Growling V-brakes

DeF said:

I recently installed some new XTR v-brakes
on my MTB (replacing some old Deore). Seemed
to go fine except now I get this intermittent
growling/grinding sound from them. Doesn't
sound good. I've checked that there is no
metal/metal contact or contact with tire. I've
cleaned the rim and brakes and I still get it.

Is there some subtlety to adjusting the brake
blocks that I'm missing?

DeF

Someone wrote something about this... Zinn? Sheldon Brown?

There was something about angling the front a bit more, or else it
grumbles...

Abby had this problem a while ago, but he's away on a holiday this
weekend.

Tam *not much help*

I had the same problem. What I found with my XTR v-brakes, when I took the
pads off, were that there were some shards of metal in them, which had
come off the rim, because the compound the pad was made of was too hard.
Good stopping power, but I'd rather lasting rims.

On 11/11/05 at 16:44:44 DeF somehow managed to type:

Quoted message said:

I recently installed some new XTR v-brakes

<snip>

Original Shimano pads ?? Ditch 'em and get some Kool Stops. The Shimano
pads pick up bits of metal which they tear from your rims which is what
makes _that_ sound...

--
Humbug
BE A LOOF! (There has been a recent population explosion of lerts.)

"DeF" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

I recently installed some new XTR v-brakes
on my MTB (replacing some old Deore). Seemed
to go fine except now I get this intermittent
growling/grinding sound from them.

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Is there some subtlety to adjusting the brake
blocks that I'm missing?

Make sure the pads are "toed in" so that the front of the brake pad touches first (from memory only a millimetre or maybe two).
Re-adjust frequently or get used to the noise.

It has also been suggested that different pads will make a difference.

Parbs

"Parbs" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"DeF" wrote in message ...

Quoted message said:

Is there some subtlety to adjusting the brake
blocks that I'm missing?

Make sure the pads are "toed in" so that the front of the brake pad
touches first (from memory only a millimetre or maybe two).
Re-adjust frequently or get used to the noise.

My understanding is that this was always the advice with road bike pads and
the old short canti pads, but V-brake pads, being longer and thinner, should
be set flat to the rim. Toe-in of any amount is too likely to rip out one
end of the pad.

By the way I have been suitably impressed with the pad life I have had out
of V-brake pads even tough they are so thin.

Cheers
Peter

Humbug said:

Original Shimano pads ?? Ditch 'em and get some Kool Stops. The Shimano
pads pick up bits of metal which they tear from your rims which is what
makes _that_ sound...

On my tourer, the koolstops have always squealed like a [censored]. Its good though, gets the ped moving like a rocket on the paths.

till

--
Frank
[email hidden]
Drop DACKS to reply
"kottebulle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had the same problem. What I found with my XTR v-brakes, when I took the
pads off, were that there were some shards of metal in them, which had
come off the rim, because the compound the pad was made of was too hard.
Good stopping power, but I'd rather lasting rims.

The stock Shimano pads are notoriously hard. After much mucking about with
various pads I found Fibrax pads the best to use with linkage brakes (I have
XT and XTR on two of my bikes). Others recommend Koolstop but I found them a
bit squishy and picky on the adjustment. With the Fibrax I don't have to
worry about toe-in and stuff; just bung them in, align them to the rim and
no worries. Been using them for years...

Cheers,

Frank

Plodder said:

With the Fibrax I don't have to
worry about toe-in and stuff; just bung them in, align them to the rim and
no worries. Been using them for years...

I tried the fibrax ones, but they dont last long off-road, especially in the wet. I wore a set out on the mundabiddi, they went from plenty-of-wear to hey-that-is-ali-shavings in under 150km, just because it was both damp and gritty.

till

On 12/11/05 at 01:40:47 till! somehow managed to type:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

On my tourer, the koolstops have always squealed like a [censored]. Its
good though, gets the ped moving like a rocket on the paths.

Ah well you get that. My touring bike is just fine with ANY pads -
sometimes a bit of a squeak if it's wet. My Moulton, OTH, is only just
tolerable with black koolstops, anything else and it screeches like a
bnashee, wet, damp or dry... Of course with those shimano pads that
gouge bits out of the rims it doesn't screech - it grinds...

--
Humbug
BE A LOOF! (There has been a recent population explosion of lerts.)

till! said:

On my tourer, the koolstops have always squealed like a [censored]. Its
good though, gets the ped moving like a rocket on the paths.

Quoted message said:

till!

Till, I'm not sure what to think about you making your [censored] squeal
like my Koolstops!

Donga

till! said:

On my tourer, the koolstops have always squealed like a [censored]. Its
good though, gets the ped moving like a rocket on the paths.

Quoted message said:

till!

Till, I'm not sure what to think about you making your [censored] squeal
like my Koolstops!

Donga

till! said:

On my tourer, the koolstops have always squealed like a [censored]. Its
good though, gets the ped moving like a rocket on the paths.

Quoted message said:

till!

Till, I'm not sure what to think about you making your [censored] squeal
like my Koolstops!

Donga

DeF said:

I recently installed some new XTR v-brakes
on my MTB (replacing some old Deore). Seemed
to go fine except now I get this intermittent
growling/grinding sound from them.

XT and XTR vee brakes have a bad reputation for squealing. If yours are squealing, try these:

1. Start with no toe-in. If that doesn't work, try some toe-in. If that doesn't work, try toe-out (it sometimes works, but you get really mushy brakes).

2. Run fine grit sandpaper or steel wool over your rims to get the built-up glaze off them.

3. Change brake pads. Koolstop pads are usually pretty good, but if they don't work you could try WTB Razor pads, which apparently are quite good, too. Avoid Shimano pads, as I find they destroy rims in a hurry. Check MTBReview to see what people have to say about various brake pads.

4. Try a brake booster. Borrow one if you can before you spend the bucks -- no point buying one if it doesn't stop the squealing.

5. Sell the XTR V-Brakes on rec.bicycles.marketplace and buy a set of Avid Arch Rival 50's. Note that Avid Rim Wrangler cartridge pads do not fit Shimano XT/XTR pad catridges, and vice versa.

6. Sell the bike and buy one with disk brakes.

from: http://www.ihpva.org/pipermail/hpv/2000-May/005167.html

If it is a grinding noise, bin the Shimano pads and try Koolstops.

hippy