Why I used Nail polish remover? It was what I could get my hands on short notice (local super market), and also to make the point that you don't have to buy bike-specific products for 10 times the price. But you can of course use specific brake cleaners or isopropyl alcohol to get the same result. As some of the comment have pointed out, there's a lot of nail polish remover out there that can contain a lot of other stuff that is less desirable for brakes, So if you go that route, get the cheap stuff that's basically 100% acetone and you should be fine! Happy Cleaning! Previous post: Sorry for the Re-upload! I accidentally deleted the original upload (Was suppose to delete the draft of an upcoming video) Hopefully it didn't spam your subs feed this time around. Apologies again 🙇♂️
cheers man, I was like "damn, this sounds so similar."..hahahaha. I was blaming the weed!!! cheers man. Absolutely love your channel and would love to own an Open UP even though I can barely afford even the wheels. love from India. and, watching this, I must say my mechanical brakes (TRP Spyre C) have been brilliant. water, mud, and now floods and still no contamination.
all good my guy. you had any battery issues with your di2 yet? i'd love to see an "update" not a review video on your di2 experience :P Cheers tomodachi
Followed this video to clean my brakes years ago and it worked perfectly. Fast forward to early this month. I built a new disc brake bike with some old parts. Brakes honked like crazy and power wasn't great. Remembered this video, followed it again and brakes work perfectly and silent once more. Double thanks :)
3 years later and I find this video. Couldn’t sleep and wait till morning to test. Had 2 pair of thick shimano pads and two rotors all infected. First soaked everything, then toothbrushed, sand, soaked and finally cleaned with rags. Put old brakes on and man, pads bit like a pit Bull not letting go. Your video still holds ! Great video information and had the best result! Never throw good pads and rotors away…acetone it!
Acetone is nice for the rotor but if you really want to effectively save brake pad best solution i found is to burn them. If they have some oil in them they will crack a bit in fire, once they stop cracking they're free from contamination and will ride as new.
I took bike to workshop and they couldn't fix the noise and your video worked 100% and the best thing was the acetone I used that I use to clean airbrushes and works a treat and just to say thanks again and again. Happy with silence.
For contaminated pads, I remove the pads and put them in the oven at 400f for 40 minutes. I have seen people burn them with lighter fluid or gasoline, but it's not as foolproof as the oven - burns off ANY contaminants. Let them cool slowly. Clean the rotors. Break them back in and you're good to go.
Useful video. Couple of things to be mindful of: 1. Be careful not to get nail polish remover/acetone on painted/clear coated surfaces. If you do, clean it off and definitely don't let it sit there for too long. 2. Use emery cloth, not sand paper. You don't want bits of grit from the sand paper getting embedded in your pads or stuck between the pad and the disc.
Excellent points. Also, if you did indeed get mineral oil on your rotors, just wiping the surfaces may not be enough. The small holes in the rotor can have mineral oil around the edges that may work it's way back into your brake pads if you ride in the wet again. I clean these with a q-tip dipped your favorite brake cleaner (acetone is fine - just be careful with it)
Looks can be decieving. And there is something in a name. Sandpaper is just that. Paper with grit glued to it. It breaks down if it gets wet. Emory cloth is fabric (cloth) and much sturdier. It won't break down and she'd grit all over your project.
Not sure if it's been said before or not, but nail polish remover is not all the same. It's relatively dilute and can sometimes contain things like glycerin to help keep from drying out your skin. You can get pure acetone at hardware stores in the paint aisle with the rest of the solvents like mineral spirits.
Hey Hello... you didn't say if you use rubber gloves or not... but.. I just read a Scientific American article discussing harmful solvents. Please use rubber gloves if using the Brake Kleen that comes in a aerosol can. It is highly toxic and should have better warning labeling. I am old school(72 yrs) and never bothered to use rubber gloves until recently. After bladder cancer(removed), colon cancer(removed) and numerous skin cancers I am rethinking my earlier cavalier attitude toward protecting myself. Take Care(@@redtobertshateshandles
I just used this video to fix some brake howling on a brand new bike. I tried many other methods first but the Acetone was the key. Thanks for sharing. Still very useful 3 years on!
Absolutely great and detailed video. Some folks may disagree to the materials and methods, but I can see you have been through a lot of trial and error in both.
Yep brake fluid on pads makes loud noise. It won't just go away like I thought, been riding for a while thinking it would eventually burn off/wear off but it never seems to. Will try this method great video thanks.
Perfect, I tried Zefal, Facom and MucOff disc brake cleaners and plain acetone is doing the same if not slightly better job !!!! (1/3 of the price) Toothbrushing the pads with acetone is really effective and you don't have to sand the pads everytime ! Thanks a lot
Life-saver of a video. I did the exact same thing: wasn't careful enough when cleaning the pads with mineral oil. Thanks for the detailed video on how to solve this problem.
I sipped the brake pads in a cup of lemon juice and left them in for a few hours. It appeared to help a tad, but not sufficiently. I must admit: I hadn't cleaned the pistons and the discs properly. I'll try denatured alcohol and SwissStop Brake Silencer. If that procedure doesn't help, I'll resort to your method. Thank you. And thank everyone suggesting alternatives to either the sandpaper or the acetone.
my wife almost scolded me when she saw me using her acetone hahahha! but great thanks. the best brake cleaning tip ive ever tried! yurushiku onengaisimasu!
Nice one, cheers! Used this on the rear wheel of my MTB, and it worked a treat! From now on, I'll be using the shower cap hack when washing my bikes to keep contaminants off the rotors.
