Noisy Brakes

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

Hi all

Yes noisy brakes. My front ones, on my MB cantilever style, make about as much noise as an 18
wheeler Mack truck when pulling up hard. At 5am in the morn not winning many freinds in 'hood, as
well as looking extremely uncool to all the local cats and dogs around at that time. Anybody have
a remedy for the noise? besides just using the rear...

Make sure the rims and pads are free of oil and grime - if this isn't the problem, possibly look
at new pads?

Tim

"DavMen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yes noisy brakes. My front ones, on my MB cantilever style, make about as much noise as an 18
wheeler Mack truck when pulling up hard. At 5am in the morn not winning many freinds in 'hood, as
well as looking extremely uncool to all the local cats and dogs around at that time. Anybody have
a remedy for the noise? besides just using the rear...

I have exactly the same "problem". I think it is due to the combo of dirty rims and old, hard
brake pads.

I haven't put new pads on yet because the screechy noise is good for scaring.. err.. warning
pedestrians ;-)

Try some new pads and adjust their position, perhaps with a little more toe-in (I think that's the
standard cure).

Otherwise spray your rims with WD40.. quiet as a sleeping pup.

What the hell are you doing riding around at 5am anyway?! :-P

hippy
- No, DON'T spray WD40 on your rims.. that was a joke.

DavMen <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all

Yes noisy brakes. My front ones, on my MB cantilever style, make about as much noise as an 18
wheeler Mack truck when pulling up hard. At 5am in the morn not winning many freinds in 'hood, as
well as looking extremely uncool to all the local cats and dogs around at that time. Anybody have
a remedy for the noise? besides just using the rear...

OK, first of all let me just say I AM SICK TO FRIGGIN DEATH OF MY SQUEAKY FRIGGIN BRAKES.

Now that I have that out of the way, the idea is to "toe-in" the brake pads slightly (angle them so
that the tailing edge of the pad hits the rim first), and that will stop the squealing.
Theoretically. I have done this many times now, in conjunction with cleaning the rims, and even
changing the wheels, but it doesn't seem to last for very long.

I don't know if this is my riding style that is causing somehow or what, but it is very, very
annoying. Anyone else got any tips?
---
DFM

Don't have any answers or tips, other than check to see if the brakes haven't wore down to metal and clean built-up crud from rims.
From personal experience, old chrome steel rims are absolutely terrible in the sort of weather I'm looking at present (3.53pm, Melb.Daylight Saving Time) Like a vise when dry, like a pair of greased eels when wet. Modern technology good...alloy rims, better still, disc brakes.

DavMen said:

Hi all

Quoted message said:

Yes noisy brakes. My front ones, on my MB cantilever style, make about as much noise as an 18
wheeler Mack truck when pulling up hard. At 5am in the morn not winning many freinds in 'hood, as
well as looking extremely uncool to all the local cats and dogs around at that time. Anybody have
a remedy for the noise? besides just using the rear...

All the tips so far, and try taking your pads out and rubbing them on a brick wall. Then sand your
rims lightly. Adjust the angle the pads hit (toe-in a little, as everyone says) and make sure they
can't vibrate too easily (change the length of pad stem which is out of the clamp).

--
*--------------------------------------------------------*
| ^Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool^ |
| Heath Raftery, HRSoftWorks _\|/_ |
*______________________________________m_('.'😉_m_________*

"DavMen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all

Yes noisy brakes. My front ones, on my MB cantilever style, make about as much noise as an 18
wheeler Mack truck when pulling up hard. At 5am in the morn not winning many freinds in 'hood, as
well as looking extremely uncool to all the local cats and dogs around at that time. Anybody have
a remedy for the noise? besides just using the rear...

A little sandpaper around the rim fixed mine. Not sure that this is a good long term solution tho..

"Bristan" <daed> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A little sandpaper around the rim fixed mine. Not sure that this is a

good

Quoted message said:

long term solution tho..

I use that green "scotch brite" scourer stuff from the kitchen for less rim wear and similar
cleaning effect.

hippy

"Deep Freud Moors" wrote

Quoted message said:

OK, first of all let me just say I AM SICK TO FRIGGIN DEATH OF MY

SQUEAKY

Quoted message said:

FRIGGIN BRAKES.

Now that I have that out of the way, the idea is to "toe-in" the

brake pads

Quoted message said:

slightly (angle them so that the tailing edge of the pad hits the

rim

Quoted message said:

first), and that will stop the squealing.

I suggest you try some toe-in on the pads. Toe-in is angling the pads so that the leading edge (the
toe) contacts first, not the heel.

Has worked for me for forty years.

Cheers

Theo

When you say "toe-in" is achieved by angling the leading edge of the pads towards the rim, do you
mean leading as in the end towards the front of the bike, or leading as in the end that the rim
passes through first (ie towards the back of the bike)??

Also, wouldn't achieving toe-in eventually wear your brake pads down at an angle so that to achieve
toe-in again, you would have to angle them further....etc,etc??

Finally, I have actually tried adjusting my brakes to toe-in with the end of the pads at the front
of the bike being the toes, and I found that although my squeaky brakes were now fixed, I seemed to
lose a fair deal of "feel" in the lever. It sorta felt like it was either on or off and provided
less modulation (think thats what they call it) for situations requiring anything less than full
braking power.

Anyone help me on this??

