I have been fighting this for a year on a bike I bought used with Shimano hydraulic brakes. I tried sanding the disc, brake wash on the disc, sanding and filing the pads with no change. Your suggestion of cooking the pads is something I never thought of. I put the pads over our gas stove and they literally caught on fire and boiled the oil out of the center of the pad. They continued to smoke and burn until all the oil was gone and eventually they would not burn anymore so I knew the oil was gone. This is a brilliant idea and has solved my squealing brakes finally! Thank you!
I blow torched them too. Seemed to work. I was gonna buy new pads but these were relatively new. Seemed like a waste. Not sure where the oil/contaminate came from.
I installed new pads and they still squeal badly. shimano hydro. The rotors have some discoloration in two bands running around the rotors and I'm running sintered pads, but this setup was stone silent for a couple of years. I'm gonna buy new rotors. The originals have hit so many trails in TX, NM, CO and UT that new rotors are due. And pro tip - you are on the trail or in your driveway, and your pads get glazed and dark and noisy, yank them out and find a flat rock to rub them on. Rub them with enough force to scrub the surface off and they will look brand new.
You might have mentioned this.. But with regard to centering the caliper- After the caliper bolts are loose, and you've compressed the brake handle - you need to make sure the handle is compressed fully WHILE re-tightening the caliper bolts. You can easily keep the handle tight with a rubber band or friend if you're on the trail. Your video would make someone who hasn't done it before think a quick pull of the brake handle would do the trick. Great series, love them. Keep up the great work!
My brakes were bellowing like a rutting moose. So I followed the advice from this video. I cleaned the rotors with isopropyl alcohol. Then I removed the pads, clamped them into a vise, and heated them with a propane plumber’s torch. This elicited loud popping noises from the pads, which subsided after about 5 seconds of heat. The heat treatment left a drossy-looking slough on the pad surfaces. I laid a file on my workbench and ran the pads across the file back and forth 4 or 5 times with light pressure, and put everything back together. I now have quiet, smooth brakes. Thank you for the great advice!
The blowtorch method is genius! I'd cleaned everything really thoroughly and was still getting massive squeals...one quick blast of heat and done! Thanks
Thanks Simon! Cleaned my squealing discs with methylated spirits and a clean rag. While they dried out, I placed some 80 grit paper on my bench and used that as a flat surface to sand them back, clean and in plane. No more annoying squeal/squeak and they pull up hard. I had never touched disc brakes before today. Total investment - 20 minutes including a quick lap around the block to test. Cheers, Jason
I've been reluctant the laat few days to ride fast because of how horrible my brakes have sounded the past few days. I'll be trying these this afternoon. Thanks!
I tried everything to no avail until the blow torch method. Worked perfectly and easily done with a reasily available gasmate portable cannister system blow torch. The only youtuber I came across who suggested this method, thank-you!
I have mixed results with several degreasers / brake cleaners. Some of them kind of bond with the grime and dirt leaving a sticky residue. It takes al lot of it to break it down or a lot of heat. Wich is why it works on cars or motorcycles. I tend to use Isopsopyl on my rotors and that works like a charm. It's also much less aggressive on paints, rubber (o-rings and seals!) and plastics.
Contaminated my brakes the night before a race (I know, should've left it alone!). Bought a small propane blowtorch and some brake clean and it did the trick! Restored my brakes with no squish or sound. This video saved the day!
I have wasted so much of my life cleaning my brakes to stop squeal. The torch is so fast and absolutely effective! Awesome silent stopping power in a flash! Caution, the pads hold the torch heat a long time!
Thanks a lot for these tips. I just did this on my road bike front disc which squealed coming to a stop. I removed the disc, scuffed it with 280 wet and dry paper, degreased with spray from the bike shop, removed the pads and scuffed with the same paperthen did the bedding in riding down a long hill with gentle breaking from about 25km / HR to 5 ish. Repeated this over a downhill distance of 6km. Now stopping very well and silent. Let's see how long it lasts. Thanks again, great video.
Brake pads can also get contaminated from the natural oil off your fingers. So always wear gloves or be really carefull not to touch the pads with your fingers :-)
Never subscribed to a channel. Im a noob to mountain biking. I had squeling noises from the back wheel when braking. An it was doing my head in. Done what you suggested and worked perfect. Thank you.
Thanks for the vid. My front brake was really loud, I'm sure they got too hot and had a glaze like you mentioned. They were so loud that it was all you heard in my videos. I used automotive break cleaner and the noise is gone. But one important thing that you left out is to properly bed your pads and rotor together after they are clean: Get up to about 20 mph and start braking easy for 3-4 sec than gradually brake harder to a complete stop. Repeat 10 to 15 times. This will bed them together. My brakes are now better than new.
+George Papadopoulos Bedding in your rotor and brake pads means that you transfer some of your brake pad material onto the rotor. This is critical when buying new rotors or brakes (or after cleaning them). If you dont do this, your rotors will squeal again, (I learned this the hard way)
If your brakes are contaminated with oils then you will not have friction and therefore no braking power. What actually causes noise is improperly bedded-in pads. When you install new pads or a new rotor you have to bed-in the pads before you ride. What this does is applies a coat of pad material on the rotor and etches the rotor face onto the pad. When you brake, it's actually pad material on the rotor and pad that create friction. Imagine rubbing your finger across glass - makes a lot of noise and vibration. Now imagine rubbing your index finger against your thumb - should be nice and quiet with friction. This is analogous to improperly bedded-in pads vs bedded-in pads. SO, if you clean your rotor with cleaner or alcohol without bedding-in the pads afterward you are putting yourself in a vicious cycle of noise and cleaning and the problem will never go away because you are continually removing the pad material from the rotor. If you have noisy brakes call the brake manufacturer for advise. If you don't then please ONLY sand the pads and clean the rotor - then you must bed-in the pads per the manufacturer's instructions. All pads and rotors are different and require different techniques. Never, ever, under any circumstance use a blow torch on your pads. This is stupid and can cause the friction material to come free of the backing plate. This is the biggest misconception in mtn biking.