Better method- clean everything with alcohol or solvent of your choice. Sand the pads a little bit. Get a creme brûlée torch and “burn” the pads and rotors by heating them up. This literally burns away any contaminates. Much faster as well. We do this at my shop and it works every time no matter how badly contaminated the pads and rotors are.
Nah man, a customer came in and his brakes squealing... he put tri-flow on the rotor... a nuclear bomb couldnt un contaminate the pads or rotor hahahaha. I just took them off and replaced hahaha
This^^^. Alcohol just spreads the oil around. If you don't burn it off, especially in all the vent holes, the oil will just recontaminate the pads. Slightly contaminated pads can be torched as well. Heat em up till they quit smoking. Quick sand to get rid of the polish, and good to go. Totally soaked pads need to be replaced.
Been using a torch for years. It's quick and simple and works every time. I clamp both pads in a vice at the same time (or all 4 if front and back are squealing). I heat the pad surface evenly until it catches on fire (it only takes a few seconds). That is the contaminate burning off. I remove the torch and let the pads flame out by themselves. I wipe the rotors with solvent (usually lacquer thinner). I put the pads back in the calipers and go ride. The whole process takes only 3~4 minutes.
I've had to "repair" my pads before I didn't clean them with anything but I did sand them down. I used drywall sanding screens instead though, that way when I sand the pad the dust will fall away from the pad and doesn't risk recontaminating the pads.
Thanks, Tobias. I had installed some new pads after I had bled the brakes but probably did not clean up around sufficiently the calipers. So that was the likely cause of contamination. I followed your advice, to the letter, though I bought a stainless steel tray from a 100 yen store. Worked a charm. Sourcing Acetone is not easy in Japan. Nail Polish remover is the go. Always enjoy your videos and your excellent and amusing production. Peace.
Isopropyl alcohol works great as well! And it has the benefit that you can buy it pure, so it leaves no residue and contains no water (or very little water) compared to acetone solutions. A pricey but effective option is also to buy a specific brake cleaner for cars or bikes (muc-off is expensive but it does work great and it evaporates faster than acetone and alcohol)
Thanks for sharing this info! I'd been battling this problem for a while, and it was driving me crazy! I didn't know you could "wash" brake pads. I used isopropyl alcohol on mine (since I had it on hand) and it worked really well! I skipped the scuffing of the discs since I'd taken that step (aggressively) on a previous attempt to fix it. Now, I have the stopping power back, and the brakes are quiet, with just a tiny chirp from them in the last 20mm of a complete stop, which I can live with. ありがとうございます！
Thank you. I’m new to Disc brake and I almost gonna spend another 15 bucks for a pair of brake pads. I heard this crazy sound I thought it’s time to change some new pads but it’s actually cause from oil or something with dirty pads after I did all of your steps now it’s a quiet braking. Thank you ☺️
I just built a new bike w/ Ultegra brakes and the brake squeal at low speeds (just before stopping) was *horrible*. I followed these steps and now total silence.
@@tori-youraiguide I put on brand new rotors, and the squeal was there right away, first ride. I consider this cleaning routine a "condition the new rotors" routine going forward.
Great Vidieo! Love your up close views. Full pad and disc cleaning is important to understand, in order to be safe. It goes quick when you know how; even if you just spend a small time doing it; amazing results if the discs are not already warped from failing to bed-in the brakes correctly, like me. I warped my disc, and glazed the pads on the front wheel in 2 short test rides after I received it in the mail and set it up; Forgot to bed the brakes; most of my old bikes never had disc brakes.. warped the rotors a little; tried sanding the rotors, did not clean the pads, did not work; too contaminated. Have to do both; but if it's quick, probably won't matter; just do it fast. I used 1000 grit sand paper on. my discs and pads; with glass to rest the paper on, then taking pads evenly on the flat surface. Worked great; first time I've had to do it but my front brake sounded like a goose honking; it was horrible!
thanks for also confirming that bike noise you hear when your cruise without pedalling is normal! i thought there was something wrong with my bike but I like that noise, i use it when i cruise by busy shared paths so people know something is coming by
Thank you. Tried the exact same method and it worked! But painted surface on the pads doesnt react well to acetone! LOL My swissstops yellow was peeling abit. Sanding it down works and I cleaned away the dust residue with clean water & kitchen towel. Works like a charm!
I never thought about using nail polish remover. The only thing that worked for me was burning the disc and pads with a flame until red hot and then sanding them. But I will definitely give this a try next time; but far away from my paint.
Great video. I didn’t have any nail polish remover, but “Goof Off” and 320 paper did the trick. Brand new brakes, with horrible banshee squeal… now sound wonderfully quiet!
I put pads into a small jar of petrol putvtge lid in and leave for a couple of hours. I then remove and clean with kitchen paper before i heat up on a gas stove to burn off any contaminents left on the surface. After that a light dry sand with 400 or 600 wet or dry paper. I haven't tried acetone but i do use a wax and grease remover.
I always use rubbing alcohol with a completely dry clean shop tool . yes as stated in the video , it gets torn up and i toss them.any contaminants on rags end up on the parts . some rags don,t wick up the moisture , cotton is a good way to go if its free of any oil ,soap ,and fabric softener . Great video by the way . And yes it really works ! TIP . if not bad . Sometimes a red scotch pad with alcohol on the disc to remove the glaze is all that is needed . because it is caused by road dust . I wonder if bike shops make money selling unneeded pads and /or disks? Probably the honest ones will clean it the same way as shown . but charge you the hourly rate to do it.
