any from aliexpress that aren't shit?
thinking of adding one to my toolkit.
I guess this is a no then? Anyone???
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
The precision you desire for this task is not what you should expect from a cheap tool.
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.
Quote from: 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.
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.
Quote from: pushpush on August 24, 2025, 10:26:40 AM
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.
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 :(
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.
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
Quote from: 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
I was just looking at these on aliexpress. tempted to try one.
I've took a punt and ordered one.
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.
Get sandpaper and guess. ;D
Can this be used for carbon fork?
It got a review by someone I follow on Youtube and it seems very positive.
youtube.com/watch?v=RYmu2zBefWQ
Quote from: 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
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.
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.
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
Quote from: 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
That's almost as expensive as the ParkTool one.
Quote from: Sand101 on August 01, 2026, 05:33:40 PM
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.
I had the same experience. Threaded inserts were proud (not flush) with the mounting posts on the fork of my FM336 and it was impossible to tighten down the caliper without it shifting and rubbing the disc. Carefully used this facing tool (by hand, not with a drill) and I was able to grind down the threaded inserts until I could drag my fingernail across the surface without it catching on anything.
One recommendation from my experience: position the disc so it faces both mounting posts at the same time and press the disc firmly against the mounting post surfaces while tightening the mounting bolts to ensure it is making as flush as possible contact with both at once.
Quote from: 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.
I bought one on a lark, and my take is that it's a piece of garbage, and not any better than I can do with a hand file.
The alignment of the main structure is fine, but the myriad axle adapters leave a lot to be desired and allow too much slop. Worse, the cutting disc isn't supported on the back side, and flexes easily. If you put any pressure on it at all, you won't have a flat, true surface.
Neat idea, needs a lot of work.
Back in the Aliexpress SPCycle M05 dark ages, (about 3 years ago). When I built my bike, I had to carefully remove the paint off of the frame's caliper mounts. - Combination of chipping off the paint, a file and sanding. I originally mounted a 160 rear rotor, and didn't pay any attention to where the rotor sat relative to the caliper pads. Turns out, as the pads wore, the rotor was not flush with the top of the pads. I migrated to a 180 rotor and used an adapter between the frame and the caliper. I used my mill to remove about 1.5mm from the adapter so the the OD of the rotor was flush with the top of the the pads. As the new pads wore, I noticed they were wearing at an angle. I had never really paid any attention that the mounts wouldn't be perpendicular to the rotors. No big deal, the rotor wasn't rubbing on the pads.
Then I migrated to 203mm rotors, front and back, and the lack of perpendicularity of the caliper came back to haunt me. I very carefully used a file and then a polishing disc to get the caliper and adapter to be perpendicular to the 203mm rotor.
All has been well since.
I didn't start seeing ads for flat mount facing tool until earlier this year. It would be nice to have one, but I have the ability to manually fix the mounts if necessary so one has not been on my purchase short list.
Quote from: ChinerStevie on July 03, 2026, 12:56:00 AM
Can this be used for carbon fork?
Yes. Just don't turn it too many times. Gently, gently and it takes material off fairly quickly. Works well.
anything like this to face a BB overpaint?
Quote from: crazyravr on October 18, 2026, 03:17:51 AManything like this to face a BB overpaint?
Yes but they are expensive and not worth the outlay given you only use it once per bike. Better to take it a your LBS and pay the one off cost.If you remove the crank and BB I wouldnt think it would cost them much.
Quote from: Dan S. on August 21, 2026, 02:51:42 AMThat's almost as expensive as the ParkTool one.
the park tool one is not very good at all, so if this works it might be a good alternative.