philipviana
Member
Relatively new rider here, which means I am also an inexperienced mechanic. 5 months of riding and 3500 mi on my rc390. After about a month of riding, my front brake became very squeaky and squealy, particular when coming to a stop around the 15mph to 0mph range. I looked into it and bought CRC Disc Brake Quiet, which seemed like a smart choice at the time, but dear lord has this stuff become a nightmare. The bottle says to "apply liberally" to the back of the brake pads, which I did. I effectively coated the entire back of the pad with a 1-2mm layer of the stuff, let it set for a few minutes, and then installed the pads. The noise disappeared. However, after 7 or 8 weeks, the squeak returned.
Amazon.com: CRC Disc Brake Quiet 05016, 4 Fl Oz: Automotive
Today, I took the pads out and took the caliper off, and dear god has this stuff gotten messy. It seems like the piston heads effectively pushed their way through the Disc Brake Quiet onto the metal backs of the brake pads, meaning that the metal was contacting the metal, so the goup was having no effect. What worried me was that A) it was extremely hard to remove and clean up this stuff, even with various degreasers and scrubbing tools, and B) it seems like now the residue/goup has contacted the sides of the pistons, which means it might have worked its way into the seals by now.
To nip the noise in the butt the second time, I decided to avoid this product and instead tried sanding the surface of the brake pads as well as cleaning my rotor with a brake cleaner. I cleaned it all up as best as I could, reinstalled everything and rode around the block at low speed and tested the brake. It's hard to tell how it was performing, but I want to say that the brake felt a little less responsive than before. I'm a little worried about the brake now.
Wondering if I should just chuck the entire caliper and get a brand new one, or even upgrade to a nicer Brembo or aftermarket brand since the brake has always been a little soft. Ideally, however, I just keep the existing caliper and get some words of wisdom from you folks so I can have some peace of mind. Hoping that the goup won't ruin the cylinders and that I can keep riding like normal. What do you think?
Thanks.
Amazon.com: CRC Disc Brake Quiet 05016, 4 Fl Oz: Automotive
Today, I took the pads out and took the caliper off, and dear god has this stuff gotten messy. It seems like the piston heads effectively pushed their way through the Disc Brake Quiet onto the metal backs of the brake pads, meaning that the metal was contacting the metal, so the goup was having no effect. What worried me was that A) it was extremely hard to remove and clean up this stuff, even with various degreasers and scrubbing tools, and B) it seems like now the residue/goup has contacted the sides of the pistons, which means it might have worked its way into the seals by now.
To nip the noise in the butt the second time, I decided to avoid this product and instead tried sanding the surface of the brake pads as well as cleaning my rotor with a brake cleaner. I cleaned it all up as best as I could, reinstalled everything and rode around the block at low speed and tested the brake. It's hard to tell how it was performing, but I want to say that the brake felt a little less responsive than before. I'm a little worried about the brake now.
Wondering if I should just chuck the entire caliper and get a brand new one, or even upgrade to a nicer Brembo or aftermarket brand since the brake has always been a little soft. Ideally, however, I just keep the existing caliper and get some words of wisdom from you folks so I can have some peace of mind. Hoping that the goup won't ruin the cylinders and that I can keep riding like normal. What do you think?
Thanks.