As an extreme last ditch effort I used oven cleaner on my rotors and brake pads and rinsed well with water and it worked. But this stuff is very caustic and can etch /damage metal and bearings and damage paint so use at your own risk. Oven cleaner is the best degreaser I have found.
Is it me or these bicycles have gotten much more SUPER AWESOME & detailed down to the pawls/springs into the freehub body!!!!... but ALSO THEY are VERY very HIGH maintenance!? I remember being the only man who knew how to change tubes! I have a used Lefty F29 and I have been working on it ($$$) MORE than RIDING IT!
Hey, I just learned a better way to clean the pads! 1: Apply a generous amount of dishwasher soap to the braking surface of both pads. 2: Rub the pads together for maybe 10-30 seconds. You'll see pitch black dishwasher soap ooze out from between the pads. 3: Rinse under hot water while still rubbing the pads together. 4: repeat a few times. I just tried it on the squeakiest pads I've ever experienced, and after 3-4 repetitions they looked good again. Note that they look more like silver than that bronze tint when you're done, but once you wipe them dry, they will look like new pads. (Brasklapp: I haven't test ridden yet, so I don't know if it really worked, but befoer cleaning they squeaked on the work stand, now they don't)
Ok, test ride complete. The first attempt actually failed. I actually only tried with the rear brake, and put in a new set of pads in the front. Front was completely silent. Rear was better than before, but not good. Still pretty lousy power, still some howling. I then realized that I had cleaned the front rotor much more thoroughly than the rear, so I went back in and gave the rear rotor a good scrub. Since the pads had likely been re-contamined by the not perfectly clean disc, I gave them some more dishwashing soap. New test ride. Success! Silent rear brake with good power! Can definitely recommend this!
Bro! I tried alcohol just like the other channel tutorial but it still doest work until i saw this acetone. You saved me! Last time i bought new brake pads. I didnt know this back then. Thankfully i didnt throw the old brake pads. Haha
That’s great. I just paid to replace disc rotors, bc the handyman convinced me those “blue lines” is a sign that the discs are over. Didn’t fiix the squeeling issue.. he suggested me to replace them again. Went to another service provider.. they suggested me this.
Never cleaned brake pads or discs before on the more modern bike but after watching this video I'm gunna give it a go.great vid easy to under stand and helped alot thanks
@@ridesofjapan the brakes ain't slowing me down properly takes a while to stop there quite new they've only been on for 4 months if done what u did in your video but there ain't much difference so I think the pads have some how got oil or grees or something on them they was also a lot of salt grit from the roads on them so I will just buy new 1s n see if that has an effect
Very good... I had extreme squeal with new brakes.... tried various options.... cleaning sanding, sanding rotors, different pads etc etc.... in the end what really helped was a long long down hill and keeping the brakes on just below the squeal.... I know u mentioned this.... I will try the acetone next time 👍👍👍
@@tori-youraiguide no, the noise in my case was contamination. Main issues with a brake system that’s not properly bedded in is “pulsing” feeling when braking and brake pad-life being really short. Doesn’t necessarily mean they get noisy.
Man, I'm all pro new tech and progress when it comes to bikes, however, discs on road bikes seem to be a huge headache for now. Maybe in the future, when these annoying things are sorted, I will move from rim brake to disc brake. Until then, I prefer riding my bike to fixing it all the time. Great video though.
you are right there,but i have an ebike the power with the v brakes was crap, and my rear disc brake will not shut up :( ur right i have to try fix it all the damn time.
PSA: if you have painted brake pad housings, don’t dump the acetone all over them like in the vid as it’ll soften and strip off the paint and cause you issues. Just rubbing with a cloth is fine. Unfortunately I found this out the hard way...
Rubbing alcohol is better-it doesn’t really affect the paint, and acetone leaves a residue, especially finger nail polish remover, which also often contains additives. Didn’t seem to affect his brakes though.
Class videos. I appreciate that your instructions are simple and you are not chasing the £ and suggest cheap options. The Rockbros cheap bikepacking bags you recommended were cheap but waterproof and have lasted. I hope integrity pays.
Thank you so much for the tip! This method worked wonders on my contaminated brake pads and rotors! I just spent less than $2 to fix the thing, instead of buying a pair of new brake pads that'll cost me more than $5. Acetone, cotton balls, and sand paper did the trick for me.
After following the video what wasn't so bad experience I got to the conclusion and definitely recommend, instead of bying a nail polish removal just buy a bike degreaser and new brake pads both are not expensive at all and you save time
2:28 Acetone did it for me thanks! Oddly enough I had a bottle of acetone nail polish remover 5 feet from where I parked my bike. If I had been looking for that bottle I would never had found it. Must have been "new brake funk" because it was quiet on the 1st day and then squeaky (like a baby rabbit in a dogs mouth) while riding (not braking) on the 2nd day. Spinning the wheel backwards seemed to help as I cleaned it with acetone. (ace-tone)
Leave the gloves on for the entire process. Skin oils are also your enemy, therefore, cleaning the pads with the t-shirt and gloveless hands provides opportunities for deposit of hand oils.
I would not use acetone with resin pads. I work with resin mounts in the lab and we actually use acetone to break it.. i would use isopropyl alcohol, instead.
Just wanted to mention that the benefits of using organic braking pads may have been completely neutralized by using a styrofoam tray. Styrofoam is one of the most environmentally detrimental materials there are. Single use plastic, can't be recycled and tends to break down into smaller pieces that ends up in animals and nature however well you handle it. Those kinds of materials have been banned in Sweden for decades. I'm only mentioning it because you seem like the guy who would care. Kudos for using organic brake pads and wooden handle toothbrush though. And thanks for the content! I'm going to try the method on my horrendously squealing MTB breaks..
