Squealing brakes?

[mr.groovy]

Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
TIA.

 

[Steve Palincsar]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 16:31:14 -0400, mr.groovy wrote:

> Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
> whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
> because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
> once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
> slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
> meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
> TIA.

That's not the only cause of brake squealing, but it certainly is a
common one. Definitely toe your brake shoes in. Also clean rim (I like
alcohol) and if necessary, sand glazed brake blocks.

 

[[email protected]]

someone writes:

> Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
> whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that
> this is because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their
> length at once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet
> the rims at a slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the
> front of the block meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone
> know if this is correct?

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8f.16.html

Jobst Brandt
[email protected]

 

[Mike Kruger]

"mr.groovy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
> whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
> because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
> once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
> slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
> meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
> TIA.

The FAQ knows:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-f...s.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

 

[David]

Like Steve mentioned, try angling the brake pads in at their
leading end. I got four sets of brakes to stop squeaking on
a couple of bikes with that tip. I angled them in a LOT.
The rims were already clean as a whistle (alcohol wipe-down)
and the brake pads were both new and older. Squeaks are GONE!

David

mr.groovy wrote:

> Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
> whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
> because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
> once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
> slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
> meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
> TIA.

 

[mysilver70sekai]

Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
TIA.

I caught a bug between my breaks and the wheel(what are the chances) and the squealing was terrible. The bug must have left the rim sticky or something...i'll try to clean the bug bits off of it with alcohol, that sounds like a good idea. I thought that this was related and maybe interesting given the topic...maybe not?

Aaron

 

[the black rose]

Mike Kruger wrote:

> "mr.groovy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
>>whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
>>because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
>>once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
>>slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
>>meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
>>TIA.
>
>
> The FAQ knows:
> http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-f...s.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

Or, more simply, http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

-km, jus' tryin' to be helpful

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

 

[the black rose]

Mike Kruger wrote:

> "mr.groovy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
>>whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
>>because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
>>once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
>>slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
>>meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
>>TIA.
>
>
> The FAQ knows:
> http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-f...s.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

Or, more simply, http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

-km, jus' tryin' to be helpful

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

 

[the black rose]

Mike Kruger wrote:

> "mr.groovy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
>>whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
>>because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
>>once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
>>slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
>>meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
>>TIA.
>
>
> The FAQ knows:
> http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-f...s.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

Or, more simply, http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-11.html

-km, jus' tryin' to be helpful

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

 

[Ben Stanley]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2004 21:31:14 +0100, "mr.groovy" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Hi...quick question - my brakes squeal in agony (it sounds like)
>whenever they get wet or even a little damp. I've been told that this is
>because the blocks meet the rims along the whole of their length at
>once, and the way to fix this is to have the blocks meet the rims at a
>slight angle so that when you apply the brakes the front of the block
>meets the rim slightly before the back. Anyone know if this is correct?
>TIA.

I find that a simple business card under the trailing edge gives the
correct and even toe. Just stick it under the back edge and enlist a
helper for the lever squeezing while you tighten and hold stuff. I
haven't had squeal in a long time once I figured out how much toe is
correct. There is such thing as too much toe which will decrease your
braking and your pad life.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:02:49 GMT,
<[email protected]>, Ben Stanley
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I find that a simple business card under the trailing edge gives the
>correct and even toe.

I use a thumb (toe?) tack. Same effect
--
zk