Redbullet

Hi,

Is there a solution for rim brakes creaking?
I rarely ride on crazy descents, but, when it happens, my brakes (especially front ones) make incredible noise at strong brake, almost from the beginning of braking (thus, overheating seems not to be the cause). Braking is strong enough, but the creak is so strong that even the car drivers around look strange to me, like they expect something to happen. I changed the pads and cleaned the rims before descending, but there was no relief.

Everything is perfect during usual short braking on flat: no noise at all.


I use aluminum DT Swiss rims (road) and SRAM pads in the picture attached.
Does the big noise signal a danger? Can it be stopped?

Thanks

Crankycrank

Try "toeing" the pads in. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+...icycle&ie=&oe=

Moe Zhoost

Have you tried toeing-in the pads?

wc1472

toeing helped me when i had this problem.. could the brake pads possibly be old and hard as well?

headasunder

its a safety feature ... ride on

em_525

As others have said, toe the brakes. Also, see if the pads are set too high on the rim. Lastly, make sure there isn't something stuck in the actual pad like a small piece of glass or metal.

Redbullet

Thanks for the answer.
There are a little bit "toed in" - without my intervention. I only can try to further "toe in" them.

Redbullet

So... is it a joke?
Honestly, I really thought it is a "safety feature", when I first saw how consistent the whistling appears: identical noise at the front or at the rear brake, at similar braking force (bigger than usual braking on flat roads).
But I didn't see anywhere a comment about such "safety feature".

headasunder

no joke but it does turn heads so at least you are seen, have you considered buying a different pad material? As others have stated standard procedure for rim brake screech is to toe them in. On my road bike I run shimano pads the only time they make a noise is if I have contaminated the rims with chain lube or the like during maintenance usually it burns of after a few descents otherwise I clean them with ipa

djb

toe in is generally the reason here. but I second taking a close look at the surface of the pads to see if any embedded stuff is in there, flecks of aluminum from the rims, or tiny bit of stone etc--this wont be the cause of the noise, but good to check and remove sthis stuff as it is hard on the rim.

also, expect doing the "toe in process" to be a bit of a pain sometimes, with lots of repeating positioning and tightening to get it right, and probably having to redo it again after tightening etc.

and recheck later the tightness of pad bolt to be sure its still tight if you didnt tighten it properly, after some riding.

also, Im a big fan of softer pad materials, like the salmon coloured stuff from Kool Stop, easier on rims and stops very well. Perhaps your pads are softer stuff, I'm not familiar with them.

Redbullet

Thanks, I'll try to further "toe in".
The material is not soft at all, but on the contrary. The pads are new and clean. I took the same as originals - "SRAM by Swiss Stop" because, although they are noisy and rigid, they brake really well and have reasonable life span.

djb

unlike most here, I figure I'm a classic "bumbler" thru doing mechanical stuff. Ive had screechy bikes, and have had to bumble my way through multiple toe-in attempts, cleaning rims etc before getting it to work--whereas an experienced mechanic will get it done in a minute.

but thats mechanic stuff, gotta do the bumbling to become less bumbly...

noglider 

It's a half-joke. Some have screechy brakes and realize that it's useful and decide not to fix them. But not everyone likes that. Keep toeing them in until they're sufficiently quiet.

wc1472

btw....quick tip for toeing in to get adjusted, put a shim or maybe a thin coin between the back half of the brake pad and you'll be able to set them against the rim which makes the whole process MUCH easier....

Moe Zhoost

I heard a story about a cyclist who waxed his rims to solve a squeaky brake issue. Didn't go well ...

Redbullet

I'll experiment with a little more "toe-in".
But I think it has a tight limit: I noticed that there is little space between the pads and the rim. I also noticed that sometimes when I stand up to pedal hard on a climb, if I need to lean the bike left - right, the pads slightly touch the front rim. With further "toe-in", they will rub more. If this will happen, I shall leave them as they are because loosening the brake cable to compensate would lead to a long stroke of the brake lever. The squeak does not bother me if it makes no damage - just that they squeak a little too high at tough braking.

One curiosity still remains: How is it possible that all the pads (front and back, old ones and new ones), have the same level and frequency of noise at pretty much the same braking power, in a few years of usage? It is like they were done on purpose - maybe the rim is built so to generate a safety warning squeak at strong and long braking?

noglider 

Oil on the rims comes off more easily. I'm not even joking. It comes off soon enough, and I theorize that a little oil goes into the pads, which changes the resonance and stops the squeaking. I've done it, and it works. You just have to be careful at first, because the braking is reduced for a while.