Squeaking on front tire

beaubuck · Post by **beaubuck** » Fri Jul 19, 2019 9:44 pm

Hi all,

I've recently been experiencing a repetitive squeak or a "ringing" sound when I'm in motion on my Buddy Roma 50. The sound stops immediately when the front brake is applied. My tire inflation is good, pads seem to be good and brake fluid is also good.

Can anyone offer a clue as to what this is?

johnk · Post by **johnk** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:55 am

Does it happen primarily at low speeds (including while walking the bike)?

If so, it's just a little bit of harmless rubbing. Brake rotors tend to develop a thin coating of brake-pad material on them, which creates just enough friction while they're not being applied to squeal. As long as your brakes still work normally, the squeal isn't cause for concern.

Cleaning the rotors may help, but it could also cause a decrease in stopping power, because all that brake material is good for friction. But if you want to try to get rid of the squeal, pinch the rotor with a scotchbrite pad (not sandpaper!) while spinning the wheel quickly for several seconds, then spray some electrical contact cleaner on a rag and wipe the rotor down.

beaubuck · Post by **beaubuck** » Sat Jul 20, 2019 4:46 pm

The brakes seem more than adequate. The squeak ( ring ) does not occur when the bike is walked - only when Im at speed. I took your suggestion and did some cleaning, so I'll see if that helps. In case I need a plan B, anyone else dealing with this type of problem?

Stanza · Post by **Stanza** » Mon Jul 22, 2019 2:36 pm

If you have primarily been doing gentle stops, you might be dealing with glazed brake pads. If so, the solution is to take them out and rough up their contact surface with some 60 grit sandpaper. You want your brake rotor to be smooth and clean, so hit it with some brake parts cleaner first. If that doesn't help, then take out the pads and give them a good scuffing.