SRAM's replacement disc brake pad program covers the full range of their hydraulic calipers, with pad shapes matched to specific caliper families and compounds tuned for how you actually ride. Getting the right pad comes down to two decisions — which shape fits your caliper, and which compound matches your riding conditions. The wrong shape will not physically fit, and the wrong compound will either wear out too quickly or fail to deliver the stopping power you need in wet or sustained descending.

Shape is determined by your caliper. The small road/2-piece shape (part 00.5318.024.001 in organic/steel) fits Level T, Level TL, Level TLM, Level Ultimate B1 (2020+), Level Base, S-300, and the 2-piece road calipers on Red, Force, Rival, and Apex AXS groupsets. The medium 4-piston shape (part 00.5315.023.010 in sintered/steel) fits Code 2011+, Code R, Code RSC, DB8, Guide RE, and G2 RE — the heavier-duty enduro, downhill, and e-MTB calipers. If you're not sure which caliper you have, the medium 4-piston pad has a distinctive hexagonal ridged connecting arm between the two pad backs.

Compound is the second decision. Organic pads use a resin-based friction material that runs quieter, modulates more smoothly, and puts less thermal stress on the rotor — the tradeoff is faster wear and less outright power under sustained hard braking. Sintered pads use a metallic compound that delivers more stopping power, better wet-weather performance, and significantly longer life, at the cost of more noise, more heat transferred into the rotor, and a firmer initial bite. Road riders and cross-country mountain bikers usually stay with organic. Enduro, downhill, e-MTB, and heavy tandem riders benefit from sintered.... Read More