My disc-brakes on my mountain bike sing/scream when I brake. I have tried to clean them, but it didn't work. Should I replace the disks or the brake pads? Is there a better (cheaper) way to fix this.
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3There's nothing wrong with screaming brakes. Some makes/models scream more than others, but it's quite normal. There's also a ton of other, similar questions. Check the "related" section to the right.– arneCommented Dec 5, 2013 at 8:11
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Maybe the pads are not bedded in properly. New pads take a dozen of very hard brakings to stop screaming and begin braking.– VoracCommented Dec 5, 2013 at 9:07
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possible duplicate of How do I prevent disk brakes from squeaking in the rain?– Benedikt BauerCommented Dec 5, 2013 at 10:11
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possible duplicate of how do i stop my Formula disk brakes from squealing– mattnzCommented Dec 5, 2013 at 20:18
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2Possible duplicate of Disc brakes squeak on Trek mountain bike– MóżCommented Feb 2, 2016 at 19:00
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2 Answers
In short, squeaking brakes are caused by the sound of your pads sticking then slipping increadibly quickly, rather than applying presssure to your discs smoothly.
Solution: Sometimes these problems can be a right pain in the butt. Sometimes your brakes need time to bed in, sometimes, as you know, your discs just need cleaning, or importantly, drying. But if that doesn't work you need to rough up your discs. You can get products with abrasives in them just for this purpose, or, less expensively.. I know many people have had success with very fine sand paper.
Give that a try before replacing your discs.
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How fine is very fine sandpaper? 800? Btw +1 for the exhaustive run-down.– VoracCommented Dec 6, 2013 at 12:51
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Here is a tip for you - putting a smudge of copper grease on the BACK of your pads can reduce the noise. It may still be there until the brakes are properly bedded in, but I have found it does make a difference, especially under lighter braking.
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1I agree entirely. My advice would be do this if everything else has failed and be super careful not to ge it on the front of the pads.. That way lies madness, dudes. Also, just to emphasise yoir point to the people.. It has to be COPPER grease as you said, standard grease wont do! Good suggestion. Commented Dec 17, 2013 at 7:31
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1What do you mean by madness? I need to know if madness means death due to brakes not working anymore. Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 8:42
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Madness will only occur if you manage to get grease on braking surfaces. Applying to the BACK of the pad is perfectly safe and will reduce noise. Just make sure it doesn't go anywhere else. Commented Jan 21, 2014 at 13:52
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Definitely, that's great advice, this is just as you would when servicing the brakes on a car. Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 11:06