Jeremy Sharpe hahaha..yeah..my bike bell is useless even people hear it, they won't give a damn. But once they heard the break noise hahaha they start giving way..
A favourite game of mine was to ride down Oxford st (London) with all the stupid, ignorant, oblivious tourists and wait till they walk out onto the road without looking. then slam on my loud brakes coming to a stop quickly and loudly. So funny to see the look of terror on their faces when they realise I'm just a bicycle not a big red buss. It's my way of helping the public at large as it will be a long time before these people step into the street without looking.
Had a Winter beater with big ol' Nokian studded tires once upon a time. Boy did THAT clear the path/sidewalk the few times I pulled it out in "normal" weather. Sounded like a pack of Langoliers. Too alien to ignore.
I wouldn't have believed it if I'd not tried it. but it works. I sounded like a fire truck riding down the road and had my kid laughing, but it worked.
Okay, watched this vid on Sunday, bought the stuff today and I was about to call bullshit after the squealing got louder and louder and the neighbors came out to see what ruckus was, so I stopped to talk and explain and when I went to show them how my brakes squealed….well they were completely silent…..neighbors just think I am wierd now 🤪but my brakes are quiet so thank you!
I tried this on my ebike brakes that sounded terrible. It worked just like the video. The bike shop I brought it too was not able to fix it at all, so I shared the video with them. THANKS
I didn't want to spend the $16 for a can of De-Squeak on Amazon so I tried Ajax, applied with a sponge brush. I didn't have to remove the rim. I applied an Ajax paste (Ajax and water) on the rotor with the sponge brush, then followed your technique to remove the glaze. Worked like a champ. Ajax was 88 cents, the brush was about 50 cents. When I was done, the Ajax paste hosed right off. Both front and rear brakes worked better with no squeal.
Reporting back: I tried this method out, and it worked like a charm for about 300 miles. The front rim is finally starting to squeal again. I reapplied the spray-on stuff and the squeal is gone again. This method of desquealing works great in my opinion -- I'd tried tons of other methods (cleaning, readjusting, new pads, new rotors, etc etc) and none of them worked at all. I'm surprised this method isnt more widely recommended.
Totally worked 100%!!! been riding 20+ years and never heard about this. My bike had it BAAAAAD! 5 times worse than this and it worked. Thank you so much this made my day. Subbed!!!!
I had a fouled rear rotor that I used all the other techniques on, but the squeak would always return soon after clearing up. This technique, while hard on my legs and troublesome to my neighbors ears, worked wonders. I will never try the other techniques again. Thanks for the solid advice. I had no risk as I had a spare rotor coming free from my bike manufacturer and new pads. Now I can leave them both on the shelf as spares for another time. You rock!!
@@wattsbergbikes1599 i have a old used bike, the front rotor is full of oil, i cleaned with alchool, and installed new shimano mt201 brakes same as in the video, i cleaned everything i could.. the new brakes not only braked bad but squeel... i now tried this, what im suposed to do? buy new pads? btw new pads cost almost as much as the 17 usd i paid for the front brakes...
This worked perfectly for me. Tried a lot of different methods to get rid of the squeak but this was the only one that worked. Definitely recommend doing this.
My brakes sounded exactly like that. I've tried cleaning the pads and discs with alcohol, but it didn't work. Found this video and tried your CRC method. Well - after about 3/4 mile screeching like a banshee, she settled down just like in the video, then.....nothing! This method worked a treat on my bike (Specialized Stumpjumper with Shimano hydraulic brakes). Thanks Chris!!!
Worked great, thanks. Since I'm a bit lazy, I took a piece of cardboard and cut a rounded slot to fit around the cassette to protect it from over-spray so I didn't have to remove the back tire. I also have enough De-Squeak to fix rotor squeals well into the next century.
Recently had this problem while riding. Grabbed some wet sand/small gravel from a creek, smeered it on the rotor, slammed the brakes a few times and voila. So far so good
I changed to 4 pot brakes on my Silverback Stratos AL5, came with cheap semi pads, squealed like a cat under a tyre, I took off the pads and rotors, took 1200 grit sand paper, dish washing liquid.. and scrubbed till I could see the red on both pads and rotors of my blood after my finger nails were scrubbed off. Let the pads and rotors air dry, and put it back, made sure everything was aligned properly and took for ride.. hasn't made a sound since.. I do believe the cheap crap pads make huge difference.. so new pads definitely in the future,as here in South Africa we don't have that 'De-Squel'
My mother in law thought I was laying on the horn for some reason, lol. And I'm sure the neighbor's dogs hate me. It's like you get all the squeak out in one burst then the brakes are quiet. :-D
I always use alcohol basically same as here in this video , Then I just apply the brake and push the bike a few times giving it full rotation until the squeak stops, alcohol leaves no residue . I am always leary about using automotive products on my bike , lol you scared me with that brake cleaner for a second ... My method works every time and without extra chemicals (unless the pads are contaminated or worn right out). Cool vid , this method seemed effective and relatively safe in this case.
