The holy grail?

[350matt]

I've only gone and found a fix for my rear brake squeal!
having been round the copper grease /soft pad / true up discs / silicon pad to caiper pot route all of which still left me with MAJOR brake squeal.
It got to the point where I'd almost be afraid to use the brakes round town ( not good) sO I sourced a Lockheed shim / brake fitting kit ( the old L shaped stainless steel shims) cut them down to suit and fitted with no grease / silicon etc and viola the squeal is reduced to tiny mouse like dimensions as opposed to the intercity 125 sounds I was getting.

Admittedly I might have to try siliconing the pad to the shim to the pot to get rid of the pad rattle at low speeds but the squeal is gone!

Matt

[GreenV8S]

You mentioned everything I would have suggested, except chamfering the leading edges of the pads. Sometimes this can help reduce brake squeal. Any idea how the shim cured it?

[350matt]

I suspect 2 reasons, one the shim only covers half of the caliper pot so the pad is always loaded up on one edge so incresing the pressure and reducing any vibration, secondly by adding a very small amount of springing into the whole system again helping to damp it out.

Seems to have worked either way

When are we going to see you at meets again Pete?

[davidn]

That's interesting Matt, I changed my pads recently and suffered the dreaded squeal so had a go this weekend trying to cure/reduce it. As a last resort I thought I'll have a quick read of the instructions which came with the rear pads and out fell a sheet with 4 semi-circular rubber pads. No mention of them anywhere so decided they must go on the back of the pads.
Fitted them up and no squeal.
Your sollution sounds good, I might even start reading instructions in future.
David

[jesfirth]

Hi davidn,

where did the pads come from? id like to get hold of some of those rubber shims

[davidn]

Hello Jes,
They were in the box but just for the rears - Mintex 1144, looked just like 4 rubber Blackey's (if you remember them) cross hatched one side, sticky t'other. I stuck them right in the middle of the pad (piston had already made a helpful guide mark).
I would have thought a disk of thin rubber sheet would have the same effect or may be better. Thinking on the AP's (at least I think that's what they were) I took out were completely rubber backed which may explain the lack of squealing.
Cheers
David