Tbh i personally wouldnt use a blow torch too but i used alcohol on my brakepads and let the oil boil away. imo the temps arent even close to driving temps downhill
ohhhhh the blow torch is where i went wrong... i wiped, cleaned, set and bedded the pads. then said 'you know what, a blow torch to thee bad boys would be a fine touch'. silly me.
Another trip, is that if the brake pads are making the noise, but causing the entire frame to vibrate (common with some Avid brakes), put some Disk Brake Quiet goop on the back of the pad, and then follow the goop instructions before you re-install, it will help isolate the brake vibrations from going into the frame and making a horrible noise and feeling.
Scott Theede I have not heard that one, but it sounds right. I know car mechanics grease the back of the pads for that reason. Just be careful not to get any on the braking surface I suppose!. Neil
Scott Theede There is a frequency that frames will vibrate, sometimes violently. If the brake's frequency vibrates at the same frequency as the frame this is when you have a problem. I've encountered this and the way to figure out what's going on is to temporarily wrap an inner tube around the seat and chainstays. If this deadens the vibration, then consider different sized rotors, different pad compounds, different brakes, or if you have a full suspension call the bike maker to see if they can send you a swing arm of a different material.
BOdabeebop That is exactly the problem, anytime on the brakes, usually the back, the frame his resonance. Replacing the brakes would be the way to go to get rid of it, but it's just something to add to the servicing of the bike. I only re-do this about twice a year during the really in-depth bike servicing sessions.
I did try that last week, but it didnt work. You know what? Sometimes its the pads and caliper squealing, and sometimes its the rotor. I think in both circumstances it is the bonding media used to build the brake pads melting and smearing across the rotors. It builds up, adheres to the rotor and the pad and creates the vibration which we hear and hate. Sometimes its the rotor and sometimes its the pads.
I must admit that a lot of GMBN and GCN videos annoy me with their I'm-better-than-you attitude, but this presenter and video were very good and very informative, so thank you for that.
An alternative to a blowtorch which is more commonly available is a kitchen gas stove/range. Simply hold the oil contaminated pad with pliers over one of the larger flames.
Another trick is to sing falsetto opera at the top of your lungs to drown out the squealing. My song of choice is Three Little Maids. (I actually use rubbing alcohol and it's never a permanent solution but seems to help for a short while. )
Had a Hayes brake on my bike. As soon as any kind of moisture found it's way to the brake, it would howl like mad and lose almost all power. I tried every remedy I could think of: Cleaning. sanding, installing new pads, new rotor, etc Nothing helped. Eventually air got into the system, and bleeding only helped temporarily. Installed a Shimano brake instead... what a night and day difference!
I didn’t realise putting wd40 all over my breaks would mess them up!Hosed it and it kinda sorted but rubbed cleaning detergent on them gave it a spin working like a beast!!!
A simple method to clean contaminated / dirty brake pads: 1) Apply a tiny bit of dishwashing detergent (i.e. Dawn) onto both pad surfaces. 2) Gently rub the two pads together, in a forward and back motion. 3) Rinse them under hot running water. 4) Repeat if necessary. 5) Set them out to thoroughly dry. My rear brakes will squeal after one or two ride sessions, and upon taking the pads of, the contact areas are pitch black! It is always the rear that squeals -- never the front. It probably doesn't help since I live on the west coast, and it's basically wet all year round.
For me everytime the brake pads contaminated (squealing moose-like sounds) just use fine sandpaper to grind the brake pads a little then wash it with dish soap and just bake it on stove with frying pan (without oil ofc.) with very low flame, until all of the brake pads surface is dried.
A better way to deglaze the brake pads is use a sheet of fine wet and dry paper ($1-2 at your local hardware), put it onto glass and then rub the pads onto the paper - just enough to get the original color back. Glass is about as flat a surface as your will find. Use a nearby window. My brakes are currently howling away and pretty ineffective at present. The time has come.
I got an ace tip that works for both rotors and pads from my LBS, its a little dangerous so be very careful if you use this, but it works 100% and is cheaper than buying new brake components. Remove the pads and rotors, put them in a clean metal pan, spray liberally with brake cleaner, set fire to the lot. When the flames die down - and the components have cooled down - reassemble. At this point remember to bed in your brakes after reassembly (ride steadily down a hill and brake firmly, nearly to a stop, then roll on and do it again 5-10 times). Voila!
I opted for hot water with washing up liquid, Used a green dish scourer to clean discs and dried off with paper towel until it dried clean. worked a treat for me
Tried cleaning and sanding etc...went to the shop that installed the Code R and they gave me new semi metallic pads and I bought organic pads as I had read on some forums that would make squealing go away. Cleaned rotors super good isopropyl alcohol wearing gloves and semi metallic squealed. Took apart and put organic pads in and quiet as a mouse and still very good stopping power. I am very excited and will try riding a trail tomorrow. In hind site I would have been happy keeping Guide R and going organic pads, but if the organic are not as good stopping at least the larger contact area of the Code R pads won't hurt...:)
Lol - I was just about to oil the pads, thinking they might need lubrication, like a squeaky door hinge, but then I thought...hang on, something doesn't feel right. Lucky we have UA-cam!
