Squealing Brakes

[sittingbull]

What's copper slip?

Grease with particles of copper, particularly useful in anti-seize applications such as car wheel nuts, spark plugs, exhaust mounting bolts..... or on a bike on the pedal threads. Even if the grease dries and disappears the copper remains preventing surface cohesion. On a motorbike caliper it eliminates the resonant frequency transmitting through the caliper, effectively dampening it out.

 

[sittingbull]

Available here

 

[JasonHolder]

Its copper grease

 

[raleighnut]

Its copper grease

And a b*gger to clean off.... Works well though just not on Caliper brakes. ANYWHERE.

 

[Kevoffthetee]

Buy "Koolstop" pads. Problem solved!

Apologies for being thick (new to cycling), but most say for v-brakes but I have shimano RX100's with pads that look nothing like anything on fleabay under koolstop. Will other types with a threaded stud work?

Cheers, Kev

 

[Globalti]

Bit of a hijack, how do you stop squealing mechanical discs ?
Fecking driving me nuts !

You don't mess around with Copaslip; you take out the pads and file a chamfer on the "leading" edges, that's what you do.

 

[EltonFrog]

You don't mess around with Copaslip; you take out the pads and file a chamfer on the "leading" edges, that's what you do.

You lost me at "take out"

 

[Globalti]

Er, turn the bike upside-down, remove the wheels then remove the pads?

Then take a file and file a 45 degree chamfer on the edge of the pad that meets the rotating disc. Then replace the pads in the same way they came out, making sure they click positively all the way back into their place. You need to push them quite hard. If they haven't been pushed in properly they will be at an angle and won't work well and will squeal horribly.

 

[EltonFrog]

Er, turn the bike upside-down, remove the wheels then remove the pads?

Then take a file and file a 45 degree chamfer on the edge of the pad that meets the rotating disc. Then replace the pads in the same way they came out, making sure they click positively all the way back into their place. You need to push them quite hard. If they haven't been pushed in properly they will be at an angle and won't work well and will squeal horribly.

Thank you, I'll give it a go. (gulp)

 

[Globalti]

Well while you've got them out, give them a good wash in very hot water with detergent (the dishwasher works well) and clean the disc with alcohol or glass cleaner. If the pads are contaminated with oil they will give out a nasty juddering squeal just as the wheel stops turning.

 

[EltonFrog]

Well while you've got them out, give them a good wash in very hot water with detergent (the dishwasher works well) and clean the disc with alcohol or glass cleaner. If the pads are contaminated with oil they will give out a nasty juddering squeal just as the wheel stops turning.

Thank you.

 

[threefingerjoe]

One more thing to try as a last resort. Presuming you've cleaned, sanded, toed-in, chamfered, tried Kool Stop salmons (I like them for their stopping ability when wet, but IMO the squealingest brakes I've ever used) you might try one more thing: Make them DIRTY. I keep a small bottle of ground up cat litter (dry clay, ground to dust) and dust it on pads and rims. I've had success with this.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

If all else fails and your pads are currently 'short' road style then try some longer pads/holders such as Ashima 4 Function (I have these) or Swisstop RX.

http://www.ashima.com.tw/pad-style-selection.html

They are asymmetric and the 'tail' is longer than the leading side of the pad - this shut my squealing brakes up instantly. I think Sheldon writes somewhere about this trick - along the lines of the longer tail does not get pulled into the rim as easily as a shorter one and hence does not vibrate so easily thereby reducing/killing the squeal.

 

[raleighnut]

If the brake blocks are fitted as Sittingbull shows this takes up any flex in the caliper and eliminates the squeal

 

[sazzaa]

Thank you, I'll give it a go. (gulp)

I changed my brake pads for the first time yesterday, and if I can do it, anyone can. Was pretty obvious why my brakes had been rubbish lately, the pads were both shiny and looked like they'd had oil on them at some point. But the replacing was fairly straight forward, once you've taken everything to bits it all becomes quite clear and is easy to put back together.