them had them because they're seen more as frame builder's tools. Finally Mike's Bikes told me they had a warehouse with all the tools that could send them out for the job. I took the frame to Mike's Bikes and when I got it back, it was clear that all they did was sand the paint off. I was annoyed because I had gone out of my way to take the frame to them rather than taking it to many of the much closer shops because they said they could get the tools to do it properly. That being said, they only charged me $20 so I decided to just let it go.

Facing is expensive because the tools cost thousands of dollars, they need to be sent out for sharpening on a regular basis, and the process takes a couple hours and a lot of precision. Unfortunately the chances of finding a budget facing option seem slim to me :(
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: pushpush on August 25, 2025, 12:48:46 PM
A far cry from a cheap tool, but it is possible to periodically grab a barely used park facing kit on ebay for a couple hundred dollars. Similar to a RD hanger straightener, this is a tool that makes me feel like I have super-mechanic powers.

Squaring rotors, rather than merely bringing the outer edge into a consistent plane, can also make a huge difference to brake performance and the ease with which the caliper can be adjusted accurately.

The acceptable tolerances from the factories are pretty horrendous tbh.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Gianpy on June 16, 2026, 01:28:06 AM
I just came across this product.
The description is a bit lacking, however, there is an interesting and convincing demonstration video of it applied to a carbon fork and frame, which also appears quite sturdy.
The question is whether that disk actually corrects the flatness angle or just flattens it.  :-\
Who's going to try it first?  ;D

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EvEUoWm
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: rcwsr on June 24, 2026, 05:08:24 PM
I just came across this product.
The description is a bit lacking, however, there is an interesting and convincing demonstration video of it applied to a carbon fork and frame, which also appears quite sturdy.
The question is whether that disk actually corrects the flatness angle or just flattens it.  :-\
Who's going to try it first?  ;D

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EvEUoWm

I was just looking at these on aliexpress. tempted to try one.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: rcwsr on June 25, 2026, 03:48:30 PM
I've took a punt and ordered one.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: rcwsr on July 02, 2026, 04:29:35 PM
The tool seems to be pretty well made, the disc itself is very sturdy and flat. the axle adapters are nicely machined and everything tightens up well, no play. Other than using a metal file, this is my first attempt at facing the mounts to try and get rid of a noisy/vibrating front brake and I don't necessarily know the mount is misaligned in the first place. Certainly, putting the facing disk up against the mounts, they look pretty flat. But using the tool is pretty simple, the spring provides enough pressure that you can just turn it and it starts taking aluminium off.

Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: jonathanf2 on July 02, 2026, 06:56:47 PM
Get sandpaper and guess.  ;D
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: ChinerStevie on July 03, 2026, 12:56:00 AM
Can this be used for carbon fork?
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: gribs on July 18, 2026, 06:36:13 AM
It got a review by someone I follow on Youtube and it seems very positive.

youtube.com/watch?v=RYmu2zBefWQ
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Sand101 on August 01, 2026, 05:33:40 PM
It got a review by someone I follow on Youtube and it seems very positive.

youtube.com/watch?v=RYmu2zBefWQ

After seeing this video (had no idea this tool existed) I gave it a shot for $65.  I have three disc brake bikes in the house - my GR201 gravel bike, R088 roadie, and my wife's Liv aluminum gravel bike.   I have spent a ton of time on all three trying to get these to not rub, with mixed success and a lot of cursing.  Got this tool in, set this up and went to it.  All three bikes had the front well out - the back on all three was ok.  The improvement was massive; the front brakes are now dead straight.  Totally worth the money.   

As with these kind of instruments that make irreparable changes the key is to take the minimum off - I marked the surface to be machined (as in the video) and took the minimum off.  The minimum being 75% flat surface or so.  Went slow, checked often with no pressure other than the light spring (which was more than enough to remove material).  It did not take long to remove what needed to go.

Big thumbs up on this tool.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: jermu on August 14, 2026, 02:03:38 PM
Tried this on my VeloBuild aero gravel and it works well, there is some very minor play between the interface on the final part between the grinding disc and the arm. Apart from that so far so good.
Faced mounts so far with a simple file and trying the caliper on which quite a bit of time because you are constantly taking off the caliper.

My procedure with file facing is: have the wheel on with the disc, mount caliper WITHOUT the brake pads and tighten either bolt and see what happens between caliper and the disc and then file to opposite direction.

With this it just seems simpler.

Facing with a file I get to "good enough" and with this while not perfection I get most the way there.

Bonus points that my VeloBuild front thru axle does not fit to the front axle fitting lol, tried TanTan thru axle and it works.
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: 00Garza on August 20, 2026, 09:42:35 AM
This popped up in my feed. A bit pricey.
 
I just found this on AliExpress:  | LEBYCLE Bike Disc Brake Mount Facing Tool For Flat/Post/IS Mount Quick Release andThru Axle Bike Frame Disc Brake Base Repair Tool
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqndFM3
Title: Re: disc brake flat mount facing tool
Post by: Dan S. on August 21, 2026, 02:51:42 AM
This popped up in my feed. A bit pricey.
 
I just found this on AliExpress:  | LEBYCLE Bike Disc Brake Mount Facing Tool For Flat/Post/IS Mount Quick Release andThru Axle Bike Frame Disc Brake Base Repair Tool
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqndFM3

That’s almost as expensive as the ParkTool one.