Spot The Difference - Shimano Ultegra Brake Caliper

I’ve been wearing my brake pads down more rapidly than I expected on my S3. Maybe I’m a bit scaredy-cat going downhill? (I’m not); maybe there’s been a lot of wet and fine grit? (maybe…); or just maybe it’s a soft compound? The pads are also not quite aligned properly and are a bit too high and are about to rub onto the tyre under braking.

So the next step is obvious. Yep; change the entire set of brakes 🙂

Actually doing that is just about as easy as changing brake pads but that’s another story. I had another set of Shimano Ultegra callipers destined for another bike when my inner-aesthete noticed that the other pair were actually a much better colour match to the S3. So that was the main reason for changing them.

Yet on closer inspection, I noticed that the two pairs were notably different in construction as well as looks. There are no prizes for spotting the differences but the neat detail that I liked is shown in the photo above, where the release mechanism revolves all the way around and into place (well, I liked it!). The larger springing mechanism, below, is also not coiled on the newer set.

Old set: BR-6700
Darker, newer set: BR-R8000 (pads are R55C4)

There IS a difference between the front and rear. The difference is the length of the mounting stud to the frame (rear) or fork (front). the rear one is shorter…did I put them on right…I can’t remember.