Gags

"Theo Bekkers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Deep Freud Moors" wrote

Quoted message said:

slightly (angle them so that the tailing edge of the pad hits the

rim

Quoted message said:

first), and that will stop the squealing.

I suggest you try some toe-in on the pads. Toe-in is angling the pads so that the leading edge
(the toe) contacts first, not the heel.

Err, some crossed wires here I think. It all depends on your orientation re. the bike and what is
'leading'. I read DFM as talking about the trailing edge in relation to direction of wheel spin.
Correct toe-in, not nearly so critical with the long pads of V-brakes, has the trailing edge (ie.
part of brake shoe closest to the front of your bike) contacting your rim maybe 1mm earlier.

The main reason for this has to do with flex in the brake calipers under load. As they flex the pad
will come around to parallel with the rim. If you begin with parallel pads the flex of the caliper
will cause them to toe-out, which is where a whole lot of harmonics are set up, causing that shriek.

Cheers Peter

"Gags" <drgagnon@nospam_ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

When you say "toe-in" is achieved by angling the leading edge of the pads towards the rim, do you
mean leading as in the end towards the front of

the

Quoted message said:

bike, or leading as in the end that the rim passes through first (ie

towards

Quoted message said:

the back of the bike)??

Leading in relation to the front of bike, or rather trailing re rim motion

Quoted message said:

Also, wouldn't achieving toe-in eventually wear your brake pads down at an angle so that to
achieve toe-in again, you would have to angle them further....etc,etc??

It shouldn't be a problem. Don't toe-in to much - 1mm. Flex of the brake mech should leave your pads
flat faced under load.

Quoted message said:

Finally, I have actually tried adjusting my brakes to toe-in with the end

of

Quoted message said:

the pads at the front of the bike being the toes,

Correct

Quoted message said:

and I found that although my squeaky brakes were now fixed, I seemed to lose a fair deal of "feel"

in

Quoted message said:

the lever. It sorta felt like it was either on or off and provided less modulation (think thats
what they call it) for situations requiring

anything

Quoted message said:

less than full braking power.

Not sure about this. Maybe by getting your pads flat faced on your rim you are getting more
stopping power?

Cheers Peter

Peter Signorini <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Theo Bekkers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Deep Freud Moors" wrote

Quoted message said:

slightly (angle them so that the tailing edge of the pad hits the

rim

Quoted message said:

first), and that will stop the squealing.

I suggest you try some toe-in on the pads. Toe-in is angling the pads so that the leading edge
(the toe) contacts first, not the heel.

Err, some crossed wires here I think. It all depends on your orientation

re.

Quoted message said:

the bike and what is 'leading'. I read DFM as talking about the trailing edge in relation to
direction of wheel spin.

Yep...

Quoted message said:

Correct toe-in, not nearly so critical with the long pads of V-brakes, has the trailing edge
(ie. part

of

Quoted message said:

brake shoe closest to the front of your bike) contacting your rim maybe

1mm

Quoted message said:

earlier.

The main reason for this has to do with flex in the brake calipers under load. As they flex the
pad will come around to parallel with the rim. If

you

Quoted message said:

begin with parallel pads the flex of the caliper will cause them to

toe-out,

Quoted message said:

which is where a whole lot of harmonics are set up, causing that shriek.

The issue I have is that they end up wearing parrallel after a few days/weeks. Then they start
squeaking again. With the rear pads I just flip them over when they wear unevenly, but I can't do
that with the front ones. Oh well, I will try another set of pads I guess, and maybe sand the
braking surface a little. Maybe just not use them as much...
---
DFM

Heh, i've had my bike for less than a month, and already the rims are noticably thinner where the
brake pads hit them 🙁

hippy said:

"Bristan" <daed> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A little sandpaper around the rim fixed mine. Not sure that this is a

good

Quoted message said:

long term solution tho..

I use that green "scotch brite" scourer stuff from the kitchen for less rim wear and similar
cleaning effect.

hippy

Peter Signorini:

Quoted message said:

"Gags" <drgagnon@nospam_ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, wouldn't achieving toe-in eventually wear your brake pads down at an angle so that to
achieve toe-in again, you would have to angle them further....etc,etc??

It shouldn't be a problem. Don't toe-in to much - 1mm. Flex of the brake mech should leave your
pads flat faced under load.

The pads still wear out unevenly, the trailing edge of the pad more so than the leading edge by sole
virtue of it coming into contact with the rim first. There will eventually be a need to re-adjust
the pads for appropriate toe-in, but at that stage the squealing might likely have gone away due to
erosion of the rim/pads.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and I found that although my squeaky brakes were now fixed, I seemed to lose a fair deal of
"feel" in the lever. It sorta felt like it was either on or off and provided less modulation
(think thats what they call it) for situations requiring anything less than full braking power.

Not sure about this. Maybe by getting your pads flat faced on your rim you are getting more
stopping power?

The situation being experienced is due to the toed-in brake pads now having to either rotate
slightly at the caliper arms, or the pads bending along their lengths, as they are pressed against
the rim. The latter is most observable on thin V-brake pads such as Koolstop mountain pads; with the
built-in plow tip at the leading edge, it makes for an uneven pad surface to start with, and
repeated loading against the rim can bend the whole pad such that the contact area with the rim
involves the plow tip and the trailing half of the pad only.

Hi All

The secret must be in clean Rims:

All noise ceased after some heavy continuous braking during the Gong ride.

Thanx, will keep all your tips in mind should prob arise again.

Dav Men