The International CBX Owners Association

Hi all,

This is to keep you posted about my ongoing work to get the squealing out of my '80 front brakes:



Have taken the calipers off for replacing shims and return springs on both sides with new ones (these are expensive!), removed the copper grease from the back of the pads and replaced by the spray-on automotive rubbery compound.



Flattened / sanded the disk end of the pads to remove any glasing, again made sure that all components were clean, greased where necessary & moving freely before refitting the calipers.



After that, have taken the bike for a ride of some 1.5 hrs with quite some stop and go, and it was completely quiet. For once no people staring at stoplights for the wrong reasons .



Continued my happy ride and nearly back to base, first there was a little sueal, two stops later ieeeeee - the squeal is back again #$@#$E##^%.



Back to the drawing board again. Given the result of grinding / sanding the disks or pads (no squealing for one or two rides) following might still be done:



- Machining the disks. The shop who can do this, is reluctant for disk tolerance, but I am prepared to consider now



- Changing the new OEM Honda pads by softer compound. Have called around but got some conflicting advice on soft / hard compound pads. Could someone on the board advise?



- The bike has done some 11.000 miles so I would not expect the calipers to be worn. Could it be that the sitting of the pads may be loose in the caliper housing?

Have taken apart & reassembled some other makes of calipers on different Jap bikes and was able to remove squeal successfully.

Never found such a loose pad fit before refitting the calipers as for the CBX. Also the need for shims on each back side of the pads may indicate something in this respect. Not to keen on replacing the calipers though.



The softer brake pads may be the next logical step. Would much appreciate any useful tips on compound, anti squeal add-ons etc.



Also, other info still welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have you tried gaskets? Lay a pad on some posterboard (single ply medium weight cardboard -- the stuff the stiffeners in underwear packages is made of), trace out the shape, include holes for the retaining pins so they won't fall out, and I bet that will do it. Always has for me and for my customers. Oh, alomst forgot -- the gaskets go behind the pads, on both sides. Don't glue them on.

Mike,

Thanks for the tip - will try this out.

Should the metal shims that are now at the back of each pad remain in place, or will the gaskets replace?

Leave 'em.

Frank,

On my 81 that I bought in Feb. of this year it squealed so bad it made you second guess appling the brakes, which is really not recommended. I had a friend at work tell me that he always uses EBC to minimize any squealing and so I thought I'd give it a try and sure enough it's quiet but will very occasionally give up a slight chirp when almost stopped. I also have EBC on the back of my 80 but SBS on the front and the EBC is always quiet whereas the SBS squeal some. It should also be noted that the EBC's do not have the initial bite and require a firmer grab of the lever than do the SBS or the oE Honda's that were on the 81. Just my .02.



Steve P. #5220

If you get poor results with all of the advice, you might try a set of Galfer pads. Check with 'sales@cyclebrakes.com'; FD054. They cleared up a squeal problem I had on my bike's (82) front brakes without any other efforts.

Thanks to all for your tips.



A last one for Jim-Jim, if there are different types of Galfer pads available for the CBX, which have you used.