My front V-brakes are squeaking. The are "toed" in. They're not wet from rain or anything. I squirted some WD-40 on them, didn't help. The squeak seems to be coming from where the pads hit the rim, not anywhere "in" the brake. I heard that wiping the rims with glass cleaner might help. What should I do, it's really annoying?

thanks,

Gabe

same here.. and my pads arent worn out.. i didnt do anything.. i just use my back brakes

what bike do you have btw?

I did a search here. Looks like sand paper is the best thing to try.....I guess I should have just searched the forums rather than wasting space here......

Gabe

My brakes squeak a lot too but they still work great. The pads are only about a week old. Squeaking isnt a big deal just a bit annoying, If they are really that bad take them off give them a good cleaning and the rim too. Just soap and water works fine, then try the sandpaper. Good Luck

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Try hydraulic fluid; I hear that's real big in Holland...

(Seriously though, folks, don't try hydraulic fluid)

My Risk Management staff would like to thank you for that disclaimer.

HAHA.

I run Avid V-brakes, with Axtec pads & never bother with toe-in (seems to me that when they wear that the toe-in will disappear anyway), and no squeaking. Hopefully you didn't squirt the WD-40 on the pads. About the only thing I use WD for is as a degreaser-works great for removing grease! As for the squeaking, try some new pads- Kool-stop, Aztec, or any of several decent aftermarket brand pads (I never liked Shimano's pads). To clean the rim, try the rough side of a Scotchbrite cleaning pad-leave it dry, wedge it between the pad and the rim, with the rough side towards the rim, and spin the wheel or ride it some distance (you may have to put some pressure on the brake to hold it in there)--works well for cleaning the accumulated "gunk" off of a rim.

Ya, I sprayed the WD-40 on the pads. As I was doing it I was thinking that "this is really stupid, it won't work", anyway....today I cleaned the pads and rims with a slightly damp cloth. Also, I got some 120 grit sandpaper and tried to rough up the pads(BTW they are Cool stop), that didn't really rough them up much though. I thought that sandpaper is used to smooth things, not rough them up? So... I think that when I get home I'll get the sandpaper back out and try to rough them up some more....is there any technique for using the paper that I should know about. God...I feel so unmechanically inclined!

any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Gabe

Technique? Kinda' Wrap the sandpaper around something flat (scrap piece of wood) to ensure you are presenting a clean, flat surface to the pad.

I actually use a mill bastard file, rather than sandpaper, but that's personal preference.

It's not so much a matter of 'roughing up' the pads (trying to get money out of them ) as it is deglazing them--removing any oxidized surface that has coated the smoother, stickier rubber with time, use, or non-use.

Be sure to inspect for, and remove, tiny shards of metal or other debris while you're in there.

Further, clean your rims' braking surfaces with a rag and some isopropyl alcohol.

If all else fails, wear an iPod and get back to riding

Toe in? That's your problem. Brakes need to be toed out. That is, the brake block should encounter the rim at its end, not its front (with respect to the direction of travel). Then the brake block will progressively plant on the rim from rear to front as pressure is applied. Toed in, the brakes will squeal every time. I just set the brakes on my mountain bike last night after changing the tires. Re-mounting the wheel put them out of adjustment and they were singing like crazy. A little tweak to toe 'em out solved the problem. Don't lubricate your rims unless you want to keep going when you apply the brakes. Remember, you are looking for the "sweet spot" as far as toe out and clearance is concerned. Don't believe me? Give it a try and see for yourself.

Cheers

Charles

_________________

"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorley..."

My rear V brakes broke so I had to install new ones today. Accomplishing that, I felt confident I could finally rid myself of the squeaking front breaks. AFter hours of trying I give up! I notice that the front tire appears to shudder slightly as I apply the breaks which may be causing the squeak, or I guess it could be a result of said breaking. What's interesting is that this seems to be a problem with the front breaks only for all of us. I also have Kool-Stop pads. This sucks!

I installed new brake calipers and pads (Koolstops also) on my bike the other day. Both brakes squeak now, actually screeching is more appropriate. I didnt have time to tweak them at that point so I thought I'd put up with it for a day or two. Aside from the embarrassment of the loud screeching I did notice there was at least one positive side-effect. People take notice! Whistles and bells work ok, sort of, and " on your left" sometimes confuses people. When it comes to squealing brakes you instinctually know someone is applying the brakes and you react. So, yea it is embarrassing to come screeeeeeching to a stop light next to your fellow cyclists but it works great with pedestrians on the paths.

Totally Bass Ackwards The torque from the wheel pulls the pads flat against the rim when the brake is TOED IN. The front of the pads needs to hit the rim first for this to work. Your method makes the pad want to invert itself and you're not getting the benefit of the full pad surface.

EXACTLY - glad someone set this straight.

Maybe he rides backwards alot..?

Pretty sure he meant to toe them out with respect to the direction of travel of the bike, which is the same as saying to toe them in with respect to the relative direction of travel between the brake pad and the rim (the standard way of referring to it).



Pads have a tendency to toe themselves in as they wear. Doing it upon install makes them perform better right off the bat.

[QUOTE=juicemouse]Pretty sure he meant to toe them out with respect to the direction of travel of the bike, which is the same as saying to toe them in with respect to the relative direction of travel between the brake pad and the rim (the standard way of referring to it).


That's exactly what I meant. Sorry if I caused any confusion. All I know is my breaks never squeal.



Charles

No way I was going to let that slide. I see that the individual in question had his terms confused and actually does it correctly