TPC 4 Piston Disc Brake Pads – Shimano M8120, M7120, M6120, MT520, MT420, Saint M820, Zee M640

Four-piston brakes exist because two-piston brakes run out of heat capacity on long descents. The pad is the part doing the suffering, and on a heavy trail bike or an e-MTB it's the part that decides whether you still have a brake at the bottom. These fit Shimano's four-piston callipers, in a choice of two compounds.

What fits

Shimano BR-M820 and M810 Saint, M640 Zee, M8120 and M8020 XT, M7120 SLX, M6120 Deore, MT520 and MT420. All four-piston callipers. If yours is a two-piston brake the pad is a different shape and these won't fit — check the calliper before ordering.

Not sure which pads your brake takes? Read our disc brake pad fitment guide.

Which compound

Semi-metallic is the everyday choice. Strong initial bite, good heat tolerance, and it won't chew through rotors. It's what most riders should buy.

Carbon costs a little more and holds its performance better once things get properly hot. If you ride long alpine descents, run an e-bike, or you're heavy on the brakes with a loaded bike, the extra couple of pounds is worth it. For everything else it's more pad than you need.

What they're made of

Both compounds use a steel backing plate with a wear-resistant resin carrying Kevlar and copper fibre. Rated for middle and high temperatures, with heat dissipation built in to keep wear rates down rather than simply surviving the heat.

Fitting

One pair per calliper, so order two for a complete bike. Bed them in properly — roughly ten firm stops from moderate speed, easing off before standstill — before you take them anywhere steep. New four-piston pads feel underwhelming until they're bedded, and that's the point at which most people wrongly conclude they've bought badly.