Thank you so much this video helped me resolve my squealing. I'm in the U.K so I got a different brand but did what you said after applying the product, really need to heat it up by breaking half way until eventually the terrible noise disappears. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
which brand did you take as I'm living in Germany and has no access to this CRC one. Neither do I find anything similar. Seems like it acts just like a polish paste, but I'm too afraid to try... By the way I have heavy annoying high frequently squealing noise when breaking with about half power
I left my bike at a workshop for bicycle repairs and they could not solve the screeching sound. Followed up on some other peoples advice to apply ceramic paste (non metallic paste, heat resistant) between the braking pads rear side to hydraulic piston. Still did not solve my issue. Didnt try the old trick to simply heat up the brakes as this dude did though, I say it is worth a shot! Will have to wait though until the weekend, otherwise my neighbours will go crazy at me...
The reason brakes start to squeal and less stopping power is from glazing of the rotor and pads. What you're doing with this method is removing the glazing and like you said bedding them to each other. Good tip. Oh another reason brakes squeal and loose power quickly is the fluid gets hot and in some cases can boil breaking down and introducing bubbles into your system so I would bleed the brakes getting all of the old fluid out and replaced with the proper fluid for the system you have.
Tried your technique on my excessively squeaky Scott road bike. It worked great! My local auto parts store didn't have the CRC spray, but the alternate compound spray they had appeared to work well. Thanks 🙏
Another method I use is undo the caliper bolts not the adapter ones so it's losse pull brake leaver so it centres the caliper tighten back up while brake is still applied then release brake and perfectly centred no rubbing or squeaking and even brake pressure dunno if it's any help but I find it works well for me but good video but I learned something new 👍
The WORST thing you can do to ruin your disk brakes is to put any lubricant on the disk, like oil or grease will make the discs too slippery and will result in the pads not getting enough grip. Not only that, some lubricants are flammable lol. Good job sir, this is a very good idea.,I like you video.
Realigning the caliper can't be understated. It's as simple as unbolting it a little, squeezing the brake lever and tightening it down while squeezing. Also a mountain biking trick is to use sand or mud as the grinding compound...which is what's in that can. Update: Looking at the prices of that CRC stuff I got to thinking that valve grinding/lapping compound will work just as well if not better and less messy than mud/sand. It does work. Permatex Valve grinding compound - 5 bucks and you can water it down. slap on a light coat and wipe off the rotor when done riding(grinding). Still a lot easier than pulling the pads and hand sanding them and the rotors individually. Cheers.
I had the same problem with my front disc brake and I sprayed ready wrench on it. It worked for a little bit. I will definitely do this trick next time.
This worked quite well. Very pleased with the results. Much appreciated good sir!!. Warning put ear plugs in b4 attempting this method. I live in the country so wasn't an issue with neighbors. And boy what a good workout it became.
This has been my preferred method for years. Except I've been using Swiss Stop Disc Brake silencer instead. It's pretty expensive but works like a charm.
I've used this product; CRC De-Squeak on my bike. Fixes the squeak temporarily meaning the noise returns. Also the overspray doesn't clean up with just a rag. It took mineral spirits since the stuff is like paint.
Maybe the clearning part helped a bit, but I think keeping brakes on while biking is the thing that grinds the shit away and makes it clean and quiet. Thanks anyways, now I know what to do !
Thank you for the video demonstration on how to fix the brake rotor squeal. I looked online for the CRC De-Squeak product. Found it for $23.99 at my local Napa Canada store in my town. Thank you again!
i have seen this done in a similar fashion but instead of spraying the full break rotor they spray only the small pads that grip the rotor just two quick sprays on the small pads then do the same pedal and break at the same time and done but there wasnt any need to waste so much spray for thr rotor parts.....none the less both worked well ;-)
Thank you for great video! I don't know that was very irritating, lol. I like alcohol and sandpaper trick better I seen on different channel. He had no squeak.
Hey Chris! Thanks for the video! Had the same problem, but it looks like mine was due to contaminated pads...my rotors were black from the oil 🙈 rotor also looks like it is damaged. I traced the origin of this back to transporting my bike on the back of my car in the rain - oil and dirt from the road must have seeped into the pads. They were brand new...so we learn! Good tips in your clip man!
Hey buddy thanks for the video I’m thinking of getting some off that brake spray I found it on Amazon on my phone while I was watching this on my iPad. I have a E-bike Stealth Bomber with a 8000kw motor. This may help bed my brakes easier and quicker. Thanks again for the video buddy.
Hey, I had this problem twice. I washed the rotor, with dish soap, and on the brake pads I applied sand paper, to eliminate the contaminated layer. Then you need I brake a few times very hard from about 35kmh. But the brakes will come to perfect normal in about 20 km of riding on streets and braking only with front. Like so the comment will come in tranding
Thanks for the info, but in my opinion a better way is to just take out the pads and clean them by rubbing them together with dish washing detergent and a lot of water. This will save your pads and get rid of all the dirt causing the bad braking and noise. This can be done for both discs in under 15 minutes! Of course you won't get this kind of workout from it ;)
Another temporary fix(on trail side will last 10 mim max) use water, I know it sounds counter intuitive but sometimes the water will create an insolating layer to help absorb the vibrations. I haven’t gotten Around to doing mine so this works temporally just to get you home with hearing intact.
Using water isn't a temporary fix at all as long as you smooth the disc, clean it, rough the pads then reassemble. Apply water before riding then just apply the brake whilst riding as shown in this video. The pads bed down very quick and the effect is permanent. You may be getting only temporary results because you haven't prepared the disc or pads. Trust me it works and works very well I indeed.