Thanks, just solved my problem by using rubbing alcohol on the disk since I didn't have any brake cleaner. Didn't stop squeal immediately since I guess there was still some oil on the pads but that wore off pretty quickly.
Trouble with slacking the bolts and re centring the pads is if you have one sluggish piston your just going to end up with the caliper hitting the disc eventually! Best way is to wear clean gloves and push the disc towards the pad that's closest while someone pumps the brake on and off till they self centre this also brings the bite point back where it is supposed to be.
Can you, please, explain a little more about the blowtorch and boil off the oil. I'm not an English speaker and I'm not sure what you mean by that. Thanks for the video. Keep them coming!
+Ionut Chirca You can boil the oil out in some occasions. Remove the brake pads from your bike, place them in a vice and use a blow torch on them. Not for too long or you can ruin the pads, but with a bit of heat you should see the oil come out of the pads. Neil
+Global Mountain Bike Network Hmm Id be reluctant to use a blow torch on resin (organic) pads, sintered pads wouldnt be an issue, Sintered pads are also more prone to squeaking than resin pads. Have you tried using degreaser as an alternative?
Ionut Chirca to recap what he said, he said if your brakes are making a noise take the wheel of and rub a block of butter or spray WD40 on the disc, vegetable oil does the trick too! Take your pads off and give them a good sand to get that layer of crap of then rub them with a bit of butter too!
Hi folks, I was out on a group ride the other day in heavy rain,before the ride I replaced both back and front pads, but the amount of sqeeling was almost embarassing! I asked a few people, as I wasn't the only person who's brakes were making a noise. One explanation was that the discs and pads were cold and if you just very slightly held the brake levers on, it's warm up the pads and stop them from sqeeling. It did seem to help, but obviously going up hills you don't want to be applying the brakes even a tiny bit, but on those coasting down hill sections it did work. What are your thoughts on this? Does the pad composition make any difference? As I am always very careful about my brakes.
Please don't spray brake cleaning fluid anywhere near your hubs unless you want them marked for life ! Usually just six bolts and you can remove the disc, some just a cassette type lock ring and when it's off you can do what you want with it. Good practice to check the bolts and inspect the rear of the disc anyway...
There are different types of brake cleaning fluid. Old/cheap stuff might have been pure acetone which will burn any paint it hits, modern high quality stuff will not harm paint or plastics.
I do think that residue from the pads onto the rotors is the problem. The contact patch on the rotor gets HOT and so does the pad and there is some kind of chemical resudue that builds up on the rotors. I tried sandpaper and chemicals and it helped significantly, but not perfect. So before I buy new rotors I want to remove my rotors and sand them with a power sander. But don't they have to be mirror smooth? I have to find out about that. Its gotta be residue.
Thank you for sharing this video. I'm having a nightmare with my front brake squealing like a pig. It works perfectly when the disc is wet? It grabs on instantly. But once it has dried out it doesn't stop as well, and it's very noisy. I've measured the spacers with a vernier for both bolts and they're exact. I've cleaned the disc with disc cleaner. I've even fitted a brand new set of pads, They are Baradine pads. Still squealing. I'm looking into ordering a set of original Hope pads next. The calipers are original Hope M4's I've had them since new in 2004.
Same problem, loud noise, doesn't brake well when dried, but perfectly when wet. I also replaced the pads, no success. Did you manage to find a solution ?
Last year someone was talking to me while adjusting the brakes. The wheel was spinning and I looked back for a second. Next thing I know, the tip of my thumb was bent backwards. Just under the freaking nail. Ouch.
Is that a Santa Cruz Bronson? It looks... almost like a Bronson. Great video series. It's a treat learning how to accurately and reliably do my own bike maintenance; what I save in shop fees goes to buying more tools and toys.
ive put Vaseline all over my discs and vegetable oil too makes them stop instantly to the point where if i press to hard i end up a mile infront of my bike! higly recommend
Thanks this just saved me 20 eur from going to the shops, my front caliper prob gets a few dings and often makes it so one of the pads just slightly rests on the disk which doesn't make for easy going :)
if anyone can answer this question please do. my bike feels harder than usual to pedal, it feels like there is resistance there somewhere. and when i spin my wheel it makes a loud ish squealing sound.
Hi. Thanks for this great video. Is there a way to improve friction. I have changed my pads and sanded the braking disc but I am not satisfied with the result. thanks in advance. cheers from Argentina
Brake squeals by pad contamination I fix it by torch them using propane for 5 secs until you se vapors getting out of the pads when they are cool to the touch use a nail polish and paint them where the pad make contact
Funny on my 2019 Santa Cruz hi tower the SRAM Guide R brakes squealed so bad i decided to just upgrade to the SRAM Code R which came with new pads etc and add a little more stopping power. These Squeal just as bad but do have a little more power which is nice for the aggressive trails we have here in Cumberland B.C. . I am going to clean rotor with isopropal alcohol and try burning off the pads with the torch and then give them a light sanding with 200 grit.. The only common item I kept were the rotors and wondering if shop didn't clean them well enough and new pads are now contaminated. I will let you know if your tips work.. I sure hope so because the brakes making this racket take the fun out of riding such an otherwise awesome bike! I have the stock SRAM Guide R levers with the Code R Calipers on my 2018 Rocky Mountain C70 Powerplay and have had no issues with squealing over the year I have used it, so I do know I should be able to stop the racket:) I will let you know how it goes, heading to the garage now...
