Front Brake Squeeking and Wheel Truing: HELP!

[Dial Tone]

I have an '07 Fisher Hi Fi with the OEM Avid brakes and 160mm rotor. The brakes sqeek constantly like they are dragging. There are times much like today that its very loud. Is this normal? I read in a post sometime ago that this a common thing with Avid brakes. As far as I can see, the rotor isnt warped and I even tightened the bolts to make sure.

ALSO

After my usual ride today (I always check my bike before parking it for the day) I noticed that there is a very very slight wobble in my rear wheel when it reaches a certain point in its rotation. None of my spokes appear to be loose. What is an acceptable amount of wobble before you take the wheel in to a shop and how often do you need a wheel to be trued? I dont do jumps and do mostly XC-type riding. It looks like maybe a spoke or two needs to be tightened a bit.

HELP!

[KTMRDR]

Are there any shims that can moved around so you can center the caliper on the rotor? That's how my Magura's work.

To fix the wheel it is best to have a truing stand but if not flip your bike upside down. Pick a fixed point on your frame and grab a screwdriver or pen. Spin the wheel and move the pen towards the rim so you can locate the point that needs to be fixed. Once it you find it, tighten spoke on the opposite side a half turn. Make sure to adjust spokes in small increments. That should do the trick.

[Dial Tone]

Originally Posted by KTMRDR

Are there any shims that can moved around so you can center the caliper on the rotor? That's how my Magura's work.

I dont think there any shims but then again, I have not taken them apart. When it comes to small things, I'm all thumbs. I tried centering / fudging the calipers when I last tightened the bolts on the fork mount but that didn't help much.

Originally Posted by KTMRDR

To fix the wheel it is best to have a truing stand but if not flip your bike upside down. Pick a fixed point on your frame and grab a screwdriver or pen. Spin the wheel and move the pen towards the rim so you can locate the point that needs to be fixed. Once it you find it, tighten spoke on the opposite side a half turn. Make sure to adjust spokes in small increments. That should do the trick.

To tell the truth, I'm afraid to monkey around with the spokes...

[mfoga]

As for the brakes what seems to happen is with QR wheels you dont get the wheel on the same every time. I would just recenter the calipers. I know on the Avid Juicy brakes you can loosen the mounting screws then squeeze the levers a few times hard then pull them all the way in and hold them then tighten the calipers mounting screws. Or you can flip the bike and then with wheel on loosen the mounting screws and then move them side to side until they don't rub.

If they are mechanical brakes there are adjustment screws on both side of caliper to adjust how far the pads start in.

[BoingBoing]

The thing about wheels and truing:
it's not just how you ride
it's also how good your wheels are.

My Diamondback Outlook needed truing about once a month (which was a good thing, I learned how to true). The DT Swiss 5.1's on my Enduro get way more abuse and haven't needed truing in 1300 miles.

But if it's a slight wobble and you have disc brakes, who cares? When it gets bad you can take it in.

Or you can pluck the spokes and see if one is lower pitch than the others. That's the one to tighten (just a bit). But remember, all the spokes on one side of the wheel should be higher pitched than all the spokes on the other side.

[Stray_Bullit]

Also try cleaning your rotors with rubbing alcohol. I have Avid Code brakes and they sounded like a dying elephant until I did that.

[Dial Tone]

Originally Posted by BoingBoing

The thing about wheels and truing:
it's not just how you ride
it's also how good your wheels are.

My Diamondback Outlook needed truing about once a month (which was a good thing, I learned how to true). The DT Swiss 5.1's on my Enduro get way more abuse and haven't needed truing in 1300 miles.

But if it's a slight wobble and you have disc brakes, who cares? When it gets bad you can take it in.

Or you can pluck the spokes and see if one is lower pitch than the others. That's the one to tighten (just a bit). But remember, all the spokes on one side of the wheel should be higher pitched than all the spokes on the other side.

I have the Bontrager Race Lite wheels with DT Swiss spokes. I'll try plucking the spokes--never heard of that technique before.

Originally Posted by Stray_Bullit

Also try cleaning your rotors with rubbing alcohol. I have Avid Code brakes and they sounded like a dying elephant until I did that.

I have read that somewhere! I'll do that tonight!

