Cure for shreaking rear brake?

[Slater1601]

Are the GS' plagued with a shreaky rear brake? Every GS I've ever seen has had this problem. Whats the fix for it?

[Egaeus]

The consensus here seems to be proper alignment of the rear wheel.

[TragicImage]

i put on Galfer pads, and mine stopped....


My rear wheel is also almost never perfectly aligned.





All that being said... keep it clean too... and I could just be very lucky.

[gsmetal]

"Sound" is caused by vibration so your squeeling brakes are getting some vibration from somewhere.

This could be anything from dust getting past the piston dust seals, bad pads (more accuratly the back of the pads) or a combination of both.

I would take the caliper apart, clean or replace the pistons, replace the seals, replace the pads and put "anti-squeel" on the back of the pads (available at your local auto parts store) that should do the trick.

[gsJack]

The rear brake squeel was added by Suzuki so you could quickly locate all other GS500 riders in the area.   

In the 125k miles I've put on the two GS500s, I've had both no squeel and extremly loud squeel like I had yesterday.  My 2nd set of rear HH pads have only 2k miles on them and the squeel got real bad.  I pulled the rear caliper, checked it over, and there was still much lining left as expected.  Put it back on and it hardly squeeled today.  Maybe a bit of something in there that fell out, I don't know but it's OK for now.  Thinking about changing the pads when I put on the new chain that just arrived.  By the way, I did pop the pistons and clean them up like new when I put the HH pads on as I always do when putting on new pads now.

When the first set of rear pads on the first GS started squeeling, I changed to the EBC Kevlar (organic) pads that had helped the front brake squeel on my Hondas for years and there was much improvement.  And the squeel was much less with the few sets of the EBC organic pads I used after that.  Type of pad material can make a big difference in squeel. 

I tried altering wheel alighnment a couple times and also found it could help reduce rear brake squeel too.  Particularly when squeel develops after changing the rear tire or putting on a new chain, etc.

When I replaced my front tire about 3k miles ago, I discovered the front HH pads were worn out early so I got some Emgo pads from the place I get tires and put them on.  I really like them, a soft smooth feel with very good grip.  No idea how long the will last yet but I think I'll try a pair on the back too when I put the chain on.  I may or may not be getting too old to need those HH pads now, but I definetly am too old to listen to the squeeling all day long like they were squeeling yesterday!.

[The Antibody]

I have never had a squeel. You are talking like lifetime brake pad squeel and such?

  -Anti 

[ben2go]

Mine squealed like a teenage girl at a boy band concert.I took my caliper off and cleaned it with dish soap and water.I replaced the little metal shims,and put in EBC 129HH pads.No squeal,no more.Also check the rear wheel alignment and chain tension.

[bugcool]

 I use a laser to align the rear & only get a squeek when going real slow, like almost stoped.    Theres a post a few pages back on the laser & where to get one. Makes it a 30sec job.

[mattress]

The consensus here seems to be proper alignment of the rear wheel.

That's what caused mine.  When I bought the bike, the previous owner told me, and showed me the squeeling rear brakes.  He said he'd tried everything but couldn't get it to stop.  I figured I could live with it, or attempt to fix it myself.

It took a little bit of work.  I tried taking the brake pads off, sanding them down a little to get the glazing off, buying that "anti-squeel" compound to put on the back of the pad, bleeding the brakes, etc etc etc.

Then I came to this forum looking for help, and everyone said the same thing.. rear wheel alignment.  Not being very mechanically inclined, and intimidated I didn't put much consideration into it...  I just looked at the tick marks on the swing arms, and they were both in the same spot.  I eventually came upon a link on the "string method" of aligning the rear wheel...  Basically you get a long piece of yarn or twine long enough to go from the back of the bike, up around the front tire, and back around the bike again.  Just prop the bike up as straight as possible.. I used a piece of brick under the side stand, and just got down on my belly and eye balled it until I got it nice and straight.  Squeek is almost non existant!

After all this, the squeeling my not go away immediatly, because the pad has to wear into the new angle or whatever