In case anyone else watches this for the last suggestion to loosen the caliper, dont do what i did and loosen it too much. Mine leaked oil and now my breaks dont work at all until i refill it 🙄
Very informative, thanks. Used Meths on the discs and no more squealing. My neighbours will be very happy as I live at the bottom of a rather steep hill and often ride late! LOL about all the DW40 anecdotes, that shit is Darwin Award material!
Meth is not something you want to play with, watch the show Breaking Bad to find out about that! Meths is short for Methylated Spirits. A liquid that's good for cleaning stuff, 'Spiritueux méthylés' in French.
TO be honest i just washed my bike a couple of mins ago and i accidently put the oily rag on the disc brakes and the started to squeel without watching these videos i just used a bit hand wash and water to clean the rotars and believe me or not it stopped squeeling DO IT ON YOUR OWN RISK!!!
After blasting the brake pads with a blow torch, I found out they turned black, and after sanding it and putting it back. While the squeaky noise was gone, it didn’t become as effective as I would hoped. How long should I bake my brake pads? I only baked around 20 seconds, after they had started to glow red.
this really helped, i put a new rotor on my rear and its now dirty as hell, so must have oil on the pads and i know for a fact that they will be glazed now because my rotors, 9 times out of 10, are hot to the touch mid ride
Here is what I tried: - scrapped the pads using sand paper - used alcohol to clean the pads - used degreaser to wipe the rotors - properly aligned the pads and the rotors *BUT THE SQUEAKING ISSUE DID NOT SOLVED!!!* ~Any other ideas? ~also the braking is quiet if i put degreaser on the rotor, but as soon as the degreaser dries up the squeaking issue returns Btw, The pads are fairly new and the rotors are not bent.
You probably have some kind of contaminants on the rotor which do not go off with degreaser alone. Either use stronger chemicals or sand the rotors (e.g. 800-1600 wet sanding paper). If you use stronger chemicals, it's probably a good idea to remove the rotors from the wheels first.
Hey guys, hail to the show and yourselves!! Our saviors from mechanical issues! So, the pads on my rear brake are not fully touching the rotor. They´re are more or less using half of the width of the rotor. What could be causing that?
Good video. I havent tried heating the pads, but I have tried a ton of other tricks with very little luck. I usually just replace the pads. I find my pads squeak after the bike has sat for a long time and hasnt been ridden. Why? I have no clue, I will ride my SS for a long time and then swap to my geared bike and they squeak. I think it is punishing me. I just keep spare pads.
I have been fighting this for a year on a bike I bought used with Shimano hydraulic brakes. I tried sanding the disc, brake wash on the disc, sanding and filing the pads with no change. Your suggestion of cooking the pads is something I never thought of. I put the pads over our gas stove and they literally caught on fire and boiled the oil out of the center of the pad. They continued to smoke and burn until all the oil was gone and eventually they would not burn anymore so I knew the oil was gone. This is a brilliant idea and has solved my squealing brakes finally! Thank you!
Just buy some new brake pads dude 😂 setting fire to em be a bit extreme no?
Did you not change the brake pads the year of trail and error ?
I blow torched them too. Seemed to work.
I was gonna buy new pads but these were relatively new. Seemed like a waste. Not sure where the oil/contaminate came from.
needs new brake pads or rotors are bent
I installed new pads and they still squeal badly. shimano hydro. The rotors have some discoloration in two bands running around the rotors and I'm running sintered pads, but this setup was stone silent for a couple of years. I'm gonna buy new rotors. The originals have hit so many trails in TX, NM, CO and UT that new rotors are due. And pro tip - you are on the trail or in your driveway, and your pads get glazed and dark and noisy, yank them out and find a flat rock to rub them on. Rub them with enough force to scrub the surface off and they will look brand new.
You might have mentioned this.. But with regard to centering the caliper- After the caliper bolts are loose, and you've compressed the brake handle - you need to make sure the handle is compressed fully WHILE re-tightening the caliper bolts. You can easily keep the handle tight with a rubber band or friend if you're on the trail. Your video would make someone who hasn't done it before think a quick pull of the brake handle would do the trick. Great series, love them. Keep up the great work!
Well I hadn't done it before and I just assumed you'd have to hold the brake on. Change "would" to "could". ;)
My brakes were bellowing like a rutting moose. So I followed the advice from this video.
I cleaned the rotors with isopropyl alcohol. Then I removed the pads, clamped them into a vise, and heated them with a propane plumber’s torch. This elicited loud popping noises from the pads, which subsided after about 5 seconds of heat. The heat treatment left a drossy-looking slough on the pad surfaces. I laid a file on my workbench and ran the pads across the file back and forth 4 or 5 times with light pressure, and put everything back together. I now have quiet, smooth brakes.
Thank you for the great advice!
My genius ass thought id actually fix the squealing with oil
Ahahaha
Same
Ira yah I was thinking that then my mate warned me 😂😂😂
no squealing also no brakes
Glad to see I'm not the only idiot here!
I thought the same
The blowtorch method is genius! I'd cleaned everything really thoroughly and was still getting massive squeals...one quick blast of heat and done! Thanks
Instructions weren't clear enough. Got spanner caught in ceiling fan
got finger caught in rotor
Bywater I’ve been there
My poop hit the fan, I don’t know how 🤷♂️ I followed instructions and did everything he said.
Agree, caught bike basket in my face then slipped landing arse into wheeless bike fork
Yup same here
Thanks Simon!
Cleaned my squealing discs with methylated spirits and a clean rag. While they dried out, I placed some 80 grit paper on my bench and used that as a flat surface to sand them back, clean and in plane.
No more annoying squeal/squeak and they pull up hard.
I had never touched disc brakes before today. Total investment - 20 minutes including a quick lap around the block to test.