Thanks for this. I was about to give up on my road bike discs. No matter how many times I tried bedding in the “proper” way they squealed. This worked perfectly. I did it a little differently in that I sprayed it into a bowl and applied it liberally to the discs with a small foam brush. This way it didn’t get all over my anodized hubs and spokes. Mine kept squealing when I was pedaling so I pedaled until I ran out of energy and then let them cool. Came back and no more squeak.
Another tip is to check that the disc is not mounted the wrong way. Mine was in reverse and made a lot of noise. By inspecting it it was clear that the spokes in the disc would collapse rather than hold during high stress. By turning it around the bike was silent again and safer.
I used isopropyl alcohol to clean my rotors and then smeared them with toothpaste. Did the same neighborhood ride thing and the squealing stopped immediately. Uh, Crest Total - Mint Flavored.
My method (workes on contaminated brakes): Be careful to not touch pads or disk rotor. The oil on your skin could contaminte them more. USE NITRYLE SAFETY GLOVES!Take affected wheel off, then take off pads on respective side. Then Clean disk rotor with acetone or rubbing achool (isoprofyl). And do the same for the pads. Then sand the brake pads with a fine grid sandpaper. Repeat the cleaning on pads, and reinstall everything back on. Edit: Pro tip: 1. if rotor grinds against the pads, unscrew the bolts holding the caliper on, squeeze brakes as hard as u can, then tighten back on while holding brake lever. This will center them. 2. Always check that all bolts are tight. On hydraulic brakes, oil can leack on pads if a bolt is not tight enough.
I have always thought about Mountainbike wheels that have a thin, hard, smooth middle (similar to a roadbike tire) but just in the middle so you can reach higher speeds on the streets easier and sell them if they are worn down to people that just want normal offroad tires.
Some good info man...thankfully my hydro brakes have been great to me lol maybe its becuase its resin pads idk but so far so good on my rockhopper 29er
I'd post a pic but duuuuuude.. it works! Tried it on my 2018 Specialized Rockhopper Expert. Thank you sir. Subscribed. Also holy crap that was a workout and also feel for my neighbors listening to that garbage. Lol.
I just did the Alcohol/torch/emery cloth (wet/dry 500 grit sandpaper) method, and it was fast and totally effective. Why buy more spray crap to litter the shop and prematurely wear pads and rotor? These are not automobile disc brakes. I was surprised at how long the pads hold heat: be careful. Thanks for all the advice below (see: Jeffrey Walker)!
1:10 actually degreaser should do the job, I use Muc off Dry degreaser, but if you get grease on them it's harder to get off as is sticks, so wipe off, then spray all over the rotor, but there might be some oil that it does nto work on, I don't know. I use Muc off degreaser for the Rotors & pads, I sand them down if needed too.
stuff it, excuse to upgrade from 160's to 180's. $23 bucks for a can compared to 100 for upgraded rotors, fresh pads and spacers :D Good video though! (tried cleaning everything well i.e cleaning rotor thoroughly and burning off the pads. Tried filing down the pads a bit but nothing. Pads and everything are about 9 years old though and the bike has been sitting for majority of that time)
Ive had a terrible experience with break squealing and vibrating on my 2017 specialized Diverge. I tried baking in for weeks, but the squeal wouldnt go away. Then I tried cleaning -- no difference. Then I tried replacing the metalic pads with organic ones -- no difference. Then I tried replacing the rotors with different rotors with different hole patterns -- no difference. Then I tried switching BACK to metalic breaks -- no difference. I will try this -- seems promising! But I think the core issue could also be the frame of the bike, which is very lightweight. Some people on youtube suggest getting some led weights onto the bottom of the frame to absord the vibrations. I guess I might try that? sort of defeats the purpose of having a light bike though. If nothing works I am going to sell the bike -- and never go back to disc brakes again! They really seem to be for suckers. Even if something works to fix the problem, they still seem to be for suckers, because a brand new product should not have all of these issues. A brand new product should simply work, and if it doesnt work then the technology itself is defective. I have never had so many problems with rim brakes, ever, let alone with brand new ones. I'm sort of amazed that the bike world has been so accepting of this noisy, inconsistent, difficult-to-repair brake type.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. It sounds like your issue may stem from a vibration or resonance...in which case this may not help you. It won't hurt to try though.
Thanks for writing back. What I find strange is all the people who say "yeah that sometimes happens with disc brakes and it never goes away" and also say "disc brakes are great, they are 'high performing'." Like, the same person will say both things. It makes no sense to me. If there's a big issue with the technology concerning sound and consistency, then clearly the technology is not high-performing. Terms like "high performing" do not exist to describe technologies with these sorts of issues. I just feel a bit let down by the "conventional wisdom" among bike types, who generally say that disc brakes are a good development. I'll def try your method, but if that doesnt work I think it's craigslist time.
napoleon8181 FFS stop winging like a baby,you should not buy a mountain bike with disk brakes unless you have some mechanical clue,because they require maintenance.
interesting that even a bike maintenance channel brings out the trolls. you seem pretty confident that you know everything, but you apparently didnt know that a specialized diverge is not a mountain bike (look it up), or that the manufacturers are tossing disc brakes onto virtually everything now (which is the problem).
