steves@ncr-sd.UUCP (Steve Schlesinger) (09/10/85)
How can I stop my brakes from squeaking, and making other noises?
Is it the brake pads? Is it the angle the pads hit the rim ?
Please, no suggestions to grease the rims :-)
Steve Schlesinger
{akgua, allegra, dcdwest, decvax, ihnp4, ucbvax}!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!stevesmancello@acf4.UUCP (Homeboy#1) (09/17/85)
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 85 16:59:12 edt
From: mancello (Homeboy#1)
Message-Id: <8509162059.AA22361@NYU-ACF4.ARPA>
To: steves@ncr-sd
Subject: Re: Cure for Squeaky Brakes
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
In-Reply-To: article <285@ncr-sd.UUCP> of 10-Sep-85 15:40 EDT
/* acf4:net.bicycle / steves@ncr-sd.UUCP (Steve Schlesinger) / 3:40 pm Sep 10, 1985 */
How can I stop my brakes from squeaking, and making other noises?
Is it the brake pads? Is it the angle the pads hit the rim ?
Please, no suggestions to grease the rims :-)
Steve Schlesinger
{akgua, allegra, dcdwest, decvax, ihnp4, ucbvax}!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!steves
/* ---------- */
The most likely cause is the angle with which the brake pads hit the rim.
If the rear of the pad hits the rim before the front of the pad, the pad
will vibrate very quickly causing the squeaking sound.
To alleviate the problem, just bend the caliper arm (using a crescent
wrench) until the front of the pad hits the rim before the rear of the
pad. Be careful when you bend the arm. Do it SLOWLY!!!
Also, make sure your rims are free of any grime as debris on the rim can
also cause squeaking.
cmcl2!acf4!mancellojans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman) (09/17/85)
In article <285@ncr-sd.UUCP> steves@ncr-sd.UUCP (Steve Schlesinger) writes: >How can I stop my brakes from squeaking, and making other noises? >Is it the brake pads? Is it the angle the pads hit the rim ? Yes. Most cantelever brakes allow you to adjust "toe-in", as it is called, but with others you will have to remove the wheel and the brake pad, grab brake arm with an adjustable wrench, and carefully bend the front inward. (If you bend the back in, you may stop more suddenly than you ever imagined!) Note that this reduces rim true tolerance. Brakes that sacrifice brake arm travel for mechanical advantage may need to be adjusted out so far that braking power is compromised as the brake lever hits the handlebars. Luckily, the amount of toe-in needed to stop squeaking is small. Another problem is non-uniform shoe wear. Simply swap and reverse shoes (right -- left) when uneven wear is noticed, or when squeaking resumes. Two other possibilities: try a different brake shoe. I've heard the new "high-tech" shoes don't squeak. If all this sounds daunting, you might just want to put up with it for a while. Many shoes will squeal when new, then settle down once they start to break in to the rim. I've done toe-in quite successfully with Campys and Dia Compes. Alas, there is no known cure for Mafacs. (Heard on a club ride just after a long descent: "I hear you have Mafac brakes?") -- :::::: Jan Steinman Box 1000, MS 61-161 (w)503/685-2843 :::::: :::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans Wilsonville, OR 97070 (h)503/657-7703 ::::::
scroggs@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA (09/17/85)
I do put a little oil on my rims when they be squeaky. I notice that the brakes don't work quite as well for a very short while, then work the same without the squeak.
schwager@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA (09/17/85)
> I do put a little oil on my rims when they be squeaky. I notice that the > brakes don't work quite as well for a very short while, then work the same > without the squeak. Eeek! Try checking the toe-in on your brakes first. You should be able to adjust the angle the pads strike the rim by loosening the pad holding screw and then rotating the pad to give a slight toe in. Hold the pad firmly when retightening. You may have to monkey around a bit with it until you're satisfied. Oiling rims? Eeek! -mike schwager -- {ihnp4,convex,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!schwager schwager%uiuc@csnet-relay.arpa
scroggs@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA (09/18/85)
My cantilever brakes had no problem with the toe in. They squeaked when I installed new wheels, and putting a little oil on the rim prevented them from producing the noise. The next ride, Mother Nature gave me a chance to test them in wet conditions. They still performed like a dream. They squeak no more, once was enough. Why are people so opposed to putting oil on their rim(s)?
