Bicycle Mechanics - Rear Avid Disc brake not braking enough!

Ok, cleaned my mountain bike the other day to get off the grit from the winter weather. Well I used Finish Line degreaser and cleaner on the rear disc mount with the rim out. It was dirty with grease in tight areas. Well, today riding on my commute, braking was very soft. Before I could get the bike to stop on a dime - most of the time turning into a skid stop with a touch of the brake. Now, going at a good pace - it slowly comes to a stop. Near the end of the stop, the brake makes a sqeeky noise. I figured it was the cleaner that got on the pads that contact the disc, and hitting the brakes a few times it would wear off. !5 miles later, same results - this is with hitting the brakes on down hills at good speeds, still soft? What should I do?

This happened to me too, clean the rotors with Dawn, or another grease cutting dish detergent, and soak the pads as well, let them dry for a while and reassemble.

Middi-zon

Another trick is to bake or flame the PADS. I have even boiled them before to get the grease off.

Rotors can be cleaned by anything that cuts grease.

Alright, Im new to disc brakes. I really have to disassemble the unit to get it braking strong again? The cleaner I put on or around it was a degreaser - not grease?

You don't have to disassemble them. Just remove the wheel and you can remove the pads.

It may just be an adjustment problem. I have some Avids myself and I have noticed when the pads wear down a bit the arm that the cable pulls on is not in an ideal position for maximum leverage. Screw the red knobs in on both sides of the caliper until there is only a slight gap between them and the rotor. Then Set the cable tension so that it is snug, not necessarily tight but just snug. That has returned the power to mine a few times.

-Ryan

I'm having the squealing disk problem, but only on the front. I've ridden with them 3 times, and the squeal only started the last time. I can't imagine that I got any kind of lube on the front, but I cleaned the rotor and pads with a grease cutting soap as suggested.

Any other ideas to get rid of the squeal?

Thanks for any help you can offer.