How to Prevent Disc Brakes From Squeaking?
Brakes in the bikes help to stop or slow down the bike movement by applying friction to the wheels. Every vehicle has a break to control its activity, these brakes typically differ according to the vehicle type and brand preferences. Some of the brake types are rim brakes, disc brakes, and drum brakes.
Disc brakes are one of the brake types which use a frictional material called a caliper to press against the disc to slow down or stop the wheel. These are specially designed for cars, motorcycle wheels, and even bicycles. Sometimes, disc brakes may lose their frequency and may squeak on constant use, you must have proper Maintenance over these brakes for durability and better performance. Here are some tips on how you can prevent your disc brakes from squeaking.
How to Stop the Disc Brake From Squeaking?
The noise from the brakes occurs due to various reasons and faults first, find the cause of the squeaking sound and work according to that fault. No matter the type of bicycle, it is suggested to wear good quality mechanical hand gloves to work in these break areas.
1.Check the rotors
One of the causes of brake squeaking is the unclean and dirty rotor, these rotors are the thin discs that are present in the wheel area. It is always exposed to mud, water, and other dirt around the road as it rotates along with the wheels. These rotors should be given a constant check and cleaning to prevent causing damage or to create noise.
The rotors can get contaminated due to the lubrication caused in these areas. It can be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol or any other rotor cleaning soaps, avoid using chemicals in these rotor areas. Additionally, they can also bend easily, you can use tools such as piston tools and wrenches or you can also ask for professional help.
2.Check the alignment
Sometimes the misfit in alignment may cause noises, check for the brake pads and the calipers. To verify the alignment spin see if the front wheel has balanced space and the calipers move freely. If they don’t move freely then there's a problem. Loosen and adjust the brakes until these calipers are placed properly.
You can clean them and reassemble them by yourself. If the wheel is not perfectly fit into the skewer it would probably cause problems for the bike, so make sure everything is aligned properly before moving on to ride.
3.Glazed pads
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This occurs when the rider covers a long way as they apply constant pressure to the brake on many uneven roads and terrains.
Due to this, the brakes become smooth and their resistance power becomes low. You can clean them and wipe them using sandpaper gently, change the rubbing direction up, down, and to the sides. Rub until the surface gets rough and efficient to ride on roads.
4.Wet and heat
Squeaking sounds also happen due to heat and moisture in the brake area. If you ride your bike in watery places like streams immediately it would get a squeaking sound. This happens as the waters go into the break and pads when you apply brake it gets contacted with water and makes noise. It is temporary, the sound vanishes once the water gets dried.
Another type is through heating, if you ride on long roads or in the hill region you may get squeaky. This happens because of the constant application of the brake it gets overheated and squeaks.
5.Apply grease to brake pads
This noise may come from the pads attached to the caliber. You can apply grease to remove the squeaking noise. You should remove these brake pads from the wheel area and using a thin stick or cotton apply the grease on the back part of the brake pads and move them. This is the greasing method for any brake pads to prevent or fix squeaking. You can also apply anti-squeak gel or paste to the disc brakes for effective usage.
6.Get new pads
If you can't remove the dirt particles or the pads get damaged, replace them with new ones. These pads will get thin due to prolonged use. One side of the pad may be damaged but the other side will still be intact. When this happens a squeaking noise may occur from the pads.Replacing the pads with new ones will help you. Get a high-quality brake pad for efficient performance and to remove the squaking noise. You can even replace your metal pads with organic resin pads, as it is soft and efficient.
7.Bed the new brakes
Replacing your brakes needs special care before letting them into your ride. You should bed in the new brakes, choose a less crowded road for doing this activity. In a safe area, you can start pedaling your bike but not at high speed. Then apply the brake and reduce your speed to a low level. Release the brakes to a walking speed before you are yet to stop the bike, repeat this process more than 10 to 15 times. Don't get up from your seat before completing the whole process.
By doing this you can bed in your new brakes, which will prevent your brake from getting squeaky or damaged in the future.
Final words
Getting a squeaking sound is a usual issue that is faced by many riders. This is usually caused due to dirt contamination in the disc pads and brake area, the rotor may be bent, and calipers may get angled. You can rectify it by following the tips mentioned in our article. If you still get the squawking sound, you can get professional help.
If you know any other methods that fixed the squeaking noise in your bicycle, do share them in the comments section below.
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