They can be recycled as part of filler material and sometimes they use random plastic bits, grind them to a coarse granulate and mix with a resin and cast items like pallets, chairs and other items from it. But as is often, economics trump anything else so if it is cheaper to make something new they will do that.
Nice job! I had a leaking fork spewing oil out of my dust seals which, you guessed it, contaminated my brake pads giving that squeal.... Thanks for this informative video! I'll attempt this fix.
Mineral oil to lubricate the pistons is great, but after you push them back, clean the inside with 99% isopropyl alcohol and QTips. Then wiped dry with shop towel, and you won’t re-contaminate the pads.
Lightly sanding glazed pads, and spraying with aerosol brake cleaner works at treat. Contamination is worse with resin (soft) pads, less do with metallic pads. You can always rub the rotors with scotch brute, light sandpaper also, especially when installing new pads.
Awe, the simplicity of CALIPER BRAKES!!!! But yeah, I could see using disc brakes if you need to be braking quite a bit... I still have not done the jump to disc as my Ultegra brakes work perfect for my needs ... I have seen this video when it first came out but I ALWAYS resee your videos as they are pretty tops in my book!!! :-) :-)
@@johntracey8592 honestly, I have had many bikes with pas brakes, and never changed outer rim because of total wear. I'm sure there are those who have had to change it out for another. But the cost is REALLY not that much on aluminum, carbon is more expensive of course... Remember to read about the up keep/maintenance and all information on disc first, as it can be a nightmare lol Just to calm your curiosity get disc, and if you don't care for them AFTER using them, you can always go back to caliper brakes. Safe riding :-)
@@leftymadrid Even some awesome rim brake wheels sets only cost $600, with disc you always have a chance of bending the disc from moving the bike around or it falls.
I’d use a metal file instead of sandpaper that way no sand granules could possibly get stuck in the pads which could cause excessive wear on the pad and rotor.
better than park tool vidéo ;) (i know you like to hear that ;), i fixing my bike looking at your video because i know you r meticulous, i just sand mu brake pads and sound goes away)
![Kodak Black - Sharp Vibes [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEV0OoLJeIs/mqdefault.jpg)
Why I used Nail polish remover? It was what I could get my hands on short notice (local super market), and also to make the point that you don't have to buy bike-specific products for 10 times the price. But you can of course use specific brake cleaners or isopropyl alcohol to get the same result.
As some of the comment have pointed out, there's a lot of nail polish remover out there that can contain a lot of other stuff that is less desirable for brakes, So if you go that route, get the cheap stuff that's basically 100% acetone and you should be fine! Happy Cleaning!
Previous post:
Sorry for the Re-upload! I accidentally deleted the original upload (Was suppose to delete the draft of an upcoming video) Hopefully it didn't spam your subs feed this time around. Apologies again 🙇♂️
cheers man, I was like "damn, this sounds so similar."..hahahaha. I was blaming the weed!!! cheers man. Absolutely love your channel and would love to own an Open UP even though I can barely afford even the wheels. love from India. and, watching this, I must say my mechanical brakes (TRP Spyre C) have been brilliant. water, mud, and now floods and still no contamination.
Still worth a re-watch. Like all your videos! Congrats on the channel, cheers from tiny Malta (Europe)
LOL! I was like "hmmm I guess his last fix didn't work"
Ah, ok. I saw the title, started to watch and wondered what the difference might be compared to your previous "silence"-video 🤔
all good my guy. you had any battery issues with your di2 yet? i'd love to see an "update" not a review video on your di2 experience :P Cheers tomodachi
I found that squeal more useful than the bell at getting oblivious pedestrians on the bike path out of the way
hahaa yeah! they jumped and stay away from my path almost immediately! :D
Same 😂
100% true. My bike sounded like a freight train coming through & boy did some people jump......
Haha...ace.
lol, hate the sound but started using it in place of a bell too.
I followed these instructions and was immediately approached by ladies asking for my number. Thanks!
I was riding with my dog and my brakes started howling, my dog also started howling.😂
Followed this video to clean my brakes years ago and it worked perfectly.
Fast forward to early this month. I built a new disc brake bike with some old parts. Brakes honked like crazy and power wasn't great.
Remembered this video, followed it again and brakes work perfectly and silent once more.
Double thanks :)
Awesome, happy to hear!
The sound makes you almost not want to break
Legit
Just role it out hahaha
*brAke.
The bike doesn't want to BRAKE but I want BREAK!!!!
People ask me how I’m so fast on my mountain bike
Brake manufacturers always say if the fluid gets on the pads then they become useless. I enjoyed the video thank you.
Well they actually are useless, if you dont fix it😅
But squealing brakes act as a great horn replacement.
I actually use the rear brakes for that :P:P
Oo yea i think the same
Down with thatt
But I woke the whole country side with my squealing 🤦🏼♀️
I used squeaking brakes for 2 years as a horn and it was effective until I fixed them bc it made me crazy lol
3 years later and I find this video. Couldn’t sleep and wait till morning to test. Had 2 pair of thick shimano pads and two rotors all infected. First soaked everything, then toothbrushed, sand, soaked and finally cleaned with rags. Put old brakes on and man, pads bit like a pit Bull not letting go. Your video still holds ! Great video information and had the best result! Never throw good pads and rotors away…acetone it!
Happy to hear! 🙌
im going to try this right now
Acetone is nice for the rotor but if you really want to effectively save brake pad best solution i found is to burn them. If they have some oil in them they will crack a bit in fire, once they stop cracking they're free from contamination and will ride as new.
