Squeeky brakes on my Superlight..

[MikeGF]

Hi Everyone

I am loving ownership of my Caterham Superlight (7 weeks and counting!). Even more so now the weather has picked up

However, I have a problem with squeeky brakes at low speeds (pulling up to traffic lights, pulling up to a stop etc etc) it's quite a high pitch/grinding sort of noise.

I usually roll the car out of the garage when the daughter is asleep (her rooms above the garage)and I can hear what sounds like the pads and disks rubbing.

Any advice? I live in Fleet and am hoping to get to a meet at the Pheonix soon (AND join the club - must remember to do that!) so will hopefully get along there for a last Thursday of the month meet.

Cheers
MikeGF

[Finchy172]

There new, and the sqeal you hear is a stick slip contact between the pad and caliper.

If you take the pads out and grind a tiny amount from the area they interact with the caliper and a smidge of copper slip you will be fine!

[will_]

MikeGF said:

Hi Everyone

I am loving ownership of my Caterham Superlight (7 weeks and counting!). Even more so now the weather has picked up

However, I have a problem with squeeky brakes at low speeds (pulling up to traffic lights, pulling up to a stop etc etc) it's quite a high pitch/grinding sort of noise.

I usually roll the car out of the garage when the daughter is asleep (her rooms above the garage)and I can hear what sounds like the pads and disks rubbing.

Any advice? I live in Fleet and am hoping to get to a meet at the Pheonix soon (AND join the club - must remember to do that!) so will hopefully get along there for a last Thursday of the month meet.

Cheers
MikeGF

Sounds like cold brakes to me? Might help to do some quick stops early in a run to solve the problem. When the dics have cooled (e.g. overnight in the garage) a fine layer of rust might form, which is the slight rubbing you can hear. No biggie.

[adamh]

Don't worry about it - it's normal for many pad compounds to squeal a bit.
Get yourself down the Phoenix tonight and have a chat with the locals about it.........

[bikemonster]

Finchy172 said:

There new, and the sqeal you hear is a stick slip contact between the pad and caliper.

If you take the pads out and grind a tiny amount from the area they interact with the caliper and a smidge of copper slip you will be fine!

Just to absolutely clear - the Copper Slip should be on the back of the pads, and not the face.

You prolly knew that, but just in case...

A small amount of rub between pad and disk is inevitable and not necessarily a problem.

If all else fails, you could consider different pads. On one of my cars a change from OEM pads to EBC Greenstuff got rid of the low speed brake squeeal that I had...and hated.

James

[fergus]

bikemonster said:

EBC pads

If you want to stop quickly and repeatedly, get some pagid RS15s in the front!

[Finchy172]

bikemonster said:

Finchy172 said:

There new, and the sqeal you hear is a stick slip contact between the pad and caliper.

If you take the pads out and grind a tiny amount from the area they interact with the caliper and a smidge of copper slip you will be fine!

Just to absolutely clear - the Copper Slip should be on the back of the pads, and not the face.

You prolly knew that, but just in case...

A small amount of rub between pad and disk is inevitable and not necessarily a problem.

If all else fails, you could consider different pads. On one of my cars a change from OEM pads to EBC Greenstuff got rid of the low speed brake squeeal that I had...and hated.

James

Please write what i wrote again!
Copper slip only goes on that area that interacts between the caliper and the pad i.e the lugs on the pad this is what causes the squelling!

[bikemonster]

Finchy172 said:

bikemonster said:

Finchy172 said:

There new, and the sqeal you hear is a stick slip contact between the pad and caliper.

If you take the pads out and grind a tiny amount from the area they interact with the caliper and a smidge of copper slip you will be fine!

Just to absolutely clear - the Copper Slip should be on the back of the pads, and not the face.

You prolly knew that, but just in case...

A small amount of rub between pad and disk is inevitable and not necessarily a problem.

If all else fails, you could consider different pads. On one of my cars a change from OEM pads to EBC Greenstuff got rid of the low speed brake squeeal that I had...and hated.

James

Please write what i wrote again!
Copper slip only goes on that area that interacts between the caliper and the pad i.e the lugs on the pad this is what causes the squelling!

Finchy, I didn't even write what you wrote the first time...just hit the 'quote' button.





Which was how I had missed that your instructions were indeed comprehensive and accurate.

James