Cheers,
Jason
I've been reluctant the laat few days to ride fast because of how horrible my brakes have sounded the past few days. I'll be trying these this afternoon. Thanks!
Ryan O'Connor Good luck Ryan, Hope you have got your brakes sorted now. Cheers Marc
I've done this several times, but my brakes start squealing as soon as the weather forecast says 0.1% chance of rain.
A colleague of mine bought a new bike last week. It was squealing right out of the box.
panzerveps that's because the brake discs weren't worn in lol
I just go down a hill and slam those rear brakes, usually stops
@@TacBandit You need to bed the brakes.
@@RickyG225 how does one bed brakes?
I tried everything to no avail until the blow torch method. Worked perfectly and easily done with a reasily available gasmate portable cannister system blow torch. The only youtuber I came across who suggested this method, thank-you!
I have mixed results with several degreasers / brake cleaners. Some of them kind of bond with the grime and dirt leaving a sticky residue. It takes al lot of it to break it down or a lot of heat. Wich is why it works on cars or motorcycles.
I tend to use Isopsopyl on my rotors and that works like a charm. It's also much less aggressive on paints, rubber (o-rings and seals!) and plastics.
Contaminated my brakes the night before a race (I know, should've left it alone!). Bought a small propane blowtorch and some brake clean and it did the trick! Restored my brakes with no squish or sound. This video saved the day!
I've heard blinker fluid works well.
So, no WD-40?
Stupid Flanders Haha, got me!
+Aaron Rossi a friend of mine did that once at the top of a dh run.. "my brakes are loud as shit I'm gonna spray some wd40 on them".. Was not good
+Mitchdogg1235 Damn dude! Sounds pretty sketch. Looks like he learned the hard way Haha.
I did that once, never again xD
+Docter Yoda same lol xD
Gonna try this out, its good when not everybody hears me brake😂
Trust me my bike is so bad the noice is so loud it’s like walking dead they pop out if I brake hard 😂😂
I get that
I have wasted so much of my life cleaning my brakes to stop squeal. The torch is so fast and absolutely effective! Awesome silent stopping power in a flash! Caution, the pads hold the torch heat a long time!
So don't chuck them into your front pocket first thing?
Thanks a lot for these tips. I just did this on my road bike front disc which squealed coming to a stop. I removed the disc, scuffed it with 280 wet and dry paper, degreased with spray from the bike shop, removed the pads and scuffed with the same paperthen did the bedding in riding down a long hill with gentle breaking from about 25km / HR to 5 ish. Repeated this over a downhill distance of 6km. Now stopping very well and silent. Let's see how long it lasts. Thanks again, great video.
Brake pads can also get contaminated from the natural oil off your fingers. So always wear gloves or be really carefull not to touch the pads with your fingers :-)
Great video - My brakes have been screetching around the neighbourhood and scaring animals in the fields for a week or so - now sorted. Thanks
Never subscribed to a channel. Im a noob to mountain biking. I had squeling noises from the back wheel when braking. An it was doing my head in. Done what you suggested and worked perfect. Thank you.
Watching Si in GMBN videos feels like seeing my girlfriend with another man.
EXACTLY.
At least he’s wearing a GMBN shirt
Omg same haha 😂
Exactly
Like why is this happening that I reply to someone and there is another same comment
Are we all bros?
Thanks for the vid. My front brake was really loud, I'm sure they got too hot and had a glaze like you mentioned. They were so loud that it was all you heard in my videos. I used automotive break cleaner and the noise is gone. But one important thing that you left out is to properly bed your pads and rotor together after they are clean: Get up to about 20 mph and start braking easy for 3-4 sec than gradually brake harder to a complete stop. Repeat 10 to 15 times. This will bed them together. My brakes are now better than new.
+Tommy Huynh "bed your pads and rotor together" what do you mean ?
+George Papadopoulos Bedding in your rotor and brake pads means that you transfer some of your brake pad material onto the rotor. This is critical when buying new rotors or brakes (or after cleaning them). If you dont do this, your rotors will squeal again, (I learned this the hard way)
If your brakes are contaminated with oils then you will not have friction and therefore no braking power. What actually causes noise is improperly bedded-in pads. When you install new pads or a new rotor you have to bed-in the pads before you ride. What this does is applies a coat of pad material on the rotor and etches the rotor face onto the pad. When you brake, it's actually pad material on the rotor and pad that create friction. Imagine rubbing your finger across glass - makes a lot of noise and vibration. Now imagine rubbing your index finger against your thumb - should be nice and quiet with friction. This is analogous to improperly bedded-in pads vs bedded-in pads. SO, if you clean your rotor with cleaner or alcohol without bedding-in the pads afterward you are putting yourself in a vicious cycle of noise and cleaning and the problem will never go away because you are continually removing the pad material from the rotor.
If you have noisy brakes call the brake manufacturer for advise. If you don't then please ONLY sand the pads and clean the rotor - then you must bed-in the pads per the manufacturer's instructions. All pads and rotors are different and require different techniques. Never, ever, under any circumstance use a blow torch on your pads. This is stupid and can cause the friction material to come free of the backing plate.
This is the biggest misconception in mtn biking.
Tbh i personally wouldnt use a blow torch too but i used alcohol on my brakepads and let the oil boil away.
imo the temps arent even close to driving temps downhill
BOdabeebop how much did u spend writing this
ohhhhh the blow torch is where i went wrong... i wiped, cleaned, set and bedded the pads. then said 'you know what, a blow torch to thee bad boys would be a fine touch'. silly me.