I took bike to workshop and they couldn't fix the noise and your video worked 100% and the best thing was the acetone I used that I use to clean airbrushes and works a treat and just to say thanks again and again. Happy with silence.
For contaminated pads, I remove the pads and put them in the oven at 400f for 40 minutes. I have seen people burn them with lighter fluid or gasoline, but it's not as foolproof as the oven - burns off ANY contaminants. Let them cool slowly. Clean the rotors. Break them back in and you're good to go.
Gas torch if u are on the clock....
Useful video. Couple of things to be mindful of:
1. Be careful not to get nail polish remover/acetone on painted/clear coated surfaces. If you do, clean it off and definitely don't let it sit there for too long.
2. Use emery cloth, not sand paper. You don't want bits of grit from the sand paper getting embedded in your pads or stuck between the pad and the disc.
Excellent points. Also, if you did indeed get mineral oil on your rotors, just wiping the surfaces may not be enough. The small holes in the rotor can have mineral oil around the edges that may work it's way back into your brake pads if you ride in the wet again. I clean these with a q-tip dipped your favorite brake cleaner (acetone is fine - just be careful with it)
Emery cloth and sandpaper look the same to me.
Looks can be decieving. And there is something in a name. Sandpaper is just that. Paper with grit glued to it. It breaks down if it gets wet. Emory cloth is fabric (cloth) and much sturdier. It won't break down and she'd grit all over your project.
@@jimhansen5395 Thank you for the clarification. Will try these emery cloth. 😊
I'm guessing acetone is also called white spirit?
Not sure if it's been said before or not, but nail polish remover is not all the same. It's relatively dilute and can sometimes contain things like glycerin to help keep from drying out your skin. You can get pure acetone at hardware stores in the paint aisle with the rest of the solvents like mineral spirits.
I use brake clean spray on a rag.
Hey Hello... you didn't say if you use rubber gloves or not... but.. I just read a Scientific American article discussing harmful solvents. Please use rubber gloves if using the Brake Kleen that comes in a aerosol can. It is highly toxic and should have better warning labeling. I am old school(72 yrs) and never bothered to use rubber gloves until recently. After bladder cancer(removed), colon cancer(removed) and numerous skin cancers I am rethinking my earlier cavalier attitude toward protecting myself. Take Care(@@redtobertshateshandles
I just used this video to fix some brake howling on a brand new bike. I tried many other methods first but the Acetone was the key. Thanks for sharing. Still very useful 3 years on!
Found this video after 2 hours swearing at my brakes. Fixed. Thank you.
Absolutely great and detailed video. Some folks may disagree to the materials and methods, but I can see you have been through a lot of trial and error in both.
my shimano brakes were not engaging with the rotor and this fixed it thank you
Yep brake fluid on pads makes loud noise. It won't just go away like I thought, been riding for a while thinking it would eventually burn off/wear off but it never seems to. Will try this method great video thanks.
Did it work
@@kovextech9495 Nahh he got fucked in the ass.
Perfect, I tried Zefal, Facom and MucOff disc brake cleaners and plain acetone is doing the same if not slightly better job !!!! (1/3 of the price)
Toothbrushing the pads with acetone is really effective and you don't have to sand the pads everytime !
Thanks a lot
Thank you for this ! I’ve just followed the steps and now silent brakes ! It was driving me nuts and rather embarrassing 😂
Life-saver of a video. I did the exact same thing: wasn't careful enough when cleaning the pads with mineral oil. Thanks for the detailed video on how to solve this problem.
Why would you clean the pads with mineral oil ?
@@Sage..... Puzzles me too.
I sipped the brake pads in a cup of lemon juice and left them in for a few hours. It appeared to help a tad, but not sufficiently. I must admit: I hadn't cleaned the pistons and the discs properly. I'll try denatured alcohol and SwissStop Brake Silencer. If that procedure doesn't help, I'll resort to your method. Thank you. And thank everyone suggesting alternatives to either the sandpaper or the acetone.
my wife almost scolded me when she saw me using her acetone hahahha! but great thanks. the best brake cleaning tip ive ever tried! yurushiku onengaisimasu!
Nice one, cheers! Used this on the rear wheel of my MTB, and it worked a treat! From now on, I'll be using the shower cap hack when washing my bikes to keep contaminants off the rotors.
*No worries, I will re-click the LIKE*
Thank you so much, I followed your instructions and now my brakes are quiet!
Happy to hear it worked!
Nail polish remover worked! !! Cleaned the rims and gone. I was sooo embarrassed with that horrid noise!
Better method- clean everything with alcohol or solvent of your choice. Sand the pads a little bit. Get a creme brûlée torch and “burn” the pads and rotors by heating them up. This literally burns away any contaminates. Much faster as well. We do this at my shop and it works every time no matter how badly contaminated the pads and rotors are.
Nah man, a customer came in and his brakes squealing... he put tri-flow on the rotor... a nuclear bomb couldnt un contaminate the pads or rotor hahahaha. I just took them off and replaced hahaha
This^^^. Alcohol just spreads the oil around. If you don't burn it off, especially in all the vent holes, the oil will just recontaminate the pads. Slightly contaminated pads can be torched as well. Heat em up till they quit smoking. Quick sand to get rid of the polish, and good to go. Totally soaked pads need to be replaced.
Scott Hollister metal is porous also. The way his pads and rotors were, they weren’t fixable no matter what.
Hope it works, just waiting for my rotors to cool down, theyre supposed to be like liquid metal right?