[DHS]

you can't really go by the "pluck" of your spokes. you're going to start tightening the wrong spokes. and that method doesn't work on every wheel

as the man said. flip the bike upside down, or put it in a stand.

put a zip Tie on the frame so the tail of it gets real close to your rim, use that as your truing stand. if that doesn't make sense. i can take a photo.

rubbing alcohol is a very good way to clean your rotors. but if they are still howling, you'll also need to sand paper the pads. but if you don't know how to safely pull your pads out, and then put them back in. we may have a problem

if you finally get both of those done, and it still squeals. your rotor may be out of true. or your brake caliper may be miss aligned. that may be time to take it to a bike shop

[Dial Tone]

The wobble is very very slight and isnt that noticable unless that is what you are looking for. Perhaps theres just one spoke that just needs some ver minor tightening.

I dont think the rotor is warped but I can take another look for sure--this morning before I was leaving that I have another flat . Guess no riding for me...

I am guessing that the brake pads may not seated right and with that I'll need someone to show me how to take apart my brakes.

[mfoga]

Originally Posted by Dial Tone

The wobble is very very slight and isnt that noticable unless that is what you are looking for. Perhaps theres just one spoke that just needs some ver minor tightening.

I dont think the rotor is warped but I can take another look for sure--this morning before I was leaving that I have another flat . Guess no riding for me...

I am guessing that the brake pads may not seated right and with that I'll need someone to show me how to take apart my brakes.

]
What brakes do you have? I know you said Avid but what model?

[Dial Tone]

Avid Juicy 3 hydro's -- the OEM brakes.

And I misspoke in my previous post, my wheels are Bontrager Select Disc

[Shu]

Originally Posted by Dial Tone

Avid Juicy 3 hydro's -- the OEM brakes.

Screw it....buy new brakes...I had those on my Heckler(OEM too) and they didn't stop worth a shiat....

[Lefty Kev]

I have Avid Juicy 7s and I sometimes get brake squeal halfway through a ride. I've found that if I spray some Finish Line waterless degreaser on the break pads and calipers, the squeal goes away for a while.

I recently added a set of Magura Venti Disc rotors (8" on the front and 6" on the back) which have a unique, self-cooling "paddle" in the middle. The reduction in heat has also helped eleviate the noise (with the red anodized center piece, they look the business too!),

As for the wheel wobble, does it only happen when you spin the wheel or can you move it from side to side when it is stationary? If so, you might want to repack or replace your bearings

[Dial Tone]

Originally Posted by Shu

Screw it....buy new brakes...I had those on my Heckler(OEM too) and they didn't stop worth a shiat....

Oooohhh its plenty enough stopping power for me. The last time at Fully I even OTB'd on it.

If I do upgrade I'll start with larger rotors with one of those fancy designs on it.

Originally Posted by Lefty Kev

As for the wheel wobble, does it only happen when you spin the wheel or can you move it from side to side when it is stationary? If so, you might want to repack or replace your bearings

Only when its spinning. No side to side play at all.

I shoulda video'd it when I was changing a flat today. But its so subtle the low res video of a digicam might not capture it. I'll try tomorrow.

[Lefty Kev]

Originally Posted by Dial Tone

Oooohhh its plenty enough stopping power for me. The last time at Fully I even OTB'd on it.

If I do upgrade I'll start with larger rotors with one of those fancy designs on it.



Only when its spinning. No side to side play at all.

I shoulda video'd it when I was changing a flat today. But its so subtle the low res video of a digicam might not capture it. I'll try tomorrow.

You know, Dial Tone, the other thing to check is that the tire is seated properly. Last summer I took my bike into Ladera Cyclery to have the wheel trued. They put it on the truing machine and immediately told me the wheel was already good. It turned out that my tire, a Hutchinson Barracuda Tubeless Light, was actually defective. It had a slight twist in it that couldn't be corrected. I ended up replacing the tire after having only had a few rides out of it and the wobble went away with the tire

It probably is just a truing issue in your case but a defective or inproperly seated tire is one other thing to eliminate from the checklist...

[Dial Tone]

Thanks that is good info! I'll let the air out tonight and reseat it. I did just changed my tires from the Bonty Jones ACX to Panaracer Fire XC's...