melon

my front brake is making terrible noises when i pull hard at speed. i believe this is down to the accumilated dirt on my braking surface.

i dont really want to take the tyres off, and my rims are machined with a slight deep section, which is painted black.


whats the best way to clean the crap off?

Panthers007

Try iso-Propyl Alcohol. Ask at a pharmacy for the 91%. The common one is 70% (with water). Apply with a non-metal but abrasive scrub-pad - grocery - and scrub both the pads and rim. And toe-in the pads. You want the front of the pads to contact the rim a fraction of a second faster than the rear/rest of the pad. Easy does it.

If this doesn't help, you can try sandpapering the pads.

wmodavis

I use denatured alcohol because its what I have around. Works good on rim and disc brakes.

Panthers007

You could use moonshine if it's laying about (under Granny). The idea is to use a solvent that dislodges/dissolves accumulated bits of rubber-compounds and, with them, dislodges the alloy shards from the rims. Iso-Propyl Alcohol is, perhaps, the cheapest one to purchase.

Good Luck!

bkaapcke

Simple green and a scotch cloth cut right through it. Afterwards, a quick wipe with windex will get rid of any soap film residue. bk

TallRider

Wiping the rim off with a rag does most of the work in my experience. Using some chemical is just icing on the cake.
Oftentimes the rims are less of an issue (brake pad dust, and aluminum dust will build up). The brake pads can get metal shavings and other grit stuck in them, and this is what grinds down your rim, creates more metal shavings and aluminum dust, and often makes noise.
So taking the wheel off the bike so you can see the brake pads, pick out pieces of grit and then grind them with a file (sandpaper can leave sand stuck in the pads).

sunburst

My LBS mechanic said use Bon Ami scouring cleaner, which I suppose is less abrasive than Comet. And I use a scotch-brite scouring pad to apply it. If I'm in a hurry, I sometimes use 0000 steel wool, or fine sandpaper on the rims.

For the pads, ideally I take them off and rub them on the sidewalk to deglaze them. If they are mounted, I use sandpaper, but that's over, after seeing timcupery's comment about "sand stuck in the pads."

Panthers007

I use Kool Stops on my ceramic rims. That takes the glazing right off! I love 'em!

Esteban32696

For STEEL rims, on older bikes, I spray " Starter Fluid " on a cloth & rub the rim. NOTE, may harm other than steel rims.

tellyho

Also give your pads a sand to remove any grit there.

TallRider

I hope you're joking, given my earlier comment (or you didn't notice it).
As I said above, I'm all for "sanding" pads so long as a metal file is used, and not sandpaper (which can leave grains lodged in the pads and thus worsen the problem)

DaveSSS 

There is nothing wrong with using sandpaper on brake pads. If your sandpaper leaves grit in the pads, you've got some real lousy sandpaper. Try a good product like Norton 3X in a 120 grit.

For aluminum rims, scotchbrite, used wet, works great. No chemical needed. 400 grit wet sandpaper, applied lightly, also works.

neil0502

I leave them on the bike, and use a "mill *******" flat file.

I also happen to like typing "mill *******," so ... it's a win-win

[I guess I don't get to! The bleeped out word is a synonym for an illegitimate child....]

demoncyclist

A wet ScotchBrite pad on the rims, plumbers emery cloth on the pads, after using a dental pick to pop out any big chunks. The pads are available at the grocery store, the picks can be had from your dentist if you ask nice (they replace them all the time), and the emery cloth is available in small rolls from the local hardware store, and takes up little room in the toolbox.

DannoXYZ 

I prefer to use acetone. It removes both aqueous compounds like dirt and non-polar stuff like oils & grease. Also good for removing leftover tubular cement that may have spilled over.

Mauriceloridans

Would not a file be as likely to leave metal shavings in the pad as sandpaper it's grit?

shouldberiding

Little bit of Simple Green sprayed on a wet cloth works great.

Mondoman

M- I think the idea is that a metal file is not shedding its own (hardened) metal into a brake pad, while sandpaper, especially cheap stuff, can lose grit. I would think any lost grit could easily be removed from the pad, but that's just IMHO.

Mauriceloridans

I have been using sandpaper without issue. But if grit or shavings from a file (hardened or not) are a concern, why not use a patch of window screen?

jack002

I use sandpaper on the pads, and any sand that falls off does not stick into the pad. If I was worried that it would, I'd switch to a good wet-sand type paper. The grit stays on these really well.

Lurch

Considering the gritty environment the wheel rims live in, it is doubtful that a little sandpaper grit is going to make much difference. I've had everything from leaves to chewing gum get trapped in my brakes so there has probably been some sand in there also.