Been using a torch for years. It's quick and simple and works every time. I clamp both pads in a vice at the same time (or all 4 if front and back are squealing). I heat the pad surface evenly until it catches on fire (it only takes a few seconds). That is the contaminate burning off. I remove the torch and let the pads flame out by themselves. I wipe the rotors with solvent (usually lacquer thinner). I put the pads back in the calipers and go ride. The whole process takes only 3~4 minutes.
I've had to "repair" my pads before I didn't clean them with anything but I did sand them down. I used drywall sanding screens instead though, that way when I sand the pad the dust will fall away from the pad and doesn't risk recontaminating the pads.
Thanks, Tobias. I had installed some new pads after I had bled the brakes but probably did not clean up around sufficiently the calipers. So that was the likely cause of contamination. I followed your advice, to the letter, though I bought a stainless steel tray from a 100 yen store. Worked a charm. Sourcing Acetone is not easy in Japan. Nail Polish remover is the go. Always enjoy your videos and your excellent and amusing production. Peace.
Isopropyl alcohol works great as well! And it has the benefit that you can buy it pure, so it leaves no residue and contains no water (or very little water) compared to acetone solutions.
A pricey but effective option is also to buy a specific brake cleaner for cars or bikes (muc-off is expensive but it does work great and it evaporates faster than acetone and alcohol)
Thanks for sharing this info! I'd been battling this problem for a while, and it was driving me crazy! I didn't know you could "wash" brake pads. I used isopropyl alcohol on mine (since I had it on hand) and it worked really well! I skipped the scuffing of the discs since I'd taken that step (aggressively) on a previous attempt to fix it. Now, I have the stopping power back, and the brakes are quiet, with just a tiny chirp from them in the last 20mm of a complete stop, which I can live with.
ありがとうございます！
SkarTisu awesome, glad to hear it worked for you 👍
Thank you. I’m new to Disc brake and I almost gonna spend another 15 bucks for a pair of brake pads. I heard this crazy sound I thought it’s time to change some new pads but it’s actually cause from oil or something with dirty pads after I did all of your steps now it’s a quiet braking. Thank you ☺️
The Hyping Bee happy to hear it worked out for you 👍
Subscribed*
Works like a charm! Thanks!
Edit: I've also used Meglio degreaser on both the pads and rotor. I have also sanded my pads with 220 grits , works too.
Have had this problem for ages and always stops after braking when flying down mountains. Will try this tonight! Cheers!
Hope it helps!
I just built a new bike w/ Ultegra brakes and the brake squeal at low speeds (just before stopping) was *horrible*. I followed these steps and now total silence.
Awesome to hear mate! Thanks for reporting back 🙏
About to try the same....brand new rotors. I must've been careless in my clean and installation...hoping it works
Likewise! I’m going to give this a try now. Were they like this from even before your first ride?
@@tori-youraiguide I put on brand new rotors, and the squeal was there right away, first ride. I consider this cleaning routine a "condition the new rotors" routine going forward.
Great Vidieo! Love your up close views.
Full pad and disc cleaning is important to understand, in order to be safe. It goes quick when you know how; even if you just spend a small time doing it; amazing results if the discs are not already warped from failing to bed-in the brakes correctly, like me. I warped my disc, and glazed the pads on the front wheel in 2 short test rides after I received it in the mail and set it up; Forgot to bed the brakes; most of my old bikes never had disc brakes..
warped the rotors a little; tried sanding the rotors, did not clean the pads, did not work; too contaminated. Have to do both; but if it's quick, probably won't matter; just do it fast. I used 1000 grit sand paper on. my discs and pads; with glass to rest the paper on, then taking pads evenly on the flat surface. Worked great; first time I've had to do it but my front brake sounded like a goose honking; it was horrible!
thanks for also confirming that bike noise you hear when your cruise without pedalling is normal! i thought there was something wrong with my bike but I like that noise, i use it when i cruise by busy shared paths so people know something is coming by
Dude, just take apart your wheel hub to see that the bearings cause the noise
Great advice ! I have just tried your trick to get my rear brakes back to life and then bedded them in again … it works wonders !
The way to fix compromised brakes is to "haul ass downhill" 😃
@G Georg you refer to yourself actually
Thank you. Tried the exact same method and it worked!
But painted surface on the pads doesnt react well to acetone! LOL My swissstops yellow was peeling abit.
Sanding it down works and I cleaned away the dust residue with clean water & kitchen towel. Works like a charm!
I never thought about using nail polish remover. The only thing that worked for me was burning the disc and pads with a flame until red hot and then sanding them. But I will definitely give this a try next time; but far away from my paint.
Great video. I didn’t have any nail polish remover, but “Goof Off” and 320 paper did the trick. Brand new brakes, with horrible banshee squeal… now sound wonderfully quiet!
Simple instructional video. Good job. By the way...your English is fine.
I put pads into a small jar of petrol putvtge lid in and leave for a couple of hours. I then remove and clean with kitchen paper before i heat up on a gas stove to burn off any contaminents left on the surface. After that a light dry sand with 400 or 600 wet or dry paper. I haven't tried acetone but i do use a wax and grease remover.
Your English is a lot better than many people who only speak English.
Great upload! I'll subscribe now and do this to my brakes later, lol.
Works perfectly. My ears and pride thank you.
Haha
Legit thought the start of the video was an ad for insurance or something 😂😂
I live in the country which doesn't have bike lane, so in order to say "hey I'm here don't try to ram me", the squeaking discbrake helps a lot.
I always use rubbing alcohol with a completely dry clean shop tool . yes as stated in the video , it gets torn up and i toss them.any contaminants on rags end up on the parts . some rags don,t wick up the moisture , cotton is a good way to go if its free of any oil ,soap ,and fabric softener .
