Hi
My 1150gs has now got brake squeal when i use the front brakes. i dont have any loss of braking power
any solutions to getting rid of the noise? it's doing my head in.
thanks
gs1150
Hi Mate,
Nine times out of ten this is because road water and grit over time has blasted out the copper greese which normally gets used on the back plate of the pads, on the two removeable brake pad slider pins and retainer pin. Also to help prevent squeel there is a preload spring fitted to each pad which MAY have broken off?
As a result of the crud the brake pads do not completely retract away from the disk as they should and one of the pad edges may contact at all times which causes squeeling whislt NOT braking. Squeeling whilst braking is a result of uneven pressure between the piston barel and the back of the pad caused by "grime build up". This means that there will always be one of the four pad sides / edges that is left free to vibrate between the disk and piston.
You can quickly and easily remove the calipers, pull the retainer pin clip and pin out, remove the pads then unscrew the two slider pins. WARNING: before you attempt to remove the two slider pins clean and remove the grit and snot build up around each one as this clogs the thread on exit IF you get the bolt that far. Ensure the back and edges of the pads are cleaned back to metal.
Reassemble applying a "wipe" (NO more than 1mm thick ideally less and you should be able to see the colour of the pad back plate though the greese) of copper greese all over the back of each pad and ANY contact areas between the pads and calipers. Including the pad retainer pin and two slider pins.
ENSURE that NO greese comes into contact with the brake pad friction surface or disk. The pad surface will soak up the greese and become contaminated possibly braking down the composite but certainly make that pad non effective for braking...
Good luck and please take great care and time if you havent done this before.
Baz
