Brake squeal and judder

DavidJames

DavidJames

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Since I got the XChallenge rather muddy at the weekend, the front brake is sounding and feeling awful. As I almost stop they sound like an old London bus and they really judder:eek The discs don't look clean and shiny across the entire surface - is it possible have got dirt/grit embedded in the pads? What else could cause this and can I fix it or do I need new pads?

Please feel free to take the pish if it is a real numpty question:rolleyes:

Cheers

David
 
:confused:How about taking the pads out and having a look, check you haven't bent the disc while your there.
 
As above really. Pop the caliper off and take a look. Could be a stuck stone, worn pads and a warped disc.

If the worst comes to the worst, I'll test ride it for the day on the 28th:augie:augie
 
DavidJames said:
Since I got the XChallenge rather muddy at the weekend, the front brake is sounding and feeling awful. As I almost stop they sound like an old London bus and they really judder:eek The discs don't look clean and shiny across the entire surface - is it possible have got dirt/grit embedded in the pads? What else could cause this and can I fix it or do I need new pads?

Please feel free to take the pish if it is a real numpty question:rolleyes:

Cheers

David
Click to expand...

As the other learned riders have said

Pull the caliper out and give it a good wash out

If it's really bad......... pull the caliper pins out and clean up the pads with some Brake Cleaner

Refit the pad pins with some copperslip and all should be well

You should be cleaning out both fore and aft calipers and making sure the chain is really clean, after a snotty, muddy off road ride

Otherwise you'll get premature disc and pad, plus chain & sprocket wear

Basic offroad maintenance really - you can't leave it 6000 miles between services:eek: .......................like a road bike
 
Thanks - will take a look at the weekend. I did come off and the bike went down on the left (disk) side, so it might have been damaged.
 
If the disc is bent, can you feel any pulsing at the lever when applying the brakes?
 
So............took the caliper of to check the condition of the pads only to find there weren't any:eek: (just to clarify the metal plates were there but both had no material on them)

Now I totally admit I had not checked the brakes at all before today because I have only done a few hundred miles on the bike since buying it. It was serviced by BMW before I picked it up and has done less than 1000 miles - so in my mind there was no way it would need pads for ages.

I have let the dealer know and I am waiting for his response.
 
Funnily enuf, I took my bike off road and it got noisier and noisier from the front brake, the more clogged up with mud it got, the louder it got, like you say, it sounded like a London Bus. After cleaning mine it was back to business, sounds like you have been unlucky, maybe you'll have to give up the one handed stoppies! :D
Wonder if a front disc protection cover is available for the X Challenge?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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