Brake squawking

[southern andy]

 

How the hell do you stop it, They are Dia Compe MX900's with Dia Compe brake pads. When i apply the back brake they squawk really loudly. The rims are Araya 7X shiney sides.

Not a major prolem but an annoying one.

[jedi]

mine just dont work 

[southern andy]

mine just dont work 

if i spray WD40 on the rims, mine wont neither and they wont be noisey.

[jedi]

good thinking 

[SteveG]

I think you are supposed to bend the calipers slightly so the leading edge of the pad touches the rim first. I used to use a wide adjustable spanner covered with tape but you need to be careful not to damage anything.

MX calipers are now pretty old so there is a chance they might be a bit brittle now and could end up snapping them. Might be better to clean the wheels and pads. Then rubb the pads with wet or dry rough them up a bit as well.

[dj_benice]

I think you are supposed to bend the calipers slightly so the leading edge of the pad touches the rim first. I used to use a wide adjustable spanner covered with tape but you need to be careful not to damage anything.

MX calipers are now pretty old so there is a chance they might be a bit brittle now and could end up snapping them. Might be better to clean the wheels and pads. Then rubb the pads with wet or dry rough them up a bit as well.

Sort of, bend the caliper spring though not the caliper, screwdriver and trusty heavy object should do the job cheaper to replace a spring too

[macky]

Ya know, i used to use to wipe Coka cola on my rim's and let it dry in before ridin a bit of flat...

worked a treat!! and the brake was slightly sharper too... 

[SteveG]

I think bending the spring was used to centralise the caliper and just make it pull the caliper open better.
Not sure where I found it out now but bending the caliper or twisting the bit where the pad fits deffo works. It doesn't take a lot to do.

Does anyone who works or worked in a shop remember this as an official adjustment ?

[MartyC]

When you bend the caliper arms just above or below the pads it's called adjusting the toe-in so that the pad is pulled onto the rim by the motion of the wheel.  Try taking the glaze off of the pads with some wet and dry or switch to koolstop pads as they work a treat 

[pickle]

what's with all the bending calipers mallarky??  just get Kool stop pads which have the domed washers, that way you can adjust the toe in on the pads rather than bending any of the caliper!

[macky]

what's with all the bending calipers mallarky??  just get Kool stop pads which have the domed washers, that way you can adjust the toe in on the pads rather than bending any of the caliper!

Yep!! forget wot i said... i'd do this instead!! 

[SteveG]

I'm living in the 80's still 
The Kool Stop pads sound like the way to go, didn't know they were available. I guess they are similar to those used on V brakes etc in the way they fit on.

[southern andy]

excellent, cheers guys.

Kool stop it is then. Anybody got any they don't require.

[welsh denny]

i used to use jif lemon on a cloth, spin the wheel while applying it and feather the brake. the brake will ' squeal like a pig'  but will work too good.

with regards to using blocks with domed washers - it defo works.