Toe-in of brake pads

[Pottsy]

I should know this, and I'm a bit embarrassed to ask, but some of the information and advice I've seen is conflicting, so here goes.

To help avoid squealing brakes (v-brakes) I know I should 'toe-in' the pads. My question is about which end of the pad is toed-in?

a) Is it the end that hits the brake rim first? (Would actually be the back of the pad relative to the whole bike)

The other end

Oh, and please all agree or I'll get more confused.

 

[skwerl]

The front. ie the end of the pad that's nearest the front of the bike

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Front, errr back,

No 'tis the front

 

[HLaB]

I do it but the lbs tells me it doesn't make much difference after a while, the toe quickly wears down making the pad flat to the rims.

 

[Pottsy]

I've got new pads and the noise is dreadful so I'm going to try it.

They're ceramic rims and therefore pads for ceramic rims too of course. Are these worse than normal rims for squealing?

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Years ago I made up a little jig to help set the pads exactly right, with the correct amount of toe in.

Then it struck me that it didn't make one iota of difference in deciding which brakes sqealed and which didn't. So I haven't bothered for the passed 10 years or so. My brakes still work, and occaisionally one squeals, but toe -in has never cured those that do.

 

[skwerl]

I've got new pads and the noise is dreadful so I'm going to try it.

They're ceramic rims and therefore pads for ceramic rims too of course. Are these worse than normal rims for squealing?

I have ceramic rims. They don't squeal. i use caliper brakes but I can't see why V-brakes would squeal and calipers wouldn't

 

[Pottsy]

Maybe mine just need to wear in a bit then, or perhaps I could clean the rims?

 

[Twenty Inch]

Some pads and rims are fundamentally incompatible. I had squealing front brakes for months using cartridge type pads (where the pad is held in an alloy mount and secured with a tiny pin). I tried everything possible to stop them squealing, until one day I simply swapped the whole thing for old-fashioned brakeblocks where the block and its mount are one. No more squealing. If all else fails try this.

 

[Steve Austin]

place a piece of cardboard (cerealbox thickness) at the rear of the block. squeeze brake lever, and tighten the block up.

It works for me

 

[andy_wrx]

Ditto Steve.

In fact, back in the early 90's, Madison Aztec pads came with such a 'toe-in device' : basically you cut away a marked piece of the cardboard box, folded it in half, slid it under the back end of the block when fitting.

(and answering the original post - it's 'toe-in' if you assumed the block to be your foot, toe at front and heel at back.
The terminology comes from car suspension set-up : camber, castor, etc - tracking is toe-in or toe-out [please don't ask why it should be toe-out rather than heel-in ])

 

[piedwagtail91]

I don't get this. I've never toed-in my brakes. And I've never had a problem with them squealing.

same here. in 30 odd years cycling i've never had a problem and i set my brake blocks parallel to the rim.
maybe i've been lucky

 

[alfablue]

I think forks also affect squeeling - I changed from SID SL's on my mtb to rigid Kona Project 2's to "commuterise" my bike - the squeeling started and I can't stop it with any amount of toe-in or pad fettling.