In my opinion, squealing brakes are good as klaxon. It is enough to squeeze them a little and people are running to side of road :) On the other side, a good way how to get rid of it if one doesn't want it.
I may be the odd one but I like a bit of wheel squeak. We don't normally have break lights so the sound is a good alternative. Nothing crazy like that though. Just a wee bit.
The sound that you have is from contaminated brake pads. When you have a high pitch sound it is because the rotor or brake pads are of a poor quality or incompatible. There is also brake fade and squeling when you burn the rotor so that on the surface you get a really high strength shiny steel, so that the brake pads can no longer adhere to te surface. A finer sandpaper aplied to the surface of the rotor will fix it.
I have never tried this, interesting. So far I just used Muc off dry degreaser to clean rotors, my local automotive shop sells CRC, maybe they got this, but I sand my rotors down with sandpaper, only time I had squeal brakes was when the Shimano M615 & m396 leaked, due to worn seals & oil spills on the road, by degreaser always did the job, but oil, braking fluid will result in glazing, and change of color due to extreme heat.
So I just had one that I haven't heard anyone else post pop up and it has to do with the friction coefficient of the pad causing the howl. New four piston XTR 12 speed. The 203 in the front will howl with metal pads no matter what you do. New pads brake cleaner all of it. At least the cheap metal pads. On a 180 rotor it's fine. You swap over to an organic pad on the same 203 that was howling no more noise. I tried three different sets of metal pads. They all had issues. It seems like they are so grabby that they make the rotor resonate. Why that doesn't happen on the 180 or 160 I have no idea but the cheap copper Shimano metal pads don't work well on a 203 for piston. Planning on trying the actual XTR metal pads when they go back in stock but the organic version works great
Cool, thanks for posting this vid. Strangely enough, I only get the squeal noise when I'm climbing the steeps. I cleaned my rotor and caliper pistons with alcohol but the squeal is still present. I'll try the next step with the de-squealer and see if that does the trick. Thanks again!
Who needs a bike bell when your brakes sound like that!!!
Jeremy Sharpe i actually have a bike bell for mine but i dont even use it cus people here my breaks and start to move..
Jeremy Sharpe hahaha..yeah..my bike bell is useless even people hear it, they won't give a damn. But once they heard the break noise hahaha they start giving way..
I do the same
....although getting a bit embarrassing when other bikers look at me ..
A favourite game of mine was to ride down Oxford st (London) with all the stupid, ignorant, oblivious tourists and wait till they walk out onto the road without looking. then slam on my loud brakes coming to a stop quickly and loudly. So funny to see the look of terror on their faces when they realise I'm just a bicycle not a big red buss.
It's my way of helping the public at large as it will be a long time before these people step into the street without looking.
Had a Winter beater with big ol' Nokian studded tires once upon a time. Boy did THAT clear the path/sidewalk the few times I pulled it out in "normal" weather. Sounded like a pack of Langoliers. Too alien to ignore.
I've learned to modulate my brakes so that the squeel mimics geese, I can now lead a flock of geese pretty much anywhere I like.
As long as they enjoy just walking to places.
I wouldn't have believed it if I'd not tried it. but it works. I sounded like a fire truck riding down the road and had my kid laughing, but it worked.
This worked as advertised. Thanks! Pay no attention to the haters...
Okay, watched this vid on Sunday, bought the stuff today and I was about to call bullshit after the squealing got louder and louder and the neighbors came out to see what ruckus was, so I stopped to talk and explain and when I went to show them how my brakes squealed….well they were completely silent…..neighbors just think I am wierd now 🤪but my brakes are quiet so thank you!
I tried this on my ebike brakes that sounded terrible. It worked just like the video. The bike shop I brought it too was not able to fix it at all, so I shared the video with them. THANKS
Glad it helped!
I didn't want to spend the $16 for a can of De-Squeak on Amazon so I tried Ajax, applied with a sponge brush. I didn't have to remove the rim. I applied an Ajax paste (Ajax and water) on the rotor with the sponge brush, then followed your technique to remove the glaze. Worked like a champ. Ajax was 88 cents, the brush was about 50 cents. When I was done, the Ajax paste hosed right off. Both front and rear brakes worked better with no squeal.
What is ajax?
Soap to clean sinks, bathtubs and toilets.@@snorttroll4379
@@snorttroll4379 its a kitchen/bathroom cleaner
You the man ! Thanks this Anti-Squeal stuff is exspensive in Canada !
Holy apple pie on a sunday- it worked! Brake Squeal Treatment (Squel medic) essentially the same product - it worked!
Reporting back: I tried this method out, and it worked like a charm for about 300 miles. The front rim is finally starting to squeal again. I reapplied the spray-on stuff and the squeal is gone again. This method of desquealing works great in my opinion -- I'd tried tons of other methods (cleaning, readjusting, new pads, new rotors, etc etc) and none of them worked at all. I'm surprised this method isnt more widely recommended.
All you need is copper grease on tne back of your pads😊
Totally worked 100%!!! been riding 20+ years and never heard about this. My bike had it BAAAAAD! 5 times worse than this and it worked. Thank you so much this made my day. Subbed!!!!
Shop was not open to get de squeak so just went to a quiet long hill and applied breaks. Worked !!!
