Avid Shorty 4 brakes - squealing like mad

[bikedreams]

What's the best cure for squealing. Avid Shorty 4 brakes. I've tried different brake pads (Koolstop blacks), along with adjusting the brake pads toed in, flat, and toed out. It only seems to be the front brakes that are chattering, chirping and squawking. If it helps, they are mounted on a Lemond Poprad, with a carbon fiber fork. Also, the bike doesn't have many miles on it, but I am a heavier rider (225lb with gear).

Is there a magic cure? Or am I better off with an entirely different set of brakes? If so, any recommendations, within a reasonable budget?

Thank you

[LC]

You got the cantilever chatter blues. The best way to change that tune is change the front brake to a mini V-brake. 926AL is cheap and good.

[bikedreams]

You got the cantilever chatter blues. The best way to change that tune is change the front brake to a mini V-brake. 926AL is cheap and good.

Seems reasonable. What do I need to buy in order to adapt these brakes to my current set up? How long have you used yours for?

[LC]

Your going to have to run the pad close to the rims so you should get an adjustable V-brake noodle, although it is not required it makes releasing the quick tension release to remove your wheel easy. You will also need a new/longer cable along with longer housing.

Changed years ago on one bike and last year on another. I really tried hard to make cantilevers work for the front, trying all sorts of different models and cable straddle lengths and all of them sucked with either not enough stopping power or fork chatter. Putting the cable housing directly on the brake totally bypasses the chatter problem since your no longer depending on a constant length fork under compression. I still use rear cantilevers since you don't need that much power on the rear and the forces that cause the fork chatter is not a problem on the rear.

The mini-V brake not only solves the chatter problem, but it also increases your mechanical advantage so it takes less effort from the brake lever to stop the bike. They are technically meant to work with BMX levers, but road STI levers have enough cable pull if you run the pads close to rims.

[bikedreams]

...Putting the cable housing directly on the brake totally bypasses the chatter problem since your no longer depending on a constant length fork under compression. I still use rear cantilevers since you don't need that much power on the rear and the forces that cause the fork chatter is not a problem on the rear.

That's the reason why cantis have so much trouble? I'd never thunk it. I wonder why are some brands more prone to it than others? Is it just the cheaper models that are prone to it? Are different forks more susceptible to compression? Sorry, don't mean to question your knowledge - it just seems so... weird, I guess?

True on the back wheel - I don't have any issue with brake noise there, either.

Thank you

[krisdrum]

Not sure how that fork is set-up, but if it has a crown hole drilled in it (for mounting fenders) that goes completely through the fork, you could just get a crown-mounted cable stop and solve your chatter problem that way as well. I'd imagine that would be cheaper than a set of mini Vs.

[LC]

Lennard Zinn has a great explanation of brake chatter.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/...o-cross_101807

[bikedreams]

Thank you, LC! I installed a set of 926 AL's, which cost me about $20.00 (with a new cable and housing). The squealing is totally gone, and there is more braking power. Why the hell they don't just spec those brakes to begin with has me totally mystified.

krisdrum - it has a hole drilled through, but I'm not so sure it could be used for a brake. I thank you for responding.

[krisdrum]

Thank you, LC! I installed a set of 926 AL's, which cost me about $20.00 (with a new cable and housing). The squealing is totally gone, and there is more braking power. Why the hell they don't just spec those brakes to begin with has me totally mystified.

krisdrum - it has a hole drilled through, but I'm not so sure it could be used for a brake. I thank you for responding.

Just for clarity, as it seems you've found a set-up that works, I wasn't suggesting putting a brake in the fork crown hole, but a crown-mounted cable stop like this.

[breakaway01]

A crown-mounted cable stop completely fixed my problem with squealing Avid Shorty 6 cantis on a Kona Jake the Snake (steel fork).