Birzman Razor Clam

The Birzman Razor Clam disc brake alignment tool does a good job of providing even spacing between brake pads and getting rid of the dreaded brake rub. It's small, functional, and durable, with the handle making it much easier to use than some.

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The Razor Clam is made from stainless steel and 6061 aluminium and is a folding design, with the 'prongs' that slide between the pads and rotor folding back over the handle. The handle is a very useful addition to the design, making it far easier to access the calliper and slide the tool in than simple one-piece designs folded in the middle, such as Birzman's non-Razor Clam. The Razor Clam's folding design also helps to protect the thinner 'prong' material from becoming misshapen.

Another positive is the Razor Clam's length, which means it can be used for aligning both two- and four-piston calliper designs.

Using the tool is very straightforward: loosen the calliper bolts to allow the calliper some movement, open up the Razor Clam and slot it between the brake pads and rotor, then, simply pull the brake lever, tighten up the bolts, and the pads will be spaced evenly. Birzman has a very exciting video showing it in action.

Mostly, I found it worked very well and consistently, with the pads always coming out evenly spaced.

The only issue I ran into was when trying to use the tool with my SRAM Rival brakes; with these, the pads sit so close to the rotor that the tool wouldn't slot in.

> Everything you need to know about disc brakes – read our definitive guide

With so many different calliper designs, I guess there are bound to be some that the tool doesn't work so well with, and it'd be handy if Birzman had a compatibility chart, but it only states that the maximum disc thickness is 2.3mm.

We asked Birzman about this issue, who told us it had tested the Razor Clam on SRAM Rival callipers and rotors, and advised that we would have to 'pinch the front part of the Razor Clam a little so that the sides stay close to the rotor when sliding into the caliper'.

I tried that, and it worked on certain brakes, but I still couldn't get it to fit in my Rival callipers; the pads just sit too close to the rotor.

Value & conclusions

At £8.99, the tool is reasonably priced – a similar offering from Lifeline, the Pro Disc Brake Calliper Alignment Tool, is £11.99 (though currently discounted to £6.99). When testing the Lifeline tool, Liam found it quite difficult to push into the tiny gaps either side of the rotor (though he didn't say which brakes he was testing it on). The Birzman has a far sturdier looking design, making it easier to navigate between the pads.

You can get cheaper alignment tools without a handle – Birzman's non-Razor Clam I mentioned earlier is £7.99 for a pack of three – but they're harder to get the tool in and out, in my experience.

The materials used mean the Razor Clam is robust and hardwearing – after using it many times it has held its shape and works as new. Overall, it's a great addition to your tool kit.

Verdict

Nifty tool perfect for eliminating that pesky brake rub