I might give this a try. Bought a second hand mtb recently, and I basically woke up the entire neighbourhood by simply braking.
I had a fouled rear rotor that I used all the other techniques on, but the squeak would always return soon after clearing up. This technique, while hard on my legs and troublesome to my neighbors ears, worked wonders. I will never try the other techniques again. Thanks for the solid advice. I had no risk as I had a spare rotor coming free from my bike manufacturer and new pads. Now I can leave them both on the shelf as spares for another time. You rock!!
Great to hear, I'm glad it's helped other people out.
@@wattsbergbikes1599 i have a old used bike, the front rotor is full of oil, i cleaned with alchool, and installed new shimano mt201 brakes same as in the video, i cleaned everything i could.. the new brakes not only braked bad but squeel... i now tried this, what im suposed to do? buy new pads? btw new pads cost almost as much as the 17 usd i paid for the front brakes...
This worked perfectly for me. Tried a lot of different methods to get rid of the squeak but this was the only one that worked. Definitely recommend doing this.
My brakes sounded exactly like that. I've tried cleaning the pads and discs with alcohol, but it didn't work. Found this video and tried your CRC method. Well - after about 3/4 mile screeching like a banshee, she settled down just like in the video, then.....nothing! This method worked a treat on my bike (Specialized Stumpjumper with Shimano hydraulic brakes). Thanks Chris!!!
This worked perfectly for me. I did everything just like the video. I feel like I have a new bike now. Thanks for sharing!
Worked great, thanks. Since I'm a bit lazy, I took a piece of cardboard and cut a rounded slot to fit around the cassette to protect it from over-spray so I didn't have to remove the back tire. I also have enough De-Squeak to fix rotor squeals well into the next century.
I tried it and now my disc brakes work perfectly.Very good video.
Fortunately, my friend. I can not stand the noise in the neighborhood. Thanks for the solution Chris.
Recently had this problem while riding. Grabbed some wet sand/small gravel from a creek, smeered it on the rotor, slammed the brakes a few times and voila. So far so good
It is probably a good idea to check and clean your pads too...
He said it only works if your pads arent contaminated though
Dawn plus a good wash plus air dry= non greasy brake pads @@fkayy1
I changed to 4 pot brakes on my Silverback Stratos AL5, came with cheap semi pads, squealed like a cat under a tyre, I took off the pads and rotors, took 1200 grit sand paper, dish washing liquid.. and scrubbed till I could see the red on both pads and rotors of my blood after my finger nails were scrubbed off.
Let the pads and rotors air dry, and put it back, made sure everything was aligned properly and took for ride.. hasn't made a sound since.. I do believe the cheap crap pads make huge difference.. so new pads definitely in the future,as here in South Africa we don't have that 'De-Squel'
Good idea and one to keep in mind for troublesome squeaks. Maybe use a clean rag for cleaning rotors otherwise you could be introducing contaminates.
THANKS SOOO MUCH!!! I tried everything before this but it actually worked. Although I did feel like an idiot riding through my neighborhood.
My mother in law thought I was laying on the horn for some reason, lol. And I'm sure the neighbor's dogs hate me. It's like you get all the squeak out in one burst then the brakes are quiet. :-D
Mason Wagner 😅😅😅😅
how long did it take ?
I spent one hour and no change.
@@wattsbergbikes1599 how long did it take ?
I spent one hour and no change.
110 % true
Mate I tried your technique and it worked like a treat, just like your video. Thank you big time
Yep, that shit totally works! Fixed it fast! Didn't even have to ride around annoying everyone with the squeaking very long. thanks Clydesdale Chris!
at 2:16 he runs over a goose.
Lol!
Travis Hyde squeaky clowns
If it sounds like a goose, and walk like a goose....run it over.....just kidding.
😚
This worked really well for me after the standard de-squeal methods all failed. Thanks!
Excellent!
I always use alcohol basically same as here in this video , Then I just apply the brake and push the bike a few times giving it full rotation until the squeak stops, alcohol leaves no residue . I am always leary about using automotive products on my bike , lol you scared me with that brake cleaner for a second ... My method works every time and without extra chemicals (unless the pads are contaminated or worn right out). Cool vid , this method seemed effective and relatively safe in this case.
Thank you so much this video helped me resolve my squealing. I'm in the U.K so I got a different brand but did what you said after applying the product, really need to heat it up by breaking half way until eventually the terrible noise disappears. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
which brand did you take as I'm living in Germany and has no access to this CRC one. Neither do I find anything similar. Seems like it acts just like a polish paste, but I'm too afraid to try... By the way I have heavy annoying high frequently squealing noise when breaking with about half power
I left my bike at a workshop for bicycle repairs and they could not solve the screeching sound. Followed up on some other peoples advice to apply ceramic paste (non metallic paste, heat resistant) between the braking pads rear side to hydraulic piston. Still did not solve my issue.
Didnt try the old trick to simply heat up the brakes as this dude did though, I say it is worth a shot! Will have to wait though until the weekend, otherwise my neighbours will go crazy at me...
The reason brakes start to squeal and less stopping power is from glazing of the rotor and pads. What you're doing with this method is removing the glazing and like you said bedding them to each other. Good tip.
Oh another reason brakes squeal and loose power quickly is the fluid gets hot and in some cases can boil breaking down and introducing bubbles into your system so I would bleed the brakes getting all of the old fluid out and replaced with the proper fluid for the system you have.
