LC 4" pads not lasting

A

Aekon

New member
so all my 4" pads are tearing apart. iv had my 6" pads get knicks in them here and there, and its not a huge issue, but the 4" pads are actualy seperating from the velcro backing. it feels like everytime i use one, it gets a bit more broken, and after 3 or 4 uses id need to toss it. ontop of that, they are getting soft... losing their stiffness.



obviously throwing them out after a few uses is not very cost effective, as iv heard of pads lasting years with proper treatment. so, i wanna know WHY this is happening... is it something im doing wrong?



the 1st time i used the 4" pads i was pressing pretty hard (which caused them to squish/deform and never come back to proper size), and use them at full speed with the PC which seemed to tear the foam from the backing.



for cleaning them, i do it by head with some soap, some running water, and just massaging them till they run clear.



iv started being more gentle with them and it seems to help, but clearly i should be able to treat them like the 6" pads and not have to worry about them falling apart in my hands. it just seems like they have almost no longevity.



can anyone shed some light on this? thanks!
 
Whats the thickness of the 4" pads? Ive been using 4" pads for quite some time with never any ill effects to them with proper care. I never use additional pressure with 4" (Except vertical panels as needed for manipulation) as the machine is usually suffice. Theres no need to operate at 6 either IMO.

I have experienced quicker deterioration with yellow though due to pore sizes.
 
Happened doing a headlight resto. The nubs on the lights caught hold of a small tear and well....it's obvious what happened.

IMG00532.jpg
 
ninobrn99 said:
Happened doing a headlight resto. The nubs on the lights caught hold of a small tear and well....it's obvious what happened.
Click to expand...



I had the same thing happen on a headlight restoration when I ran across those nubs. Can't really blame the pad for that.



I've never had a problem with the 4" pads on a flat surface.
 
Aekon said:
so all my 4" pads are tearing apart. iv had my 6" pads get knicks in them here and there, and its not a huge issue, but the 4" pads are actualy seperating from the velcro backing. it feels like everytime i use one, it gets a bit more broken, and after 3 or 4 uses id need to toss it. ontop of that, they are getting soft... losing their stiffness.



obviously throwing them out after a few uses is not very cost effective, as iv heard of pads lasting years with proper treatment. so, i wanna know WHY this is happening... is it something im doing wrong?



the 1st time i used the 4" pads i was pressing pretty hard (which caused them to squish/deform and never come back to proper size), and use them at full speed with the PC which seemed to tear the foam from the backing.



it just seems like they have almost no longevity.



can anyone shed some light on this? thanks!
Click to expand...



I've had a similar problem with them not lasting at all. I bought " Lake Country 4 Inch Low Profile Foam Pads" from Autogeek.



The pads would start to come apart right around the black velcro. This has happened to ALL of them.



Originally bought 4, they failed, called Autogeek and they sent me 6 more, they failed also. This was on speed 5 and 6 with a PC.



I do not agree that one should not use speed 6. If the pads can't take it, they should be rightly labeled on the website that they are not to be used above speed 5. In other words, a disclaimer.



They worked well before they came apart. Although a few didn't make it 2 hours before they started to fall apart.. and yes they were washed correctly.
 
My Lake Country pads are also becoming soft and losing their stiffness...not sure if it's heat from my DA causing the foam to breakdown a bit. Most likely the combination of the foam heating, using APC to clean them (OFTEN) and product getting hot with the pad and backing plate using the machine on speed 5 and 6 all the time.
 
I too have been having problems with my LC pads. I had one yellow completely separate from the Velcro backing, and then another one started deteriorating on the same car.
 
I have had issues with the LC 4" pads with the velcro that doesnt go all the way across that I got at AG, but my normal ones are holding up fine.
 
good to hear im not the only one. i was thinking of peeling off the velcro and reapplying it with a spray adhesive across the entire back, as currently, the adhesive is only on the edge. bad design.
 
Too much pressure and you need to be careful of panel gaps, different surface levels, and watch the speed on headlights because of the nubs. Theyre not as thick or compact as bigger pads so they are more sensitive. Take it easy and more graceful and less aggresive. Our hobby requires patience.
 
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