[RideMonkey]

I've tried everything and I can't get my Hope Minis to stop squeaking. My first reaction is to just say "Hopes suck", but I know people who have had similar problems with Hayes.

Anyone have some thoughtful insights on disk break noise? How about rating brakes based on their lack of squeak? Which company makes a quality break that is relatively squeak free?

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

My Shimano XT's squeak a little, but its not constant like I've heard some others. My buddy had XT brakes too and they squeal like a school girl after prom. It's all subjective.

You could try putting a little ....i repeat, a LITTLE.....grease where the pad meets the piston, usually works for cars. Typically, that is where the noise itself is comming from.

 

[sub6]

I've long suspected that it has more to do with frame and fork than with brakes.

I have a set of Formula B4s (super-lite) and they don't squeal, unless they're soaking wet. My XTs and Grimeca 8s don't squeal - (although the XTs took a TINY bit of fiddling to kill a low-frequency vibration). Nobody I know who has Hayes (jeez, gotta be 30-40 people) has a squealing problem. Avids too.

On the other hand, a lot of people complain about Hopes making a lot of noise, especially Minis. Just hearsay though; never used 'em myself.

Remember that Minis are so low-mass, they're bound to vibrate more than a heavy brake.

Have you tried this: one person I know cut some little donuts out of an inner tube (same size/shape as the little washers you get to shim IS brakes) and mounted them between the caliper frame, to damp the vibration. Desperate times call for desperate measures.....

 

[RideMonkey]

Originally posted by sub6
Remember that Minis are so low-mass, they're bound to vibrate more than a heavy brake.

Silly monkey. How does mass make any difference when the brake is bolted to the frame?

 

[sub6]

Originally posted by RideMonkey


Silly monkey. How does mass make any difference when the brake is bolted to the frame?

Hmm. It probably doesn't, now that I think about it - even car brakes squeal sometimes (waaaay more mass); so I'll rescind that comment. But I'll stand by the rest...

That still doesn't explain why everybody and their brother-in-law has a complaint about damn Mini squealing, though.

 

[mrbigisbudgood]

Originally posted by RideMonkey


Silly monkey. How does mass make any difference when the brake is bolted to the frame?

If there is more mass, it will take more energy to make the object vibrate at a higher frequency. A small caliper (Hope) won't take nearly as much energy to cause vibration then say, a 4 piston Shimano. Simple Physics. Yes, I'm an enginerd.

 

[JMAC]

You silly monkeys i've always had squeky disk brakes and it's really simple to fix just wipe off the rotor with rubbing alcohol very well and do the same to the pads and it will stop sqeaking and when it starts again just repeat it works for me.

 

[Tenchiro]

Brakes are for wimps!

 

[Motionboy2]

Mine (hayes) squeek sometimes it is not consistant at all. They will squeek once then not again for a long time. Very wierd. I would say clean them. They should squeek for a little bit then be fine for a long time.

 

[RideMonkey]

Originally posted by Motionboy2
Mine (hayes) squeek sometimes it is not consistant at all. They will squeek once then not again for a long time. Very wierd. I would say clean them. They should squeek for a little bit then be fine for a long time.

Tried that. Even switched to EBC pads but no luck.

The Hope guy said the best way to clean a rotor is to out it in the dishwasher on the pots & pans cycle

 

[eric strt6]

Originally posted by RideMonkey


Tried that. Even switched to EBC pads but no luck.

The Hope guy said the best way to clean a rotor is to out it in the dishwasher on the pots & pans cycle

Brian HCM1 is a hope disty, PM him

 

[ohio]

Did you try the search function?? I hear it's excellent on this site.

This has actually been discussed a bunch, and there's a whole series of precedures to go through to make the squeeling stop. I can't remember them all but they include putting some stuff between the piston and pad, and putting a slight chamfer on the leading edge of EBC green pads...