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Horrid squeel from new rear brake pads

Marks-Sportster

Marks-Sportster

Member
Hi everyone,

I bit the bullet and got the local HD workshop to replace the rear pads when they changed the oil. Since then, there is a horrid squeel coming from them when I apply the brakes and it continues after I have stopped braking, until I increase the speed over say 35kmh. All I can say is that it sounds VERY metallic; almost like fingernails down a chalkboard and it is most obvious at slower speeds.
Unfortunately a lot of my riding is the daily grind through traffic and there is a lot of slow speed riding and trail braking when cutting through stopped traffic.
The shop reckon it is caused due to the metallic pads they put in and should stop after some use although I don't see it happening and the sound is plain embarrasing if anyone hears it......
Any suggestions? I am tempted to pull the pads out and see if they are missing anti-rattle clips or something (if they have them that is??).
 
If you had someone put the pads in, let them take care of the problem. If you remove the pads and damage something doing it, they will walk away from the fix.
 
Thanks for the responses and yes I agree. I brought it back two days after fitting but they gave me the "let them bed in" story. They lifted it up and had a quick look just to make sure nothing was loose or dangerous. They say wait for around 1000km's but I don't think it will help personally.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same sounds with the rear pad replacement??
 
They lifted it up and had a quick look just to make sure nothing was loose or dangerous. They say wait for around 1000km's but I don't think it will help personally.
Click to expand...

Thats the main reason I do my own brakes. I only started wrenching last year and am glad I did so.

Between this site and the manual , changing pads\rotors\calipers is now a breeze.

I gave all the parts a thorough cleaning. (Read instructions carefully)
Got the Dremal tool out to chamfer the egde of the pads. Fantastic tip
Greased critical points as per pad instructions.
Used 600 grade sandpaper in a circular motion on the rotors just to rough up the surface a bit.

Tested the brakes and took it out for a quick spin.
Brakes work fantastic and best of all they are quiet.

Dealers serve a purpose, but when I spend my hard earned bucks to get something fixed only to be told to come back later if the problem persists, thats where I draw the line and try to fix it myself.
 
Thanks DangerDan:s

One thing I have not mentioned is that I am a fully qualified Fitter/Turner and Mech Engineer (which is why I agreed to the dealer doing the pad change through gritted teeth and a wince...).

I doubt they properly prepared or finished off the job as you have mentioned. I have a linisher that would chamfer the edge of the pads perfectly. If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing it yourself I think. I just don't have the time that I did in the past due to a desk job and a family. I think I will have a look at the pads on the weekend and if I find anything wrong I will let the dealer know that I will not be coming back.

Parts are cheaper via the US anyway so it is a bridge I will not be too concerned about burning......
 
A quick update on the brakes - last weekend I decided to pull the caliper off to have a look and the retaining clip fell out! Also the slide pins were dry. Not good as far as the workshop quality goes, especially after I returned the bike for them to check everything.:bigsmiley19:

Anyway, I put the retaining clip in properly (there is no way it should just fall out) and lubricated the pins and the squeel has gone! There is a slight noise if using the rear brake in traffic, but nothing that continues after the brake is released.

I think I am doing my own work from no on.....
 
Wish I had a dollar for every time I say this, get the manual and do the work yourself. It's the only way to be sure it was done and done right.
 
Mark,

How many miles on your brakes?

You say that you do a lot of city type driving, what's your split of city/highway riding?

Did the front wear out faster or slower than the rear? I wonder since I'm more of a front brake than rear brake guy.


Thanks, Tracy
 
tsp45acp said:
Mark,

How many miles on your brakes?

You say that you do a lot of city type driving, what's your split of city/highway riding?

Did the front wear out faster or slower than the rear? I wonder since I'm more of a front brake than rear brake guy.


Thanks, Tracy
Click to expand...

Hey Tracy,
Unfortunately I don't have the service history on the bike so I am starting fresh. Under any hard braking I will use the front brakes, to settle the bike or in slow moving (lane splitting) city traffic I will use the rear. It is almost 100% city riding at the moment, as I ride to work every day and have been waiting for the weather to warm up to go for a weekend cruise up the mountains or up the coast.

I can only assume that the fronts were replaced before I bought the bike.

Since getting the new rear brakes installed I have done 1000km. The last 100km or so since fixing them myself have been much better. Slight noise when slow braking but nothing after that!
 
Marks-Sportster said:
Hey Tracy,
Unfortunately I don't have the service history on the bike so I am starting fresh. Under any hard braking I will use the front brakes, to settle the bike or in slow moving (lane splitting) city traffic I will use the rear. It is almost 100% city riding at the moment, as I ride to work every day and have been waiting for the weather to warm up to go for a weekend cruise up the mountains or up the coast.

I can only assume that the fronts were replaced before I bought the bike.

Since getting the new rear brakes installed I have done 1000km. The last 100km or so since fixing them myself have been much better. Slight noise when slow braking but nothing after that!
Click to expand...

FYI, another thing you could have done with the pads, 1) on a flat surface lightly sand them with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper in a circular motion to remove any manufacturing marks/uneveness and contaminants off the new pads, handling them only by the backing plate, 2) over disposable rags use Brakekleen (non-chlorinated) to flush all the grit and powder off. This allows the new pads to "bed-in" with 3) your slightly roughened up rotors (which you did do to take the glaze off and with slightly circular motion for a random satin finish; and then the Brakekleen thing on them too, flushing the old road grime, rust, and oil off). 4) Use BrakeKleen to clean all the old hardware and lube the pins & other parts as directed in your manual. 5) an old racer's trick is to put a center groove on your pads (if they do not have it) and use a hacksaw blade evenly across to 1/32 of the backing, perpendicular to the pad rotation, this allows mud and debris to clear the pad, improves braking in the wet (as well as a easily seen visual pad wear indicator). :s
 
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