# Front disc brake rubbing.



## 123kij (Dec 3, 2011)

Newbie question. I read some other threads about how every time you take the wheel off, it will start rubbing again unless its tightened the same way. I attempted to fix it by loosening the two allen screws which hold the caliper (?) to the fork, squeezing and holding the brake lever tight and re-tightening the allen screws. Still makes noise. I have a video uploaded to see if it might help someone see the any problems. There's a lot of background noise and the camera actually picked up the rubbing sound very well, its louder in the video than in real life.

Any ideas, I appreciate any input. The bike is brand new. I noticed this about 10 min into my first ride.

The brakes are Hayes Dyno.

*Video*:Untitled on Vimeo

Again, the noise is not nearly as loud as the video makes it seem.

Here's a couple photos in the meantime, not sure if theyll help or not.


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## bikeman1 (Jul 6, 2011)

I was told that if you undo the wheel while sitting on the bike, then tighten up the quick release, you should not have so much rubbing. Kind of works for me.


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## 123kij (Dec 3, 2011)

bikeman1 said:


> I was told that if you undo the wheel while sitting on the bike, then tighten up the quick release, you should not have so much rubbing. Kind of works for me.


Thanks. Do you still ride when its slightly rubbing or is that a big no no?


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

*Rotor rub...*

The bane of disc brakes.

All discs rub at some point or another and outside of standard operating procedure to get them back in line, there are a ton of tricks to get them to stop.

From a newbie standpoint, you might have to look at the pads to see how much room is left for the rotor. If you took the wheel off, then accidentally squeezed the levers you may have pushed the pads too far together leaving not enough room for the rotor. Check that out then repost if that seems to be the case.


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## jsilva (Jul 20, 2011)

123kij said:


> I read some other threads about how every time you take the wheel off, it will start rubbing again unless its tightened the same way. I attempted to fix it by loosening the two allen screws which hold the caliper (?) to the fork, squeezing and holding the brake lever tight and re-tightening the allen screws.


For future reference, if you get pad rubbing after taking out/reinstalling the wheel you probably won't need to realign the caliper. Just look to see which pad is rubbing (you can place a white piece of paper on the opposing side so you can easily see through each side of the pad). If it's the inner pad, loosen the QR a tad and check again. If it's the outer pad, tighten the QR. Etc.

For your current situation, just align the caliper by sight. Ensure there is the same amount of empty space on between each side of the pad and the rotor and then tighten the caliper bolts.


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## bikeman1 (Jul 6, 2011)

I actually ride mine while it rubs, it will go away after a while with hydro's. But with my mech's, I leave it rubbing slightly (you cant hear it/feel it when riding) so I don't bend the rotor when braking, so I get more power.


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## FujNoob (Dec 20, 2009)

jsilva said:


> For your current situation, just align the caliper by sight. Ensure there is the same amount of empty space on between each side of the pad and the rotor and then tighten the caliper bolts.


Agreed. Get the caliper loose enough to move it freely then line it up by sight.


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## irishpitbull (Sep 29, 2011)

Thanks this thread helped me out.


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## Quint611 (Mar 10, 2012)

Same issue on my Cobia took back to Lbs and they couldn't get rid of the rub either  Did you get yours to stop?


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

It sucks having this problem though. I'm hoping it will go away as the brakes get used and the pads get worn down a bit.

Can anyone tell me if using the brakes more will help wear down the pads and alleviate the problem all together?


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## DimitrisCSD (Jan 16, 2012)

First of all: **** HOLDING THE BRAKE AND TIGHTENING THE BOLTS. That **** is useless. Put your eye close to the gap and do it BY SIGHT. Even gap on each side of the rotor. It might take some time but that is the proper way of doing it.

Regarding the quick-release, try holding the brake when you lock the wheel back in place. Also DO NOT install the wheel with the bike upside down. Do it while the bike is STANDING NORMALLY so it has some weight pushing the forks into proper position.

Good luck.


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

Do you think as the brakes are worn they will widen and loosen their grip enough to end the rubbing completely?

Thanks!


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

Cheers!


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## wizard604 (Jul 10, 2011)

bit late on this one, but I just thought I'd add one more point that wasnt mentioned that may help others. You want to check to see if your rotor is running true or not. If it's slightly bent/warped, then its a bit trickier to align the calipers. You'd want to try to tweak the rotor to get them somewhat true before playing with the alignment. It will never be 100% true if the rotor's badly warped, you're gonna get some rub no matter what.


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

Does that mean you should replace your rotor at that point? Can you buy a bigger rotor to reduce the chances of that happening? Do you have to buy different brakes if you buy a different rotor?


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

inm101 said:


> Does that mean you should replace your rotor at that point? Can you buy a bigger rotor to reduce the chances of that happening? Do you have to buy different brakes if you buy a different rotor?


When my rotor is out of true, I just bend it back using (carefully!) using the jaws of an adjustable wrench. Work slowly and bend only a little at a time until you get a feel for doing it.

Here's a video that might help:

rotor truing - YouTube

Shiggy doesn't use a wrench, but that's ok. The important thing is that he avoids fingerprints.


