Sqealing Avid disc brakes
 

I bought and installed Avid mechanicals on Saturday. I tested them and everything was cool; excellent stopping, no noises, and one end over. Yesturday while working it started raining and soon enough the discs started sqealing and screaming(similar to my wifes screams when I tell her I'm going riding). The LBS recommended that I clean the discs with a glass cleaner, but they are the ones that didn't know that the Avid's come with front and rear mounting brackets. Can anyone recommend a way of getting rid of the sqeal? Thanks :beer:

The first thing I've got to ask is, "did you touch the pads or the rotors with your bare hands?" If you did you may have contaminated the pads. The oil on you skin is enough to do this.

Wash your bike with DAWN dishwashing detergent. Coda brakes had this problem and that fixed about 90% of the problems. If it doesn't also try to wipe the rotors with isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits. Let them dry completely.

If this doesn't work and they've been adjusted properly, you can try to remove the pads and rub them lightly with 200 grit sandpaper to remove a little of the material that is contaminated. To do this, lay a piece of sandpaper on a hard flat surface and rub the pad lightly.

If this doesn't solve the problem, you can try heating the pads with a torch, to basically boil away any contaminants. This would be a last resort in my book!

Good luck
L8R

Actually it sounds normal to me from what I've read about them. I have them too on my MTB. When I cross a creek fast and get them wet, they squeal for several revolutions until they dry out again. You said you were riding in the rain; have you ridden it since then when they were dry? And did they quit squealing? I've never heard mine squeal at all except when wet.