king@kestrel.ARPA (09/18/85)
In article <1734@orca.UUCP>, jans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman) writes: > Another problem is non-uniform shoe wear. Simply swap and reverse shoes > (right -- left) when uneven wear is noticed, or when squeaking resumes. Be careful. Some brake linings are only securely held in in one direction and can't be reversed. You will notice that metal is crimped over the sides of the rubber block, and over the leading end. If it is also crimped over the trailing end, fine. If it is NOT, you may reverse your linings and find yourself without brake power just when you squeeze hardest!
blanken@uiucdcs.Uiuc.ARPA (09/20/85)
> /* acf4:net.bicycle / steves@ncr-sd.UUCP (Steve Schlesinger) / 3:40 pm Sep 10, 1985 */ > > > Please, no suggestions to grease the rims :-) > > Steve Schlesinger > {akgua, allegra, dcdwest, decvax, ihnp4, ucbvax}!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!steves > Don't laugh... :-( > > ...They squeaked when I installed new wheels, and putting a little oil > on the rim prevented them from producing the noise.... Seriously, there are three reasons for squeaky brakes: 1.) As already stated in this notesfile, your brake pads might not be toed correctly. 2.) New rims. They might have a squeaky clean new finish on them (standard practice for manufacturers) that will go away after so many miles of braking. 3.) Old brake shoes. Since they're rubber, they get brittle with age. Why not oil your rims? Two reasons: 1.) Diminishes your braking capabilities in a braking situation. Ok, you don't think so? Well the few feet you lose with oily rims could be what you need in an emergency. 2.) It's commonly known as a "kludge". Do you use GOTO statements in your Pascal programs? Will you oil your rims to stop the symptoms, instead of curing the real problem? Eric Blankenburg -- {ihnp4,convex,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!blanken blanken%uiuc@csnet-relay.arpa
jans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman) (09/22/85)
I said: >> Another problem is non-uniform shoe wear. Simply swap and reverse shoes >> (right -- left) when uneven wear is noticed, or when squeaking resumes. > king@kestrel.ARPA replied: >Be careful. Some brake linings are only securely held in in one direction >and can't be reversed. Guess I didn't make myself clear. I meant to swap and reverse actual brake *shoes*, not the *shoe holders*. On Campies, the shoe slides out of it's holder quite readily, with a little help from some pliers. Slide it out of the shoe holder and slide it back in backwards to reverse it. Swapping right -- left is necessary for non-parallel rims (the majority) only. -- :::::: Artificial Intelligence Machines --- Smalltalk Project :::::: :::::: Jan Steinman Box 1000, MS 61-405 (w)503/685-2956 :::::: :::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans Wilsonville, OR 97070 (h)503/657-7703 ::::::
security@think.ARPA (Security Guard) (09/22/85)
I've found many solutions to the problem of squeaky brakes:
1. Apply your brakes at steady preasure as you ride
and just in effect ride the skeak out. This, as one
can imagine, is also great exercise but can be done
without great strain on a steady downgrade slope.
(It works!)
2. Clean your rims with an abraisive and steel wool.
This is particularly helpful with sew-up rims as glue
from the tubular gets on the braking area.
3. Remove the top millimeter layer of your brake shoes
wich in effect will thoughroughly clean them and the
new surface will be rough and not skeak or at least
not as much.!
4. sculpt your brake shoes as to be convex.
These are just a few more ways that might work depending on the
problem. Bicycle repair is virtually truobleshooting. Two solutions
might remedy the problem but one is always better. Most repairs are
generally easy for those who possess the capability to think with
commem sense.
