[Big hit]

In actual fact I wouldn't even call it a squeeling but a studdering..I have no idea what it is and between me and my bike shop we think we've tried everything...just to rule out possibilties that people might come back to with, here's what I've tried so far..

-switched to a different rotor
- 2 sets of different pads tried, both the hayes set of pads and prior to that I tried some lizards...to no avail
- rebuilt the caliper twice and blew out the transfer port twice just to make sure.
- re packed the hub and of course reset the calipers many times including making sure all bolts are tight.
- Multiple cleanings with iso-propanol.

(I know what I'm doing)

From what I can tell it cn possibly be one of two things now, and I ask for help 'cause I cant think of anything else

1. New Pistons in the caliper. One of the existing ones is slightly chipped, probably from pushing them back in the bore one time. The guys I know at the bike shop says that they've seen much worse with no problems at all. or...
2. A new hub...thought I can't believe this would be the case. There is a little bit of wear on one of the bearings leaving the wheel with jsut an extremly small amount of play....

Any ideas? anyone seen this before? and by the way, it is really bad, I mean i have a hard time thinking when I'm heading down the hill....all I gotta say is what the?????

Big Hit

 

[B-Loco]

Big Hit -

we saw the same thing two days ago on the trails. We were riding behind a guy for a while with Hayes discs and his brakes shuddered and squeeled like a stuck pig!

Back at the trail head I headed over to help him out and he is having the same problem you described.

He can't even lock up his rear tire. His shop tried new pads, bleeding the fluid, and rebuilt the caliper. He said he even called Hayes and they rebuilt the whole brake for him - same problem.

He is going to give it one more shot than he is switching to another brake.

If I see him again I'll ask which Hayes he has.

 

[oldfart]

Not sure what you mean by studdering. I know its hard to describe what is part noise part feel though. Its not just the pads making a noise when the rotor holes go by is it? That's a sort of whir depending on speed. Does the brake work otherwise?

 

[Big hit]

Thanks for the replies, B-loco, it does sound like a similar problem and my bike shop is just phoning Hayes to ask them what the heck is going on...please get back to me when you see you're buddy again...

As far as Oldfarts comments, it is no whirr as it goes past the pads and I can lock the brakes up with relative ease so it is not contamination or a bad bleed guaranteed.

 

[oldfart]

You didn't mention if you borrowed a wheel to see if it is the hub. I suppose its possible that the hub is vibrating with braking. If a bearing is loose it needs replacing anyway. It'll only get worse and might cause other parts to wear prematurely.

 

[Big hit]

I just went out abnd bought new piston/seal set for the caliper. I was going to try switching the calipers and I did though found out that Hayes likes to change the specs on the mounting points, both calipers were from either a different year or batch cause front to back weren't compatible...what a pisser man, wasted all my time and now I've gotta do it all over again with the hopes this time that it's the pistons....I'd hate to think I just wasted money with them but what the hey, I've tried everything else...

by the way, contacted hayes tech boys said that they seen a similar problem, turned out to be the bike frame that was welded wrong...if the pistons don;t work then I'm forced to my only alternative which is a new hub..

signed, distressed in BC....dooohh@!#$%!

 

[Big hit]

just to update you out there that might be interested in my problems...I've tried a few more things from trying to isolate where the st...st....studdering & squealing noises are coming from..

Again I headed to the shop after many hours of trying to sort this stuff out, My friend at the shop tried everything else that hasn't already been replaced...

Took a measurement gauge to check that the rear dropout wasn't bent, put a whole new swingarm on it, new pads, new rotor...all to no avail...what a nightmare..he spent a full two days trying to figure it out

In the end, he took a complete brake system from another bike..lever, cables and caliper and bamm, noise is gone, go figure.

Hayes is baffled by the problem and what is causing it. Hopefully when I get back down to the shop they might lend me a brake system to that I can tear it apart to try to isolate exactly which component is causing the problem.

In any case, I'm probably going to have to dig deep in the pockets for this one, whether hayes is going to cover it under warrantly (slightly more than a year old), whether they are going to charge me labour to have a look at my system when I send Hayes my brake system to have a look over and the bills from the bike shop for their time in sorting out the problem...not including the money i have already spent buying parts thinking that it was the problem...holy cow man, why does this have to happen to me...all I ever wanted was a bike to ride....is that so much to ask?

signed, distressed in the Okanagan....dooooh!

 

[B-Loco]

Big hit -

thanks for the updates. Although it wasn't the news I was hoping for! Man that really sucks. Hopefully Hayes will step up to the plate on this one and help you out. It sounds like your bikeshop has at least been supportive in all of this.

Maybe you should consider going back to V's? Lightweight stuff like avid SD7 or SD TI are fairly cheap now. Or if you need more stopping power maybe some Arch rivals with a booster? I know you would have to buy a new wheelset...so maybe that's not a good idea. How about giving the B4's a try? I'm really suprised that Hayes hasn't been more forthcoming with help on this one, they are pretty much at the top of the game for disc brakes.

Well anyways, best of luck and keep the updates coming! I wanna hear how this pans out!

 

[Banga]

I had the same problem with my bike ,shuddering, i trie all you had and a different wheel , then inspected the frame and found a tiny hairline crack around one of the disk mount welds.Got a new frame under warrenty in 3 days.No more shuddering.
Just my experiance

 

[Big hit]

yup, that was a definite possibility....I inspected taht things with a magnifying glass, but with putting the new swing arm on it and it still squealed away meant that I could rule out that problem.

I have now put a V brake on it temporarily and have sent the complate brake system to hayes to have a look at...I'm playing the waiting game now

 

[Big hit]

yippe do da day......it's all fixed up now..

I just received my brake system back from hayes and it's all fixed up. Took it for a little burn 'round the block this afternoon.

The problems turned out to be one or both of two things.. the Caliper mount was apparantly bent. They replaced that and one side of the caliper( the one with the mounts). This is fantastic, Hayes replaced the parts, labour and shipping no charge....swweeetttt. Can't wait to hit a big downhill with my full braking back.

I just ended up have charges at the bike shop for the many hours spent sorting this bull out....worked out a deal that I consider reasonable for sure...anything to get my bike back.

For you monkeys out there, if you have the problem as I had with my months of agony suggestion would be replace the mount first or try someone elses out to see if it is problem. Mine may have been a combination of caliper and mount though I'll never quite know for sure...

Chow, and hey, through all this thanks for those who took interest, I hope everyone learned something.

Ride On