Good tip! Yeah, this should only be done if the rest of your braking system is in good order. If you need a bleed anyway, this won't help much.
so i need to change shimano oils?
My brake squeal was driving me nuts. This totally worked for me. Thanks!
Awesome to hear James, thanks for reporting back. I just got my fat bike out for the fall season and it was squealing - this fix worked again for me.
how long did it take ?
I spent one hour and no change.
Use a CLEAN rag not an oily used one
Nah man, the alcohol with clean that up 😂
Infuriating right?
Tried your technique on my excessively squeaky Scott road bike. It worked great! My local auto parts store didn't have the CRC spray, but the alternate compound spray they had appeared to work well. Thanks 🙏
Another method I use is undo the caliper bolts not the adapter ones so it's losse pull brake leaver so it centres the caliper tighten back up while brake is still applied then release brake and perfectly centred no rubbing or squeaking and even brake pressure dunno if it's any help but I find it works well for me but good video but I learned something new 👍
Tried all the other tricks, finally came across this one and it worked 👍 plus got a good workout!
The WORST thing you can do to ruin your disk brakes is to put any lubricant on the disk, like oil or grease will make the discs too slippery and will result in the pads not getting enough grip. Not only that, some lubricants are flammable lol. Good job sir, this is a very good idea.,I like you video.
Thanks! Your suggestion on how to stop bike squeal was excellent. Did it and after a few puffs on the bike the noise was a gone.
Realigning the caliper can't be understated. It's as simple as unbolting it a little, squeezing the brake lever and tightening it down while squeezing. Also a mountain biking trick is to use sand or mud as the grinding compound...which is what's in that can. Update: Looking at the prices of that CRC stuff I got to thinking that valve grinding/lapping compound will work just as well if not better and less messy than mud/sand. It does work. Permatex Valve grinding compound - 5 bucks and you can water it down. slap on a light coat and wipe off the rotor when done riding(grinding). Still a lot easier than pulling the pads and hand sanding them and the rotors individually. Cheers.
Valve lapping compound has grease in it fyi.. good thought though.
I had the same problem with my front disc brake and I sprayed ready wrench on it. It worked for a little bit. I will definitely do this trick next time.
Was skeptical but desperate enough to try this. Squealing is now gone and I got a good workout.
how long did it take ?
I spent one hour and no change.
This worked quite well. Very pleased with the results. Much appreciated good sir!!. Warning put ear plugs in b4 attempting this method. I live in the country so wasn't an issue with neighbors. And boy what a good workout it became.
This has been my preferred method for years. Except I've been using Swiss Stop Disc Brake silencer instead. It's pretty expensive but works like a charm.
I've used this product; CRC De-Squeak on my bike. Fixes the squeak temporarily meaning the noise returns. Also the overspray doesn't clean up with just a rag. It took mineral spirits since the stuff is like paint.
Mineral spirits huh? Im trying to get the gunk off my spokes and rims right now and it is a pain in the ass. I guess ill try mineral spirits.
I have no idea how you figured this out but I don’t give a damn cause it worked thanks!
Maybe the clearning part helped a bit, but I think keeping brakes on while biking is the thing that grinds the shit away and makes it clean and quiet. Thanks anyways, now I know what to do !
Sweet, good to see this put into action Chris! Looking forward to more videos!
The squeeling problem comes from the glazed discs. The de-squeel compound acts to de-glaze de discs.
Thank u awesome just bought a specialized and keep going back now there's that squeak after a flat tire.
literally the only video on youtube that i didnt mind watching the 3 minute add halfway through the video
Which add? And the video is toooo loooong.
how does he only 400 subscribers, i was expecting like 75,000 lol, I hope he continues this channel and it grows
Thank you for the video demonstration on how to fix the brake rotor squeal. I looked online for the CRC De-Squeak product. Found it for $23.99 at my local Napa Canada store in my town. Thank you again!
i have seen this done in a similar fashion but instead of spraying the full break rotor they spray only the small pads that grip the rotor just two quick sprays on the small pads then do the same pedal and break at the same time and done but there wasnt any need to waste so much spray for thr rotor parts.....none the less both worked well ;-)
Thank you for great video! I don't know that was very irritating, lol. I like alcohol and sandpaper trick better I seen on different channel. He had no squeak.
Hey Chris! Thanks for the video! Had the same problem, but it looks like mine was due to contaminated pads...my rotors were black from the oil 🙈 rotor also looks like it is damaged. I traced the origin of this back to transporting my bike on the back of my car in the rain - oil and dirt from the road must have seeped into the pads. They were brand new...so we learn! Good tips in your clip man!
Thanks buddy!
It worked! I had some brake cleaner at home, didn't know the brand, and just happened to be CRC!
This thing saved my life
Hey buddy thanks for the video I’m thinking of getting some off that brake spray I found it on Amazon on my phone while I was watching this on my iPad. I have a E-bike Stealth Bomber with a 8000kw motor. This may help bed my brakes easier and quicker. Thanks again for the video buddy.
