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In general, you need to differentiate between a disc brake on a mountain bike that is constantly grinding and making a noise (often a ringing or regular grinding noise) and one that only squeaks or whines when the brake is applied. We show you how to correctly adjust a constantly grinding disc brake in these screwdriver instructions including video. If the brake only squeals when braking, the brake pads are usually contaminated. This happens when the pads and/or the brake disc are contaminated with Oil or other lubricants have come into contact with the tyres. Then they not only squeal annoyingly, but also have a significantly poorer braking effect. In the video, we show you what you can do in your own workshop to prevent squeaking disc brakes.
An important piece of information in advance: A disc brake is a safety-relevant component. If you tinker with it yourself, you should know what you are doing and, above all, work thoroughly. If you don't have sufficient experience in tinkering, it doesn't hurt to go to a bike workshop and seek advice from experts.
Quick and easy: What you can do to stop the squeaking
If the brake pads are heavily contaminated, they must be replaced. If there are small amounts of oil, you can still save the brake pads and clean the disc and brake calliper. This is how it works:
- Remove the brake pads: The first step is to remove the pads from the brake calliper. How the This video shows how to change brake pads on MTB disc brakes quickly.
- File off the coverings: Then you can file off the dirty surface of the pads (note: really only the surface) with a file or sandpaper.
- Clean the disc and saddle: Then spray the brake disc and the brake calliper (inside and outside) with brake cleaner and wipe with a clean cloth.
- Roughen the brake disc: You can also roughen the cleaned brake disc slightly with a piece of fine sandpaper. This allows the brake pad and disc to adapt to each other again. This is the basis for maximum braking performance.
- Brake in new: Once you have reinstalled the brake pads and wheel, you must Reapply the brakes. To do this, apply the brakes several times in a controlled environment until they are really hot so that they can develop their full braking power.
Disc brakes squeal in the wet
Finally, you can ask yourself how the oil or lubricant got onto the pads or brake disc of the MTB disc brake. The classic answer: when cleaning with silicone spray or when oiling the chain with a chain spray. If you do this, you should be more careful in future to ensure that no oil reaches the brake disc.
However, it is also possible that deposits of dust and dirt or rust film on the brake pads can lead to a lot of noise, combined with poorer braking performance. This is often the case, especially after the winter, when the bike has been parked for a long time and has not been ridden. There is nothing you can do to prevent this. Free-braking can help as a first aid measure. Squealing in wet conditions or in the rain is also more or less normal for disc brakes.
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