Squeaking disc brakes !!!

Hey guys,

Just wondering if any of you have had the same problem as me? My Hayes hydraulics are squeaking like mad when ever I apply pressure to them, even when just walking the bike along (pressing the lever obviously) I think the squeaks are a result of moisture being absorbed by the pads after leaving the bike outdoors for a week. I had to do this on holiday - it was warm weather though and whenever it rained I kept the bike covered, but could the squeaks be a result of moisture being absorbed into the pads from the air? I have taken the pads out to check for wear and they look fine and have lots of life left in them, I have also wiped the discs to remove any pad build up.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get rid of the squeak or will it just be a matter of trying to ride it out?

Cheers,

Will

Are you sure the pads are hitting the rotors exactly square?
Check the spacers if not & if that doesnt help then get the disk mounts faced to make sure there completely square.
Mine also squeek when there wet but using them a few times (2 minutes riding) soon removes the water & cures the squeek.
Theres a few more tips here for Hope brakes (which I have) but the principals should be the same for your brakes.

did you touch the rotors at any time?maybe the oils on your fingers contamined the rotors and or pads a little bit.

Try cleaning the discs (and pads if necessary) with isopropyl alcohol. It will clean the surface and evaporate with no residue. That works most of the time for me.

__________________
Peter
Cannondale Synapse Carbon Scalpel Cyclocross Ultra

Thanks for the replies guys. Went for a ride yesterday and the squeak seems to have gone a bit, I guess getting some heat into the pads helped.

Will

I posted a similar question about my Avid brakes squeaking and got the same answers. I kept searching on the Avid web page till I found that disc brakes squeak naturally at times. Mine have seamed to stopped for now and have about 150 miles on them. It was my first bike with disc brakes and did not know what to expect hopefully yours will quite down soon.



Good Luck

i fitted some hope discs and noticed a wierd brushing sound. A mechanic friend of mine told me all rotors have a slight warp in them to push the pots back, obviously the force you put into the lever closes the brake, but there are no springs etc to return the pots, so a slight warp in the rotor will naturally push the pads back into the open position.

i know this isn't really the answer to the question...... just some thoughts