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## wizard604 (Jul 10, 2011)

I've used the adjustable wrench method as well as finger. I find the finger method better because you have finer control & the pressure point being applied is 'softer' which produces a more even result. WIth the wrench it's easier to over do it.

You can always wash your hands before you touch the rotor or wear some disposable gloves.

As mentioned, don't go crazy. Just use slight adjustments till you get the result you want. With practice you'll get real good at it. I use a piece of white paper or some other light background to make it easier to see the clearance between the pads & rotor.


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

Do they make calipers that offer more room for adjustments? It seems like these brakes only allow for 1 centimeter of error to either side of the rotor.


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## cbd5600 (Jul 6, 2012)

I had a similar problem on my Cobia. I rode on Saturday and had my front skewer some loose. I rode again on Sunday and noticed the rotor had a nasty rub to a point where the front wheel would only spin 1/2-2 revolutions before it would stop. After inspecting everything when I got home it turned out the the caliper had become misaligned. Loosened it up, centered it and it's spinning good as new again.


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

I'm getting more frustrated by the day trying to fix this problem. Since my town's LBS attempted to fix the problem by just reseating the wheel in the quick release mechanism, I've decided to take it down the road to another shop. They say they'll get it going for just a few bucks. We'll see how they do. If it doesn't go well I'll probably just beat the piss out of these brakes and then buy new ones when the pads wear out (I've heard that these Shamanos' pads are impossible to find anyway).


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## hangdogdaddy38 (Dec 4, 2010)

I'm thinking this... is it an absolute to have to have the front brake? I remove my front wheel to transport my bike too and I'm wondering if I even need the front brake. Disc being what they are being so efficient at stopping you could one get by with just the rear brake? It would be a real weight saver. What are everyone's thoughts?


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## Whitenoiz (Jun 14, 2012)

The front brake does a lot of work. I would kill myself wo it on the downhills. Well I might live if I don't have any fun...The combo of both seems to balance out the bike.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

hangdogdaddy38 said:


> I'm thinking this... is it an absolute to have to have the front brake? I remove my front wheel to transport my bike too and I'm wondering if I even need the front brake. Disc being what they are being so efficient at stopping you could one get by with just the rear brake? It would be a real weight saver. What are everyone's thoughts?


Thx for having the balls to ask this. I'm convinced that on road you can get away with rears only.

That said, front brakes do more work in general, and especially so on inclines. Also, on a typical mixed course you can tweak your speed with targeted front braking. Also, in fishtail scenarios like sand, the front brake is key to help out.

I still think you could probably get away without a front brake in a lot of conditions though.


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## inm101 (Jul 11, 2012)

Why don't companies make calipers with just a little more tolerance/clearance?


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## hangdogdaddy38 (Dec 4, 2010)

Went on a 22 mile ride today and didn't miss the front one bit. Now keep in mind I ride Salem Lake and the greenway in Winston Salem. Non technical, some uphill some downhill so I don't really need that much brake but it really shaved some weight off. I mean I could actually tell the difference it was that much. I may end up putting a BB5 or BB7 on in a month or two when funds allow but for now it's a lot easier to take off and put back on my wheel and I don't miss the brake at all. Happy trails!!


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## ChewynMe (Apr 29, 2012)

I hope you have resolved this issue by now, but I wanted to add my two cents:

"I'm getting more frustrated by the day trying to fix this problem...... new ones when the pads wear out (I've heard that these Shamanos' pads are impossible to find anyway)."

They are Hayes Dyno Comps, and the replacement pads are semi-metallic sold through Hayes. I wanted to make sure you buy the correct replacements when the time comes (if you haven't beat the $#%& out of them by then),

Stroker Ryde pads | Hayes Disc Brake

I have the same bike and can tell you these brakes are a royal PITA, no matter how you slice it. I upgraded my front to a 203mm, it vibrates and drives me crazy.


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## konoplya (Oct 8, 2013)

apologize for reviving this old thread, but i noticed today on my front wheel, the disk is rubbing intermittently against the inner pad. its as if the rotor is bent at one part. it wasn't doing it yesterday when i was riding. i didn't take the wheel off or anything. started hearing a slight rubbing noise while riding. do i just bend the rotor outwards in that part? i saw some videos on youtube of guys doing it, wanted to check here to see what the consensus is. thank you.


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## 3200 (Oct 9, 2013)

thats what i do. hand do it, more control


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## konoplya (Oct 8, 2013)

3200 said:


> thats what i do. hand do it, more control


so its most likely a bent rotor then? not like a misaligned wheel?


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## iCollector (Nov 14, 2012)

Try these... They are dang good!

Drumstix III / Morningstar Tools

I had a slightly out of true front rotor, and now it it is all better....


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## alvmech (Nov 21, 2013)

My disc brake rubbing problem came on both front & rear brakes almost simultaneously. Checked a few vids & threads, tried the method of loosening caliper bolts on frame, then while pressing the brake lever I tighten the bolts in turns little by little. That didn't quite work at first. Still having intermittent rubbing on both.

Checked out more videos, did a little more research, then I did this in order:
Oh btw my mtb hardtail's on shimano xtr hydraulics..