Hey, I had this problem twice. I washed the rotor, with dish soap, and on the brake pads I applied sand paper, to eliminate the contaminated layer. Then you need I brake a few times very hard from about 35kmh. But the brakes will come to perfect normal in about 20 km of riding on streets and braking only with front. Like so the comment will come in tranding
Great technique! I'm about to call the shop where I bought my bike then I saw your video. Thanks man! Thumbs up :)
Thanks for the info, but in my opinion a better way is to just take out the pads and clean them by rubbing them together with dish washing detergent and a lot of water. This will save your pads and get rid of all the dirt causing the bad braking and noise. This can be done for both discs in under 15 minutes! Of course you won't get this kind of workout from it ;)
I've tried that with my pads but I think I got some brake oil in it when I bled my brakes so I just had to buy new pads
Another temporary fix(on trail side will last 10 mim max) use water, I know it sounds counter intuitive but sometimes the water will create an insolating layer to help absorb the vibrations. I haven’t gotten Around to doing mine so this works temporally just to get you home with hearing intact.
Using water isn't a temporary fix at all as long as you smooth the disc, clean it, rough the pads then reassemble. Apply water before riding then just apply the brake whilst riding as shown in this video. The pads bed down very quick and the effect is permanent. You may be getting only temporary results because you haven't prepared the disc or pads. Trust me it works and works very well I indeed.
Thanks for this. I was about to give up on my road bike discs. No matter how many times I tried bedding in the “proper” way they squealed. This worked perfectly. I did it a little differently in that I sprayed it into a bowl and applied it liberally to the discs with a small foam brush. This way it didn’t get all over my anodized hubs and spokes. Mine kept squealing when I was pedaling so I pedaled until I ran out of energy and then let them cool. Came back and no more squeak.
I watched a bunch of ways but yours worked the best
Another tip is to check that the disc is not mounted the wrong way. Mine was in reverse and made a lot of noise. By inspecting it it was clear that the spokes in the disc would collapse rather than hold during high stress. By turning it around the bike was silent again and safer.
save your time, watch 4.30 - 4.40 the info you need, a product to buy. desqueaker
I used isopropyl alcohol to clean my rotors and then smeared them with toothpaste. Did the same neighborhood ride thing and the squealing stopped immediately. Uh, Crest Total - Mint Flavored.
I'm sure the neighborhood ladies are all over you now with that fresh bike minty smell.
@@Rico_M 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
My method (workes on contaminated brakes): Be careful to not touch pads or disk rotor. The oil on your skin could contaminte them more. USE NITRYLE SAFETY GLOVES!Take affected wheel off, then take off pads on respective side.
Then Clean disk rotor with acetone or rubbing achool (isoprofyl).
And do the same for the pads. Then sand the brake pads with a fine grid sandpaper.
Repeat the cleaning on pads, and reinstall everything back on.
Edit: Pro tip: 1. if rotor grinds against the pads, unscrew the bolts holding the caliper on, squeeze brakes as hard as u can, then tighten back on while holding brake lever. This will center them.
2. Always check that all bolts are tight. On hydraulic brakes, oil can leack on pads if a bolt is not tight enough.
I have always thought about Mountainbike wheels that have a thin, hard, smooth middle (similar to a roadbike tire) but just in the middle so you can reach higher speeds on the streets easier and sell them if they are worn down to people that just want normal offroad tires.
Umm yeah.. but which mtb'er wants a thin hard smooth tyre 😂😂
Work well. Finally no squeak. Hopefully it will stay quiet ! Thanks
This helped me so much, I worked on my bike for a whole day until I saw this video
Some good info man...thankfully my hydro brakes have been great to me lol maybe its becuase its resin pads idk but so far so good on my rockhopper 29er
I'd post a pic but duuuuuude.. it works! Tried it on my 2018 Specialized Rockhopper Expert. Thank you sir. Subscribed. Also holy crap that was a workout and also feel for my neighbors listening to that garbage. Lol.
Iv found cleaning the disc and pads with disc cleaner then lightly sanding them both also works. Never heard of disc squeak spray before.....
I just did the Alcohol/torch/emery cloth (wet/dry 500 grit sandpaper) method, and it was fast and totally effective. Why buy more spray crap to litter the shop and prematurely wear pads and rotor? These are not automobile disc brakes. I was surprised at how long the pads hold heat: be careful. Thanks for all the advice below (see: Jeffrey Walker)!
The squeal is just about gone. SQQQQUUUUEEEAAALLL.
All I had to do was blowtorch the rotor dry and then I braked hard as I pedaled hard down a steep hill. Work perfectly now.
1:10 actually degreaser should do the job, I use Muc off Dry degreaser, but if you get grease on them it's harder to get off as is sticks, so wipe off, then spray all over the rotor, but there might be some oil that it does nto work on, I don't know.
I use Muc off degreaser for the Rotors & pads, I sand them down if needed too.
Those are sweet reflectors on the first bike's wheels! Really hard core.
I bet your neighbors love you.
stuff it, excuse to upgrade from 160's to 180's. $23 bucks for a can compared to 100 for upgraded rotors, fresh pads and spacers :D Good video though!
(tried cleaning everything well i.e cleaning rotor thoroughly and burning off the pads. Tried filing down the pads a bit but nothing. Pads and everything are about 9 years old though and the bike has been sitting for majority of that time)
Ive had a terrible experience with break squealing and vibrating on my 2017 specialized Diverge. I tried baking in for weeks, but the squeal wouldnt go away. Then I tried cleaning -- no difference. Then I tried replacing the metalic pads with organic ones -- no difference. Then I tried replacing the rotors with different rotors with different hole patterns -- no difference. Then I tried switching BACK to metalic breaks -- no difference.
