Sinter Model 003 Shimano D / H Type

The Shimano D-type and H-type pad shapes (Sinter Model 003) live in the calipers that take the most thermal load in Shimano's MTB catalog: Saint, Zee, and the four-piston Deore XT M8020 / M8120, SLX M7120, Deore M6120, and the current Deore M5100 four-piston platforms. If your bike runs a four-piston Shimano caliper for downhill, enduro, or heavy e-MTB duty, this is the replacement pad. Sinter's organic compound earns its keep on these brakes because the rider is asking the brake for sustained heat dissipation, and the resin matrix's modulation is the difference between bite-and-fade and bite-and-control on a long descent.

What's in the kit

One caliper's worth of pads (2 pads, left and right) for the D-type or H-type Shimano pocket. Bedding-in instructions are included; spring and pin are part of the pad assembly. Order two kits if you're replacing front and rear pads on the same service.

Fits

D-type and H-type pad shape, covering the Shimano four-piston MTB platform plus several aftermarket calipers that licensed the same geometry:

• Shimano Deore XT M8100 series (BR-M8120), M8000 series (BR-M8020)
• Shimano SLX M7100 series (BR-M7120)
• Shimano Deore M6100 series (BR-M6120), M5100 series
• Shimano Saint M820 (BR-M820), M810 (BR-M810)
• Shimano Zee M640 (BR-M640)
• Shimano BR-MT520, BR-MT420
• Shimano CUES U8000 (BR-U8020)
• Tektro: HD-E725, HD-M735, HD-M745, HD-M750
• TRP: Quadiem, SL Slate, T4, DH-R EVO
• HEL Advocate 4-Piston

If your Shimano four-piston caliper is in this generational range, the Sinter Model 003 is the pad. The TRP DH-R EVO and Quadiem coverage extends the same pad shape into competitive DH builds.

Compound and feel

Sinter's organic ceramic-loaded compound (kevlar, ceramic, clay minerals, and carbon bound in resin) is calibrated to the sustained-load profile that four-piston MTB calipers create. Where a two-piston caliper sees short, hard inputs, a four-piston caliper sees long, moderate-pressure dragging on technical descents. Organic compound modulates better for that pattern; sintered pads transfer more heat into the rotor and run noisier in the wet. Match the pad to the use case the brake was designed for.

Specs

• Compound: organic (ceramic-loaded, resin-bound)
• Backing plate: steel
• Pad shape: Shimano D-type / H-type
• Pads per package: 2 (one caliper)

Includes: 2 pads (left and right), bedding-in instructions.

From Sinter's Ljubljana plant

Sinter has been making friction materials in Ljubljana since 1969, and developed the first disc brake pads in the former Yugoslavia in 1972. The same plant supplies organic-compound pads at scale to motorcycle OEMs and to the bicycle aftermarket. Unior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and is the official technical partner of multiple World Tour and downhill teams. Both run through Euro Toolworks in North America. The Model 003 lands in the four-piston MTB segment where the riders who put the most hours into descending demand the most from the friction matrix.

Pro tip from our mechanics

Four-piston Shimano calipers reward a careful piston-spread step before pad install: pistons that retract unevenly produce uneven pad wear and the well-known Shimano “rubbing rear caliper” complaint within a hundred miles. Spread the pistons evenly with a flat-blade tool or a piston-spreader before sliding fresh Sinter pads in, and the brake bites cleanly from the first descent.

For the broader compound primer and fitment grid, see How to choose Sinter brake pads →.

FAQ

Which brakes does the Sinter Model 003 pad fit? Made for Shimano Saint and Zee four-piston gravity calipers (the D and H type), this pad fits the larger four-piston pocket rather than a two-piston caliper. Since Shimano uses different pad shapes across models, compare the backing plate, mounting tab, and pin hole of your worn pad with this one before ordering, or check the model number stamped on the old pad. That physical match is what counts, not the caliper name. If you are not sure, send us a clear photo of the old pad and we'll check it for you.

Are these sintered metal pads? No. Despite the brand name, Sinter only makes organic pads, not sintered-metal. Organic compounds run cooler at the caliper, give you more lever feel and modulation, stay quieter, and cause less rotor wear and vibration than sintered pads. They are not semi-metallic either.

Do I need to bed in new pads? Yes. New organic pads need bedding in to transfer an even layer of compound onto the rotor and reach full power. Find a safe stretch of road or trail, bring the bike up to a moderate speed, and brake firmly to nearly a stop without locking the wheel, then repeat several times. Avoid hard stops or dragging the brake until they are bedded, or you can glaze the surface.

Why won't the new pads fit back in the caliper? As the old pads wore down, the pistons advanced outward to keep contact with the rotor, so there is no room for the thicker new pads. Before fitting the Model 003, push the pistons back into the caliper bores to spread them. Remove the old pads first, then use a plastic tire lever or a dedicated piston press to ease both pistons back evenly so the new pads and rotor slide in cleanly.