1. Loosen the front quick release, then retightening the wheel carefully making sure its secure. (This should sort of 'recalibrate' my disc rotor position, sometimes this can already sort it out, but not for me)

2. Moving on, I loosen the front caliper bolts (again) & retightening the bolts alternately while pressing on the brake lever. (This should center the calipers) Spun the wheels to test, there was still some rubbing.

3. Next, screw/pulled out the brake pin, removed the brake pads with the metal spring, I used a rounded length of a screw driver that fits into the space (or you can use a plastic tire lever) to push both pistons into its recesses as far as possible. Replace the brake pads & put the safety pin through. (your wheel should be removed for this method) 
The rubbing seemed lesser, the wheels spun more freely but there was still some rubbing at a very specific point. That's when I realized my front rotor was also a little warp.

4. So, with my hand over a rag cloth, (wouldn't want to get those oily fingers on the rotors) I started pulling gently on the rotor in the direction where the disc does not rub against the pads paying attention to the exact spot where the rubbing is. I think this sorted the problem 99%. I'm happy with that, to do some serious truing of rotors, you'll need some specific tools.

As with my rear brakes, discovered that the problem wasn't a warp rotor but more of the pistons (one was protruding out more than the other) Went through with method 2, then 3 and the problem was sorted out.

Lessons learned: 
Not all disc brake problems are the same (as I thought my front & rear brakes were)
Sometimes the problems could me multiple, not one or the other.

Hope sharing my experience helps...

Happy trails!


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I assemble new bikes straight from the manufacturer every day. rubbing disc brakes on forks with a post-mount interface like the one in the OP's photo is a very common problem. you can fuss with a brake like that all day, but IF YOU DO NOT PROPERLY FACE THE POSTS, the brake will end up rubbing or it will not work optimally. ask you LBS to face the posts, they have special tools for that. if you bought the bike from them, they should have done that before they sold it to you.


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## minouchi (May 24, 2005)

*Don't do it.*



hangdogdaddy38 said:


> I'm thinking this... is it an absolute to have to have the front brake? I remove my front wheel to transport my bike too and I'm wondering if I even need the front brake. Disc being what they are being so efficient at stopping you could one get by with just the rear brake? It would be a real weight saver. What are everyone's thoughts?


A few years ago, my brake cable broke on my front brake, so instead of fixing it, I just rode around with a back brake. One day, I was approaching a stop sign and suddenly realized there was a cop at that intersection. Without my front brake, I couldn't stop in time and got a ticket. (Yes, I got a ticket on my bike!!) Now just think if that was a car or a kid, I would have plowed into them.

If you're going to do any sort of riding beyond a slow crawl on the bike path, you really do need both brakes.


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## dnoyeb (Sep 23, 2007)

You absolutely need that front brake. Can you ride without it? Yes. But whether you notice it or not your riding style will change to accommodate your new braking reality. Which is you can't slow as fast in the straightaways and you can't slow even remotely as fast in the turns without a tail slide, and you can't slow as quickly in a downhill trail ride. Plus many other front brake reliant situations.

God forbid your rear brake ever failed.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2014)

inm101 said:


> Do you think as the brakes are worn they will widen and loosen their grip enough to end the rubbing completely?
> 
> Thanks!


 Nope. Hydraulic brakes are essentially self-adjusting. If they're properly aligned, the calipers are clean, the rotors are true, and the system is properly bled they shouldn't rub. The wear = gap only works with cable actuated brakes. The common solution is to bleed your brakes and straighten your rotors (learn how to do this and you'll be a happier disc owner). None of these skills are really difficult, but you'll have to buy a brake bleeding kit. Also, wear gloves or use a clean cloth on your discs when you straighten them (work in very small increments, rotors will bend a lot more than you think and it gets complex very quickly). Good luck.


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## KeithB_SF (Jul 19, 2015)

DimitrisCSD said:


> First of all: **** HOLDING THE BRAKE AND TIGHTENING THE BOLTS. That **** is useless. Put your eye close to the gap and do it BY SIGHT. Even gap on each side of the rotor. It might take some time but that is the proper way of doing it.
> 
> Regarding the quick-release, try holding the brake when you lock the wheel back in place. Also DO NOT install the wheel with the bike upside down. Do it while the bike is STANDING NORMALLY so it has some weight pushing the forks into proper position.
> 
> Good luck.


Totally agree. Holding the brake method will just mean that you are centering the caliper at the same position it was last centered at. If the pads are for any reason off-center then there will be less clearance than designed to one of the edges of the caliper housing. In my case this was only apparent after braking, when the rotor was warm, but the metal to metal noise was very concerning. Centering by sight is the way to go, in my opinion.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Geez, hope he wasn't waiting 3 years + to get that confirmation.


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## KeithB_SF (Jul 19, 2015)

phlegm said:


> Geez, hope he wasn't waiting 3 years + to get that confirmation.


 Well yes, duly noted. I was wondering whether or not it was worth posting. 
However, I trawl these message boards a lot looking for solutions to things - often the best answers are not on new threads.
I recently had this problem, and thought I would endorse what I found to be better advice.


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