Another trip, is that if the brake pads are making the noise, but causing the entire frame to vibrate (common with some Avid brakes), put some Disk Brake Quiet goop on the back of the pad, and then follow the goop instructions before you re-install, it will help isolate the brake vibrations from going into the frame and making a horrible noise and feeling.
Scott Theede I have not heard that one, but it sounds right. I know car mechanics grease the back of the pads for that reason. Just be careful not to get any on the braking surface I suppose!. Neil
Scott Theede There is a frequency that frames will vibrate, sometimes violently. If the brake's frequency vibrates at the same frequency as the frame this is when you have a problem. I've encountered this and the way to figure out what's going on is to temporarily wrap an inner tube around the seat and chainstays. If this deadens the vibration, then consider different sized rotors, different pad compounds, different brakes, or if you have a full suspension call the bike maker to see if they can send you a swing arm of a different material.
BOdabeebop That is exactly the problem, anytime on the brakes, usually the back, the frame his resonance. Replacing the brakes would be the way to go to get rid of it, but it's just something to add to the servicing of the bike.
I only re-do this about twice a year during the really in-depth bike servicing sessions.
I did try that last week, but it didnt work. You know what? Sometimes its the pads and caliper squealing, and sometimes its the rotor. I think in both circumstances it is the bonding media used to build the brake pads melting and smearing across the rotors. It builds up, adheres to the rotor and the pad and creates the vibration which we hear and hate. Sometimes its the rotor and sometimes its the pads.
I must admit that a lot of GMBN and GCN videos annoy me with their I'm-better-than-you attitude, but this presenter and video were very good and very informative, so thank you for that.
How to clean disc brakes: “add some mud to the disc brakes” 😂😂
I clean my face like that 😂
Putting mud on your rotors is a great way to ingrain sand into the brake pads.
lol
you need to use better quality mud!
An alternative to a blowtorch which is more commonly available is a kitchen gas stove/range.
Simply hold the oil contaminated pad with pliers over one of the larger flames.
Thank you GMBH! First time to have a MTB with hydrolic brakes. It was helpful!
Good tip on using the automotive brake cleaner, I had some starter fluid and it worked great also
Another trick is to sing falsetto opera at the top of your lungs to drown out the squealing. My song of choice is Three Little Maids.
(I actually use rubbing alcohol and it's never a permanent solution but seems to help for a short while. )
Burned and sanded the pads and cleaned the disc with alcohol, the banshee screams no more! Thanks, helpful video!!
Had a Hayes brake on my bike. As soon as any kind of moisture found it's way to the brake, it would howl like mad and lose almost all power. I tried every remedy I could think of: Cleaning. sanding, installing new pads, new rotor, etc Nothing helped. Eventually air got into the system, and bleeding only helped temporarily. Installed a Shimano brake instead... what a night and day difference!
I didn’t realise putting wd40 all over my breaks would mess them up!Hosed it and it kinda sorted but rubbed cleaning detergent on them gave it a spin working like a beast!!!
A simple method to clean contaminated / dirty brake pads:
1) Apply a tiny bit of dishwashing detergent (i.e. Dawn) onto both pad surfaces.
2) Gently rub the two pads together, in a forward and back motion.
3) Rinse them under hot running water.
4) Repeat if necessary.
5) Set them out to thoroughly dry.
My rear brakes will squeal after one or two ride sessions, and upon taking the pads of, the contact areas are pitch black! It is always the rear that squeals -- never the front.
It probably doesn't help since I live on the west coast, and it's basically wet all year round.
I think that "black" you mention is brake residue off the rotors.
For me everytime the brake pads contaminated (squealing moose-like sounds) just use fine sandpaper to grind the brake pads a little then wash it with dish soap and just bake it on stove with frying pan (without oil ofc.) with very low flame, until all of the brake pads surface is dried.
Is this acutely how or a joke
thanks! the last advice actually works because I have new bike.. apparently it was not adjusted well.
A better way to deglaze the brake pads is use a sheet of fine wet and dry paper ($1-2 at your local hardware), put it onto glass and then rub the pads onto the paper - just enough to get the original color back. Glass is about as flat a surface as your will find. Use a nearby window.
My brakes are currently howling away and pretty ineffective at present. The time has come.
done as you said, now no annoying embaressing squeal, only took 10 mins, thanks and subbed
Jon D Hey Jon, Thats awesome I'm glad we could help! Thanks for the sub. Marc
It's so weird seeing si on gmbn
I got an ace tip that works for both rotors and pads from my LBS, its a little dangerous so be very careful if you use this, but it works 100% and is cheaper than buying new brake components. Remove the pads and rotors, put them in a clean metal pan, spray liberally with brake cleaner, set fire to the lot. When the flames die down - and the components have cooled down - reassemble. At this point remember to bed in your brakes after reassembly (ride steadily down a hill and brake firmly, nearly to a stop, then roll on and do it again 5-10 times). Voila!
love how he gives many different options! very smart
Torch used on pads = 100% Thanks GMBN
Gmbn and gcn have everything maintenance related. Literally any problems w my bike I just type it up and top video always Gmbn or gcn
Grande video! Concise and no extra BS about how your dogs are doing.
I opted for hot water with washing up liquid,
Used a green dish scourer to clean discs and dried off with paper towel until it dried clean.
worked a treat for me
Tried cleaning and sanding etc...went to the shop that installed the Code R and they gave me new semi metallic pads and I bought organic pads as I had read on some forums that would make squealing go away. Cleaned rotors super good isopropyl alcohol wearing gloves and semi metallic squealed. Took apart and put organic pads in and quiet as a mouse and still very good stopping power. I am very excited and will try riding a trail tomorrow. In hind site I would have been happy keeping Guide R and going organic pads, but if the organic are not as good stopping at least the larger contact area of the Code R pads won't hurt...:)
Lol - I was just about to oil the pads, thinking they might need lubrication, like a squeaky door hinge, but then I thought...hang on, something doesn't feel right. Lucky we have UA-cam!
