Squealing BB7 Disc brakes

[Red Light]

all it, the blob, smear, wipe of coppaslip does is change the mass of the pad and alter the resonant frequency.

do not EVER do it with hydro bike brakes.

do not ask me how i know this.

I've been doing it for years on my Hope hydraulic brakes and its a trick from the motorbike fraternity who all use hydraulic disc brakes so not sure what your problem was.

The grease doesn't change the frequency which comes from the disc, not the pad. The pad just excites the disc vibration. It does provide damping though and better mechanical coupling of the pad to the caliper body.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Mine both squeak in the wet still, after 3,500 miles. I see it as a useful warning to people that I am stopping. As CopperCyclist said above, if I brake extra hard it is quiet.

 

[Globalti]

Yep... my BB7s also squeal like a piggie in the wet until they warm up and dry out. I will try a softer pad compound.

My hydraulic Hope minis on the other hand don't squeal at all, wet or dry.

 

[Jezston]

The generic mech discs on my hybrid also wail like banshees in the wet. They still brake fine, though - so is it something one should really worry about?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The generic mech discs on my hybrid also wail like banshees in the wet. They still brake fine, though - so is it something one should really worry about?

Depends if you are a ninja or not I guess.

On my touring bike (BB&'s) I don't mind a bit of shriek and squeal

On my mtb (Avid Elixir R's) I find it hideously embarrassing

 

[ianrauk]

have done near 100 mile on the bike and can tell that the brakes are bedding in. No squeal in the dry, so be interesting to see when it's next wet again.

 

[summerdays]

I've got different Avid disk brakes but mine squeal too ESPECIALLY when they get wet - to the point that I don't want to pull on the brakes because it is almost embarrassing. I've found that if the disks get wet then if I get rid of the water by pulling on the brakes very lightly as I cycle along (just after the rain has started) to clear the excess water that when I actually need to use them they are much much better (and if the noise comes back I repeat).

There has been an occasion when it really made a pedestrian jump when I made such a loud noise but then they had just stepped into the road unexpectedly without looking.

 

[Jmenorton]

My BB7's have stopped squealing now, after a good clean with alcohol wipes. There bedded in now nicely and there immense, easily on par with my hydrolics.

 

[zoxed]

My BB7s have squealed in the wet through 2 sets of pads and many adjustments :-(
I have given up now, but it annoys me to make pedestrians jump !

 

[ianrauk]

My BB7s have squealed in the wet through 2 sets of pads and many adjustments :-(
I have given up now, but it annoys me to make pedestrians jump !

oh dear...
I have yet to have another wet commute since I got the bike.
But would be interesting to see if they do squeal after a few hundred miles of commute.

 

[ianrauk]

Right, had enough allready of the squealing so bought some semi-metallic pads from DiscoBrakes.
Smeared a tiny amount of grease on the reverse side (no holes on these pads) and bingo... it's seems to have done the job so far. A nice peaceful commute this morning.