Squeeky front brakes starting to really annoy me...

[PaulW21781]

Probably nothing, but it's bloody annoying me now...

Front brakes are squeeking at lower speeds (and when braking from high speeds, they squeek when getting slower) also feels like I've got to pull the lever a bit harder to stop when it's squeeking at slower speeds. When I first bought it last October, the brakes were pretty much shit hot, but now, confidence in them feels like my old Bandit... The squeek isn't constant either, it's the same sort of sound you get from a bearing which is running dry, not the usual 'high-pitch' squeel you get when pads are running low.

No brake warning lights, just annoying the hell out of me...

Last service, they did clean them up & said one of the fronts was seized, it felt a bit better, but a few hundred miles after it they started to act up again...

I'm going to take the pads out later on, give them a clean up, but any other ideas as to why this might be happening?

Bikes done 8300 miles since new, and there is still plenty of meat left on the pads.

 

[ducatiparts.110mb]

Glazed pads or dirt in the disc bobbins?

Take the discs off and clean the mounting bobbins. Also the caliper pistons. Try cleaning the pads on coarse sandpaper too to knock any glaze off or you could try new pads.

 

[Deano800]

I've had the same on my 6500k 800GS.
Had the discs and pads cleaned and deglazed(?) under warranty... Still does it on and off though, and as you say, confidence is starting to drop in them.

I am now wondering could this be a quality control issue at the factory??

 

[PaulW21781]

Well did front and read, pads out, cleaned up, roughened up the friction material on all of them (they were very shiny so quite glazed), cleaned up the calipers, put it all back... And it seems to be better now, no squeek and much more responsive braking.

The rear O/S pad was corroding on the back plate (bit bubbly and like old iron when it rusts by bits flaking off), so will get them replaced at some point soon. They were also wearing more on the N/S than the O/S pad.

Still, it's better than it was!

 

[Pip_UK]

Probably nothing, but it's bloody annoying me now...

I'm going to take the pads out later on, give them a clean up, but any other ideas as to why this might be happening?

Bikes done 8300 miles since new, and there is still plenty of meat left on the pads.

I've not had banshee brakes for a few years, but if you're taking the pads out & cleaning them, perhaps a light smear of copper grease (such as Copaslip) on the piston-side face of the pad, and just a tiny smidge on the pad guide pins, might help.

Edit: damn, too late. Glad it's better anyway

 

[PaulW21781]

I've not had banshee brakes for a few years, but if you're taking the pads out & cleaning them, perhaps a light smear of copper grease (such as Copaslip) on the piston-side face of the pad, and just a tiny smidge on the pad guide pins, might help.

Edit: damn, too late. Glad it's better anyway

I did put a little copper grease on them when I did it

 

[littleredrooster]

Technically, brake squeal is generally caused when the static co-efficient of friction exceeds the the dynamic co-efficient of friction. This causes the pads to 'grip and release' at a resonant frequency which is within the human range of hearing.

Changing almost anything in the pad/caliper area can change this resonant frequency to a point which is acceptable or undetectable; the most usual areas which have an effect come from lubricating the pad/piston area, cleaning the locating 'slot' of the pad within the caliper, or filing a tapered edge on the leading side of one or both pads. Cleaning the rotor (disc) or its locating bobbins can also help, as can a change of pad material.

Good luck - the early 1200s were the subject of a recall for exactly this problem.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

I get this from time to time, all I do to fix it is fire the pressure washer down the pads and round the disk bobins. You can usually see all the black dust flow out and then its silent again.

 

[GrinningGSer]

I hate giving advice on potential safety issues but here is what I did on my previous 2005:
Older 1200's were very prone to squeeling and eventually BMW did some sort of modification to the disc mounting bolts.washers.. If I recall, the bolts have a clip or washer underneath and so I removed the bolts applied a minute amount of copper grease underneath those hats or washers. Perfect result and no more squealing. HOWEVER I can see some saying not to do this anywhere near the discs
I routinely apply a little copper grease to the back of new pads and it has always perplexed me as to why none of the grease finds its way on to the discs
I hate squealing brakes

 

[littleredrooster]

.....so I removed the bolts applied a minute amount of copper grease underneath those hats or washers. Perfect result and no more squealing. HOWEVER I can see some saying not to do this anywhere near the discs

Please don't try this at home, children. Putting grease where centripetal force will fling it on to the discs is a real, serious death-wish.