Gyrobob
Serious Thumper
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Posers ain't motorcyclists
Posts: 2571
Newnan, GA
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wvchoppers wrote on 04/24/07 at 03:12:46:my front brakes squeak really bad for some reason...??? the bike is a 02, and only has 1,200 miles on it...surely the pads arent gone are they?  anyone else's front brakes squeak? is this a savage "trait" ??? Mine squealed , got replaced and still squeal... f**k it... just live with it, I guess. The squealing is from a resonance of high frequency vibrations in the pads/calipers when they contact the rotor. Because of the job the disc brake has to do, this squeal is common, even though Suzuki engineers probably made a large effort to prevent it.
There are several things to try. Replacing pads with a lot of material left on them is usually not a sensible option,… just a waste of money.
The idea is to change the resonance of the parts that vibrate, therefore pushing the resonance out of the range that tends to create a squeal. Here are some ways:
-- Use the lube typically supplied with replacement pads. This is a high-heat lube that goes between the pads and the piston that changes the resonance frequency.
-- Sometimes the pads, or even the rotors, can acquire a glaze that tends to make a squeal. Lightly scouring one or both surfaces can help here. Use 400 grit sandpaper (wet), or rubbing compound, steel wool, chore girl, comet cleanser, etc. You don’t want any scratches, just a satin finish.
-- Chamfer the edges of the pads. This changes the angle between the edge of the pad and the rotor surface, which changes how the pad tries to "dig in" to the rotor. This will change the resonance frequency one way or another.
-- Clean the surfaces completely, then put a very thin layer of RTV on the back of the pad where it contacts the piston in the caliper. Also put a very thin layer on the surface of the piston that contacts the pad. By "very thin layer” I mean put a little on your finger, rub it on the surface and then wipe just about all of it off with a clean finger(s). You don’t want any actual cushion here,…. that will make the brakes feel spongy. You want only enough to change the resonance of these two mating surfaces,.. just residue, not an actual layer.
-- I’ve never tried this last one, but the same guy I referred to that replaced his air filter with a screen got rid of a squeal by using the thin aluminum of a coke can (pretty tough stuff, actually), cutting out a piece shaped like the back of the disc brake pad, and inserting that piece between the pad and the piston. Sounds goofy, but he did eliminate the squeal.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
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