**********************************************************************scroggs@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (09/23/85)
> Why not oil your rims? Two reasons: > 1.) Diminishes your braking capabilities in a braking situation. Ok, > you don't > think so? Well the few feet you lose with oily rims could be what you > need in an emergency. I did not loose any 'feet', my brakes were still very capable of sending me over the handlebars after my 'kludge'. > 2.) It's commonly known as a "kludge". Do you use GOTO statements in your > Pascal programs? I don't even use GOTOs in my FORTRAN programs. > Will you oil your rims to stop the symptoms, instead > of curing the real problem? What is the "real problem?" The brakes have not squeaked since (and I haven't oiled them again either). I think that the reason for the squeak was that the rims/brake pads were new, and the oil helped to break the thing in. I was told that I should check the effect of the oil on the brake. It is possible that the oil would form a film on the pad, causing permanent damage. This did not happen to me, however.
scott@rochester.UUCP (Michael Scott) (09/24/85)
In article <1734@orca.UUCP> jans@orca.UUCP (Jan Steinman) writes: > >Yes. Most cantelever brakes allow you to adjust "toe-in", as it is called, >... >Another problem is non-uniform shoe wear. Simply swap and reverse shoes >(right -- left) when uneven wear is noticed, or when squeaking resumes. > BEWARE THE FOLLOWING: Most brake pads sold today have the rubber part surrounded by metal on all four sides (front, back, top, bottom). Occasionally, however, you run across a pad with metal on only one end. SUCH PADS *MUST* BE INSTALLED WITH THE CLOSED END TO THE FRONT. If you swap these pads left-right, also be sure to turn them upside down (assuming that's practical given the slope of your rim) so the closed end remains forward. Otherwise when you hit the brakes hard the pads can zip out and down the road, just when you need them most. -- Michael L. Scott University of Rochester (716) 275-7745 scott@rochester.arpa {decvax, allegra, seismo, cmcl2}!rochester!scott scott%rochester@CSNET-RELAY
scott@agrigene.UUCP (09/26/85)
> > How can I stop my brakes from squeaking, and making other noises? > Is it the brake pads? Is it the angle the pads hit the rim ? > > Please, no suggestions to grease the rims :-) > > > Steve Schlesinger > {akgua, allegra, dcdwest, decvax, ihnp4, ucbvax}!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!steves Subject: Rx: Cure for Squeaky Brakes Newsgroups: net.bicycle Distribution: n/a References: <285@ncf-ls.PPPc> Contrary to popular belief ,applying liberal amounts of petroleum jelly to your rims will do the trick. Go down to your local drug store and buy an economy sized jar of Vaseline and smear an inch of the stuff around your rims. The easiest test to see if you have put enough of it on is to go to the top of the highest hill near your house and start down it. If you go through the stop sign at the bottom and your brakes don't squeak, you have the problem solved. I've found that for emergency panic stops you can use a technique borrowed from your childhood; simply put your shoe between the front fork and the spokes of your wheel. The old style thick-soled converse tennis shoes work best for this method.
leimkuhl@uiucdcsp.CS.UIUC.EDU (09/26/85)
/* Written 10:22 pm Sep 23, 1985 by kehoe@reed.UUCP in uiucdcsp:net.bicycle */ Buying a bicycle: Cannondale have the best frames (except for Gary Klein's frames); also look at Bridgestone bicycles. -- "Why my thoughts are my own, when they are in, but when they are out they are another's." -- Susanna Martin, executed for witchcraft. Dave Kehoe tektronix!reed!kehoe (503) 230-9454 /* End of text from uiucdcsp:net.bicycle */ Is that why Cannondale's recalling their forks? These frames look like slop, too, with no effort made to fill or polish the welds. It seems to me Cannondale just runs the tubes under a torch and smothers everything in Imron. If you buy a cheap production bike like the Cannondale, you can't expect the kind of careful "total job" construction and careful parts selection that you'll find on a top quality production bike. As for Bridgestone frames, if you like the idea of your frame being brazed by 16 different low-paid workers in a monster factory in Taiwan, this is the frame for you! Klein frames do have excellent reputation, but they cost about the same as a top quality, low-temp. silver-brazed steel frame, which just goes to prove there ain't no such thing as a free lunch. -Ben Leimkuhler