# Brake Squeal



## wrongway (Jun 30, 2016)

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere here many times, but I couldn't find it. I have a '63 Raleigh and I can't seem to get the front brakes to quit squealing. Is it just because the rims are steel and I'll have to live with it? I really don't want to get rid of the original rims. Has anyone found a set of pads that aren't noisy? Why is it just the front......because that's where the stopping weight is? On the other hand this is an attention getter out on the streets till I get a bell put on!


----------



## rhenning (Jun 30, 2016)

The only way I know to stop it is to bend the brake arms so the pads toe in towards the front.  Roger


----------



## wrongway (Jun 30, 2016)

Seems to me like I read something about that once. I could give it a try. Won't be in danger of breaking the arms, will I?


----------



## rustystone2112 (Jun 30, 2016)

take the pads off and sand off the polished surface


----------



## wrongway (Jun 30, 2016)

I've tried sanding and it seems to work for about a....block. This may be the price to pay for originality. Even as a kid I could never bring myself to customize my model cars! lol Silly, I know. I really should Rat Rod a bike someday just to see how it feels.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (Jun 30, 2016)

It those brake blocks are original they are fossilized/hardened  and no damn good.  I like Kool Stops- they slide right into the holders.  If these are rod brakes, the Fibrax pads from Harris Cyclery really do work better.


----------



## wrongway (Jun 30, 2016)

This is the second set of new pads I've tried. No luck. I'll try the Kool Stop or the Fibrax Pads next.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (Jun 30, 2016)

In that case it probably is the alignemnt of the pads.  Follow Rogers' advice and bend the arms slightly for more toe-in at the front.  They won't break. I use two big Crescent wrenches to do this.  Check all of the caliper mounting hardware first make sure nothing is missing.  Park Tool and Sheldon will show you how:
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/sidepull-brake-service#article-section-1
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/calipers.html


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jun 30, 2016)

The really important things are alignment, toe, and tightness.
Squeal usually loosens up the pads and becomes self-exacerbating.
In 40 years on Weinmann CPs, I have used every possible combination.
The very best pads that will clear Raleigh front forks are Kool Stop Dura cartridges - they have wide-ranging spherical washers - if you follow the directions for installation, they self-align and self-toe.  Don't bend anything.
Also, let the pads deposit "stuff" on the rim contact and don't clean it - squeaky clean rims always squeal.
(sorry, don't have a good front photo)





if yours are rod brakes, never mind any of this, but if they're cable brakes (center or side pull) try the Kool Stop Dura Cartridges


----------



## wrongway (Jun 30, 2016)

Yes, I should have mentioned that the brakes are cable style. All of my bikes are that way. Still wanting to get a rod brake bike someday.


----------



## harpon (Jul 6, 2016)

Toeing in squeaky Weinmann brakes was a standard procedure in a bike shop back in the 70's.  Best done with an 8 or 10 inch Crescent wrench.

I know- always seemed so bogus and I hated it- but it works.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jul 7, 2016)

like that Brooks saddle


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jul 7, 2016)

here's a trick part. 
If you have Mafac style brake pads


 
Compass makes an angled washer, designed to automatically produce toe-in 
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/angled-brake-washer-pair/


----------



## Eric Amlie (Jul 7, 2016)

Wish I would have known about the angled washers a few years ago.
I got so frustrated with the Mafac Competitions on my two Gitane TdF's that I finally gave up and replaced them with Campagnolo side pulls.
The Mafacs actually seemed more effective, but I couldn't get the squeal out of them...even with Mathauser pads.


----------



## bulldog1935 (Jul 7, 2016)

the Mafac's are being reproduced by ENE (Diacompe) now, and Compass sells them.  Some of the best brakes ever, because they are so adjustable.
They're even building frames with fork and seat tube posts for CP brakes to eliminate the center mount bar
http://www.cyclestoussaint.com/products/velo-routier-bicycle



A few people have had custom 650c built at Rivendell that way.

Of course Paul makes the best CPs
https://paulcomp.com/shop/components/racer-medium/


----------



## SirMike1983 (Jul 7, 2016)

Brake squeal comes from the rapid reciprocation of the pads as the wheel turns. The pads grab, slip, grab, slip, grab, and slip in sequence at a high enough rate that they develop a sqealing sound. A violin string and bow actually rely on the same principle. However, the brakes do not sound anything like a violin...

I do the following:
-check the brake pad position on the rim so it is not off-course, rubbing the tire, out-of-position

-sand the pads a bit to get some fresh rubber on top. Do not use very old pads.

-toe-in the pads using ground-down washers. When I need extra toe-in, I get a generic washer and grind one edge thinner than the other with a grinding wheel. The result is a ring-shaped wedge. Once I get the amount of toe I want, I make as many more as I need to set the brake toe.


----------