Great video by the way . And yes it really works !
TIP . if not bad . Sometimes a red scotch pad with alcohol on the disc to remove the glaze is all that is needed . because it is caused by road dust .
I wonder if bike shops make money selling unneeded pads and /or disks? Probably the honest ones will clean it the same way as shown . but charge you the hourly rate to do it.
It happens to the best of us, great easy to follow video for people at any skill level. 👍
As an extreme last ditch effort I used oven cleaner on my rotors and brake pads and rinsed well with water and it worked. But this stuff is very caustic and can etch /damage metal and bearings and damage paint so use at your own risk. Oven cleaner is the best degreaser I have found.
i just use a torch and heat them up and when it stops smoking its done, it works great!
Is it me or these bicycles have gotten much more SUPER AWESOME & detailed down to the pawls/springs into the freehub body!!!!... but ALSO THEY are VERY very HIGH maintenance!? I remember being the only man who knew how to change tubes! I have a used Lefty F29 and I have been working on it ($$$) MORE than RIDING IT!
Hey, I just learned a better way to clean the pads!
1: Apply a generous amount of dishwasher soap to the braking surface of both pads.
2: Rub the pads together for maybe 10-30 seconds. You'll see pitch black dishwasher soap ooze out from between the pads.
3: Rinse under hot water while still rubbing the pads together.
4: repeat a few times. I just tried it on the squeakiest pads I've ever experienced, and after 3-4 repetitions they looked good again. Note that they look more like silver than that bronze tint when you're done, but once you wipe them dry, they will look like new pads.
(Brasklapp: I haven't test ridden yet, so I don't know if it really worked, but befoer cleaning they squeaked on the work stand, now they don't)
Ok, test ride complete. The first attempt actually failed. I actually only tried with the rear brake, and put in a new set of pads in the front. Front was completely silent. Rear was better than before, but not good. Still pretty lousy power, still some howling. I then realized that I had cleaned the front rotor much more thoroughly than the rear, so I went back in and gave the rear rotor a good scrub. Since the pads had likely been re-contamined by the not perfectly clean disc, I gave them some more dishwashing soap. New test ride. Success! Silent rear brake with good power! Can definitely recommend this!
Thx
took 95% of the noise. Great fix, thanks
Great video - simple, effective advice presented in a clear & positive way.
How fortuitus I was just about to dispose of a pair of brake pads. Tried degreaser but no joy. Will save them and try this method. Thank you!
Bro! I tried alcohol just like the other channel tutorial but it still doest work until i saw this acetone. You saved me! Last time i bought new brake pads. I didnt know this back then. Thankfully i didnt throw the old brake pads. Haha
Lacquer thinner will also work if you cannot find acetone. They are in the same family of hydrocarbons.
That’s great. I just paid to replace disc rotors, bc the handyman convinced me those “blue lines” is a sign that the discs are over. Didn’t fiix the squeeling issue.. he suggested me to replace them again. Went to another service provider.. they suggested me this.
Never cleaned brake pads or discs before on the more modern bike but after watching this video I'm gunna give it a go.great vid easy to under stand and helped alot thanks
Cheers mate!
But there no reason to do this unless you have problem with you brakes 👍
@@ridesofjapan the brakes ain't slowing me down properly takes a while to stop there quite new they've only been on for 4 months if done what u did in your video but there ain't much difference so I think the pads have some how got oil or grees or something on them they was also a lot of salt grit from the roads on them so I will just buy new 1s n see if that has an effect
Very good... I had extreme squeal with new brakes.... tried various options.... cleaning sanding, sanding rotors, different pads etc etc.... in the end what really helped was a long long down hill and keeping the brakes on just below the squeal.... I know u mentioned this.... I will try the acetone next time 👍👍👍
If it was a brand new bike it sounds like your issue might have been that the brakes had not been properly bedded in.
Rides of Japan very likely .... then again how does one bed in new brakes🤔🤔🤔
Fritz Dittmann the really thorough way to do it is something like this: ruclips.net/video/2yl7KWaF_oA/видео.html
@@ridesofjapan the brakes not being bedded in will sound like the noise in your video?
@@tori-youraiguide no, the noise in my case was contamination.
Main issues with a brake system that’s not properly bedded in is “pulsing” feeling when braking and brake pad-life being really short. Doesn’t necessarily mean they get noisy.
Man, I'm all pro new tech and progress when it comes to bikes, however, discs on road bikes seem to be a huge headache for now. Maybe in the future, when these annoying things are sorted, I will move from rim brake to disc brake.
Until then, I prefer riding my bike to fixing it all the time. Great video though.
you are right there,but i have an ebike the power with the v brakes was crap, and my rear disc brake will not shut up :( ur right i have to try fix it all the damn time.
PSA: if you have painted brake pad housings, don’t dump the acetone all over them like in the vid as it’ll soften and strip off the paint and cause you issues. Just rubbing with a cloth is fine.
Unfortunately I found this out the hard way...
Rubbing alcohol is better-it doesn’t really affect the paint, and acetone leaves a residue, especially finger nail polish remover, which also often contains additives. Didn’t seem to affect his brakes though.
Class videos. I appreciate that your instructions are simple and you are not chasing the £ and suggest cheap options. The Rockbros cheap bikepacking bags you recommended were cheap but waterproof and have lasted. I hope integrity pays.
Thank you so much for the tip! This method worked wonders on my contaminated brake pads and rotors! I just spent less than $2 to fix the thing, instead of buying a pair of new brake pads that'll cost me more than $5. Acetone, cotton balls, and sand paper did the trick for me.