I will try this -- seems promising!
But I think the core issue could also be the frame of the bike, which is very lightweight. Some people on youtube suggest getting some led weights onto the bottom of the frame to absord the vibrations. I guess I might try that? sort of defeats the purpose of having a light bike though.
If nothing works I am going to sell the bike -- and never go back to disc brakes again! They really seem to be for suckers. Even if something works to fix the problem, they still seem to be for suckers, because a brand new product should not have all of these issues. A brand new product should simply work, and if it doesnt work then the technology itself is defective. I have never had so many problems with rim brakes, ever, let alone with brand new ones. I'm sort of amazed that the bike world has been so accepting of this noisy, inconsistent, difficult-to-repair brake type.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. It sounds like your issue may stem from a vibration or resonance...in which case this may not help you. It won't hurt to try though.
Thanks for writing back. What I find strange is all the people who say "yeah that sometimes happens with disc brakes and it never goes away" and also say "disc brakes are great, they are 'high performing'." Like, the same person will say both things. It makes no sense to me. If there's a big issue with the technology concerning sound and consistency, then clearly the technology is not high-performing. Terms like "high performing" do not exist to describe technologies with these sorts of issues. I just feel a bit let down by the "conventional wisdom" among bike types, who generally say that disc brakes are a good development. I'll def try your method, but if that doesnt work I think it's craigslist time.
napoleon8181 FFS stop winging like a baby,you should not buy a mountain bike with disk brakes unless you have some mechanical clue,because they require maintenance.
interesting that even a bike maintenance channel brings out the trolls. you seem pretty confident that you know everything, but you apparently didnt know that a specialized diverge is not a mountain bike (look it up), or that the manufacturers are tossing disc brakes onto virtually everything now (which is the problem).
Interesting that even a bike maintenance channel brings out cry babies who haven't an once of mechanical ability and spit the dummy.
In my opinion, squealing brakes are good as klaxon. It is enough to squeeze them a little and people are running to side of road :)
On the other side, a good way how to get rid of it if one doesn't want it.
i have heard that just touching the rotor and pads can cause contamination so the braking surfaces may have been touched and effected.
I may be the odd one but I like a bit of wheel squeak. We don't normally have break lights so the sound is a good alternative. Nothing crazy like that though. Just a wee bit.
I did your way, used nail Polish instead. It works. No more annoying noise. Thank pal.
The sound that you have is from contaminated brake pads. When you have a high pitch sound it is because the rotor or brake pads are of a poor quality or incompatible. There is also brake fade and squeling when you burn the rotor so that on the surface you get a really high strength shiny steel, so that the brake pads can no longer adhere to te surface. A finer sandpaper aplied to the surface of the rotor will fix it.
Omg I’ve been looking for a Solution for this THANK YOU
I have never tried this, interesting. So far I just used Muc off dry degreaser to clean rotors, my local automotive shop sells CRC, maybe they got this, but I sand my rotors down with sandpaper, only time I had squeal brakes was when the Shimano M615 & m396 leaked, due to worn seals & oil spills on the road, by degreaser always did the job, but oil, braking fluid will result in glazing, and change of color due to extreme heat.
First off: thanks for sharing the video. Do you know if this technique applies to organic brake pads?
was having nonstop sqeak, loosened the quick release pulled and held the brake and retightened the quick release. fixed the sqeak.
The squeal can also be due to use of incompatible disc rotors. Hence should check compatibility of rotors in the first place.
You can also spray that stuff onto a paint brush and paint it onto the rotor. Less over spray.
His friends love him, his neighbours hate him
“Homeowners hate this one simple trick”
It's a good exercise as well. Thanks for your video.
Take the break pads off and sand them lightly with light sand paper. Once you get rid of the glaze they are good.
So I just had one that I haven't heard anyone else post pop up and it has to do with the friction coefficient of the pad causing the howl. New four piston XTR 12 speed. The 203 in the front will howl with metal pads no matter what you do. New pads brake cleaner all of it. At least the cheap metal pads. On a 180 rotor it's fine. You swap over to an organic pad on the same 203 that was howling no more noise. I tried three different sets of metal pads. They all had issues. It seems like they are so grabby that they make the rotor resonate. Why that doesn't happen on the 180 or 160 I have no idea but the cheap copper Shimano metal pads don't work well on a 203 for piston. Planning on trying the actual XTR metal pads when they go back in stock but the organic version works great
Totally worked! Thanks for putting up this video
After a hard breaking from nerly hitting 2 young childs my front break disk is now squeeling. I hope this work
Cool, thanks for posting this vid. Strangely enough, I only get the squeal noise when I'm climbing the steeps. I cleaned my rotor and caliper pistons with alcohol but the squeal is still present. I'll try the next step with the de-squealer and see if that does the trick. Thanks again!
is it squeal or is it knocking or rubbing sound if so it might be frame flex causing it.
It was an intermittent squeal during climbing. I found the cause to be my misalignment of the caliper. D'oh!
it's a good idea to apply Locktite 243 to the threads, and let it cure, and regurally check the bolts.