I tried it and it actually got rid of squeak,helpful video
Thanks, just solved my problem by using rubbing alcohol on the disk since I didn't have any brake cleaner. Didn't stop squeal immediately since I guess there was still some oil on the pads but that wore off pretty quickly.
Trouble with slacking the bolts and re centring the pads is if you have one sluggish piston your just going to end up with the caliper hitting the disc eventually! Best way is to wear clean gloves and push the disc towards the pad that's closest while someone pumps the brake on and off till they self centre this also brings the bite point back where it is supposed to be.
This video helped me fix my brakes. Thank you.
Thanks! You have the same bike I do in Arizona, USA!
Tucsonan Dude how do you know his bike is in Arizona?
Can you, please, explain a little more about the blowtorch and boil off the oil. I'm not an English speaker and I'm not sure what you mean by that. Thanks for the video. Keep them coming!
+Ionut Chirca You can boil the oil out in some occasions. Remove the brake pads from your bike, place them in a vice and use a blow torch on them. Not for too long or you can ruin the pads, but with a bit of heat you should see the oil come out of the pads. Neil
Thanks for the prompt answer. At first I thought I should boil it in the water and that's why I've asked haha. Cheers!
+Global Mountain Bike Network Hmm Id be reluctant to use a blow torch on resin (organic) pads, sintered pads wouldnt be an issue, Sintered pads are also more prone to squeaking than resin pads. Have you tried using degreaser as an alternative?
Ionut Chirca to recap what he said, he said if your brakes are making a noise take the wheel of and rub a block of butter or spray WD40 on the disc, vegetable oil does the trick too! Take your pads off and give them a good sand to get that layer of crap of then rub them with a bit of butter too!
Hi folks, I was out on a group ride the other day in heavy rain,before the ride I replaced both back and front pads, but the amount of sqeeling was almost embarassing! I asked a few people, as I wasn't the only person who's brakes were making a noise. One explanation was that the discs and pads were cold and if you just very slightly held the brake levers on, it's warm up the pads and stop them from sqeeling. It did seem to help, but obviously going up hills you don't want to be applying the brakes even a tiny bit, but on those coasting down hill sections it did work. What are your thoughts on this? Does the pad composition make any difference? As I am always very careful about my brakes.
Its because they are new. Give them time to wear out a little bit and it will stop. I had the exact same problem.
wassy42 the best way to keep your brakes from squealing is to stop the noise!!!
Does Simon still ride MTBs as well? I always liked his XC- take on topics.
Love you channel guys. Always straight forward reliable tips and information!! 👌🏻👌🏻
Please don't spray brake cleaning fluid anywhere near your hubs unless you want them marked for life !
Usually just six bolts and you can remove the disc, some just a cassette type lock ring and when it's off you can do what you want with it.
Good practice to check the bolts and inspect the rear of the disc anyway...
There are different types of brake cleaning fluid. Old/cheap stuff might have been pure acetone which will burn any paint it hits, modern high quality stuff will not harm paint or plastics.
Thanks bro...slight filing and brake cleaner worked for me.
Use sand paper on the rotors, it gets all of the residue off of the rotors from the break pads. Worked great for me
I do think that residue from the pads onto the rotors is the problem. The contact patch on the rotor gets HOT and so does the pad and there is some kind of chemical resudue that builds up on the rotors. I tried sandpaper and chemicals and it helped significantly, but not perfect. So before I buy new rotors I want to remove my rotors and sand them with a power sander. But don't they have to be mirror smooth? I have to find out about that. Its gotta be residue.
Thank you for sharing this video.
I'm having a nightmare with my front brake squealing like a pig.
It works perfectly when the disc is wet?
It grabs on instantly.
But once it has dried out it doesn't stop as well, and it's very noisy.
I've measured the spacers with a vernier for both bolts and they're exact.
I've cleaned the disc with disc cleaner.
I've even fitted a brand new set of pads,
They are Baradine pads.
Still squealing.
I'm looking into ordering a set of original Hope pads next.
The calipers are original Hope M4's
I've had them since new in 2004.
Same problem, loud noise, doesn't brake well when dried, but perfectly when wet. I also replaced the pads, no success. Did you manage to find a solution ?
First video I watched and it worked perfectly!!! Thanks for the great advice!!
The file technique worked like a treat
Thanks a lot. My brake callipers weren’t centered and squeaked when the tyre moved
Really helpful for meself. I just can t get how a 'new' bike can be like this. And there is the back wheel so curved..
Last year someone was talking to me while adjusting the brakes. The wheel was spinning and I looked back for a second. Next thing I know, the tip of my thumb was bent backwards. Just under the freaking nail. Ouch.
Is that a Santa Cruz Bronson? It looks... almost like a Bronson.
Great video series. It's a treat learning how to accurately and reliably do my own bike maintenance; what I save in shop fees goes to buying more tools and toys.
ive put Vaseline all over my discs and vegetable oil too makes them stop instantly to the point where if i press to hard i end up a mile infront of my bike! higly recommend
coconut oil works better.Try it!!
Castor oil is the absolute best!
Is this a joke
Jared Bowles absolutely not try it for yourself 👍👍👍
Don't oils screw up brakes though?
🤭 It was indeed your last tip. Only rubbing one side.
Loosen, squeeze to centre, tighten. Sorted. Thanks dude!
