Ar a heavy braking track—think wgi- we might have used but adequate brake left for the first day of an event, but not for two or three days. No reason to toss pads when they aren’t thin, and sometimes that means replacing In between days at an event.

A large pair of Channel lock pliers is the fastest, most reliable spreader I've used. Put the plier end between the pads laying on the rotor parallel to the caliper, and then open the handles, which forces the pads back. It puts the force down low on the pads where you want it, unlike the clamp-style spreaders that can cause the pistons to bind up. You just need to be careful not to let it slip by putting some downward pressure while opening the handles, or place a rag first to protect the paint if it does.