Awesome, Happy to hear that! 👍
Sound of the brake😂😂😂😂
Tip from a bike shop I got; use a creme brulee lighter or similar and burn the acces contaminations
Your videos are comical but yet informative. I'm so happy that I'm a subscriber to your channel.
My bike is a misterious place.
Noisy in dry conditions.
Not a single crack when wet.
Incredibly hilarious Intro!
Great video man 🏁
good video. usefull for expensive pads. if they cost around 5-6€ and old ones are halfway done, just replace the pads.
I just followed your advice...it worked great! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions.
After following the video what wasn't so bad experience I got to the conclusion and definitely recommend, instead of bying a nail polish removal just buy a bike degreaser and new brake pads both are not expensive at all and you save time
2:28 Acetone did it for me thanks! Oddly enough I had a bottle of acetone nail polish remover 5 feet from where I parked my bike. If I had been looking for that bottle I would never had found it. Must have been "new brake funk" because it was quiet on the 1st day and then squeaky (like a baby rabbit in a dogs mouth) while riding (not braking) on the 2nd day. Spinning the wheel backwards seemed to help as I cleaned it with acetone. (ace-tone)
Easier way is to put your disk and pads on a container get boiling water and pure it and live it for 3mins hope it helps rider from the Philippines 😊
Thanks for the guidance! It worked for me, brakes are like new now.
Glad to hear it worked!
Leave the gloves on for the entire process. Skin oils are also your enemy, therefore, cleaning the pads with the t-shirt and gloveless hands provides opportunities for deposit of hand oils.
I would not use acetone with resin pads. I work with resin mounts in the lab and we actually use acetone to break it.. i would use isopropyl alcohol, instead.
As time pass, more and more I appreciate V-brake system
Thats it… new is not always better
Nice vid. Will give this a go tomorrow as my brakes are making a horrendous noise
Just wanted to mention that the benefits of using organic braking pads may have been completely neutralized by using a styrofoam tray. Styrofoam is one of the most environmentally detrimental materials there are. Single use plastic, can't be recycled and tends to break down into smaller pieces that ends up in animals and nature however well you handle it.
Those kinds of materials have been banned in Sweden for decades.
I'm only mentioning it because you seem like the guy who would care.
Kudos for using organic brake pads and wooden handle toothbrush though.
And thanks for the content! I'm going to try the method on my horrendously squealing MTB breaks..
They can be recycled as part of filler material and sometimes they use random plastic bits, grind them to a coarse granulate and mix with a resin and cast items like pallets, chairs and other items from it. But as is often, economics trump anything else so if it is cheaper to make something new they will do that.
My dad's bike did this and I just took the wheels off and cleaned the discs with warm water and a little soap, same with the pads but with a brush
I only had cheap engine degreaser on hand but that and checking the caliper position did the job. CHEERS no more death squeal.
Nice job! I had a leaking fork spewing oil out of my dust seals which, you guessed it, contaminated my brake pads giving that squeal.... Thanks for this informative video! I'll attempt this fix.
Best brake fix I seen on the web and cheapest too...he must be Scottish!
perfect video, just what i needed to sort out my front ekar disk.
it now brakes perfectly.
thank you.
Mineral oil to lubricate the pistons is great, but after you push them back, clean the inside with 99% isopropyl alcohol and QTips. Then wiped dry with shop towel, and you won’t re-contaminate the pads.
Better still, sewing machine oil. Much, much finer.
mascara snake it might eat at the seals.
Lightly sanding glazed pads, and spraying with aerosol brake cleaner works at treat. Contamination is worse with resin (soft) pads, less do with metallic pads.
You can always rub the rotors with scotch brute, light sandpaper also, especially when installing new pads.
Patrick Parisien or Patricia Parisienne
@@jsaintclair1 neither mate, that’s my name!
Awe, the simplicity of CALIPER BRAKES!!!!
But yeah, I could see using disc brakes if you need to be braking quite a bit...
I still have not done the jump to disc as my Ultegra brakes work perfect for my needs ...
I have seen this video when it first came out but I ALWAYS resee your videos as they are pretty tops in my book!!! :-) :-)
@@johntracey8592 honestly, I have had many bikes with pas brakes, and never changed outer rim because of total wear.
I'm sure there are those who have had to change it out for another. But the cost is REALLY not that much on aluminum, carbon is more expensive of course... Remember to read about the up keep/maintenance and all information on disc first, as it can be a nightmare lol
Just to calm your curiosity get disc, and if you don't care for them AFTER using them, you can always go back to caliper brakes.
Safe riding :-)
@@leftymadrid Even some awesome rim brake wheels sets only cost $600, with disc you always have a chance of bending the disc from moving the bike around or it falls.
I’d use a metal file instead of sandpaper that way no sand granules could possibly get stuck in the pads which could cause excessive wear on the pad and rotor.
Thanks for the video. The breaks on my brothers Raleigh bike started making this noise, hope this cleaning will help.
the descriptions of the sounds are completely accurate lol
better than park tool vidéo ;) (i know you like to hear that ;), i fixing my bike looking at your video because i know you r meticulous, i just sand mu brake pads and sound goes away)
Just done this after watching your video. Worked a treat thank you 👍
Glad it helped
I am fixing mine with a nice long downhill. When the rotors gets red/blue all is fixed :-D
Quite Helpful. Thank you. Saved me a set of pads!
Guys my friend lubricated the chain unprofessionally I did this it work but if the bike isn’t that old the acetone will do just fine
Great tutorial mate! I just did my first air job on my hydralics now i will try this because i still have so much sound when i break. Thanks