Just cleaned my rotor with alcohol and lightly sanded the pads and solved the noisy brake issue 👍
Thanks this just saved me 20 eur from going to the shops, my front caliper prob gets a few dings and often makes it so one of the pads just slightly rests on the disk which doesn't make for easy going :)
if anyone can answer this question please do. my bike feels harder than usual to pedal, it feels like there is resistance there somewhere. and when i spin my wheel it makes a loud ish squealing sound.
I got all my rear brakes, pads and discs replaced and within 2 hours it started squeaking
Hi. Thanks for this great video. Is there a way to improve friction. I have changed my pads and sanded the braking disc but I am not satisfied with the result. thanks in advance. cheers from Argentina
i know im 5 years late but bleeding your brakes will do it XD
I did something and it worked. Thanks m8
Brake squeals by pad contamination I fix it by torch them using propane for 5 secs until you se vapors getting out of the pads when they are cool to the touch use a nail polish and paint them where the pad make contact
Thank you! Ive been having squeal for months now, withiut any idea of how getting rid of it.
ive heard that filing a chamfer on the edges of the pads keeps them from squeeling
this sounds promising, might give it a try if other steps fail
Funny on my 2019 Santa Cruz hi tower the SRAM Guide R brakes squealed so bad i decided to just upgrade to the SRAM Code R which came with new pads etc and add a little more stopping power. These Squeal just as bad but do have a little more power which is nice for the aggressive trails we have here in Cumberland B.C. . I am going to clean rotor with isopropal alcohol and try burning off the pads with the torch and then give them a light sanding with 200 grit.. The only common item I kept were the rotors and wondering if shop didn't clean them well enough and new pads are now contaminated. I will let you know if your tips work.. I sure hope so because the brakes making this racket take the fun out of riding such an otherwise awesome bike! I have the stock SRAM Guide R levers with the Code R Calipers on my 2018 Rocky Mountain C70 Powerplay and have had no issues with squealing over the year I have used it, so I do know I should be able to stop the racket:) I will let you know how it goes,
heading to the garage now...
Well, did it work?.
In case anyone else watches this for the last suggestion to loosen the caliper, dont do what i did and loosen it too much. Mine leaked oil and now my breaks dont work at all until i refill it 🙄
What's Si doing here? Shouldn't he be in GCN? 😂
Klyde Jimeno that’s what I thought
That last trick helped me thanks
Thanks for the torch tip!
Thank you this really helped and I get no more squealing
Very informative, thanks. Used Meths on the discs and no more squealing. My neighbours will be very happy as I live at the bottom of a rather steep hill and often ride late! LOL about all the DW40 anecdotes, that shit is Darwin Award material!
I did the same but my brakes aren't working as good as they were before. Is this the same with you?
I did meth once too and my brakes didn't squeal either.
Every Thing What is "meth" exactly ? I'm French so it's not the same word lol
My brakes seem fine. Not had a problem and I've used meths a few times on them.
Meth is not something you want to play with, watch the show Breaking Bad to find out about that! Meths is short for Methylated Spirits. A liquid that's good for cleaning stuff, 'Spiritueux méthylés' in French.
Great video. Brief and to the point.
I tried 400 and 600 grit sandpaper to remove glaze with no luck. A scotch bright pad did the trick is a minute, then clean with isopropyl
Great tips, all quiet now thanks.
Thanks for sharing. My bike's brakes must be checked; even my dog hates their noise!
So say you do this and afterwards your brakes STILL make noise? What's the next step?
TO be honest i just washed my bike a couple of mins ago and i accidently put the oily rag on the disc brakes and the started to squeel without watching these videos i just used a bit hand wash and water to clean the rotars and believe me or not it stopped squeeling
DO IT ON YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Si got banned to produce squeaking vid on GCN so he switch channel? Good vid once again!
put grease on your pads usually stops the noise put it on rotors also
However, it might reduce braking performance a bit.
After blasting the brake pads with a blow torch, I found out they turned black, and after sanding it and putting it back. While the squeaky noise was gone, it didn’t become as effective as I would hoped. How long should I bake my brake pads? I only baked around 20 seconds, after they had started to glow red.
Thanks man much appreciated
this really helped, i put a new rotor on my rear and its now dirty as hell, so must have oil on the pads and i know for a fact that they will be glazed now because my rotors, 9 times out of 10, are hot to the touch mid ride
Here is what I tried:
- scrapped the pads using sand paper
- used alcohol to clean the pads
- used degreaser to wipe the rotors
- properly aligned the pads and the rotors
*BUT THE SQUEAKING ISSUE DID NOT SOLVED!!!*
~Any other ideas?
~also the braking is quiet if i put degreaser on the rotor, but as soon as the degreaser dries up the squeaking issue returns
Btw, The pads are fairly new and the rotors are not bent.
You probably have some kind of contaminants on the rotor which do not go off with degreaser alone. Either use stronger chemicals or sand the rotors (e.g. 800-1600 wet sanding paper). If you use stronger chemicals, it's probably a good idea to remove the rotors from the wheels first.
Hey guys, hail to the show and yourselves!! Our saviors from mechanical issues! So, the pads on my rear brake are not fully touching the rotor. They´re are more or less using half of the width of the rotor. What could be causing that?
Good video. I havent tried heating the pads, but I have tried a ton of other tricks with very little luck. I usually just replace the pads. I find my pads squeak after the bike has sat for a long time and hasnt been ridden. Why? I have no clue, I will ride my SS for a long time and then swap to my geared bike and they squeak. I think it is punishing me. I just keep spare pads.
Not enough brake pad pressure due to the 1st piston cup leaking back into the reservoir on the brake handle.