My front brakes were making a squeaking noise on and off on my motorcycle so I changed the front brake pads (in which they needed to be changed bc the pads were shiny)... and now they squeak and squeal even worse! High pitch noise. And I don't even have to be pressing on the brakes for them to squeal, I can hear it going 45 mph! What's going on here? Btw the rotor is smooth/no ridges. Best answer, 10 pts! Thanks
Well it isn't really a squeal it is a very rapid vibration of the pads in the calipers that are making that sound. What you need is the anti-squeal compound that you put between the backing plate of the brake pads and the calipers and the vibration (squeal) will stop.
You should always lube the bearing surfaces of the caliper when you change the brake pads on any vehicle - motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc. The bearing surface on most motorcycle brakes is the two pins that run through the caliper and pads. You can use specially formulated stuff if you like, but they get moly grease from the factory and that's what is generally recommended. Just a thin coating and rub it around with your finger. You can get a normal person's lifetime supply can from OReilly for $5. Make sure it's moly grease, and not white lithium or some other type. It will be black and have an odd odor. Other than that, some pads come with a coating on them that has to be worn off and will squeak for the first few uses. Especially budget ones made out of cheaper compounds. I always spend the extra money for EBC on my bikes and Wagner on my trucks.
