# Disc Brake Squeal
**URL:** https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [June 29, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762 "2026-06-29T23:10:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:10pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/1 "2026-06-29T23:10:13Z")
As a retrogrouch I’m contractually obliged to dislike disc brakes.
However, while my daily is in the repair queue, I’ve been commuting on a Focus with Sram Rival hydraulic disc brakes. Just to add some context, this Focus was a hard trash find which I’ve been slowly bringing back to life.
In the dry, everything’s fine. In the wet, the brakes squeal like a banshee. Could this be as simple as the wrong brake pads? What brake pads should I be looking for to reduce the squeal? Could it be another issue? I did bleed the brakes during the repair process, but was never convinced I did it correctly. Although they seem to work fine…just noisy…in the wet.
---
### Author:  [@rolly](https://fixed.org.au/u/rolly)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:15pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/2 "2026-06-29T23:15:03Z")
I have no idea, but is this the bike you grabbed from the verge near my old place?
---
### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/3 "2026-06-29T23:32:26Z")
Well, the one you grabbed from the verge after I told you about it, but you didn’t want it so I took it.
Here’s a picture:
[ ](https://i.postimg.cc/QdghkyZy/IMG-8147.jpg)
---
### Author:  [@jasonc](https://fixed.org.au/u/jasonc)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/4 "2026-06-29T23:39:54Z")
if it’s only happening in the wet it probably just some crap the rotors have collected.
---
### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/5 "2026-06-29T23:40:48Z")
Is that just a rotor clean then? Or the pads too?
---
### Author:  [@rolly](https://fixed.org.au/u/rolly)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:45pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/6 "2026-06-29T23:45:49Z")
haha oh yeah, i remember things… (poorly)
---
### Author:  [@Nobody](https://fixed.org.au/u/Nobody)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/7 "2026-06-29T23:48:35Z")
I’ve got aftermarket Galfer pads for SRAM Level T brakes. They are classed as organic, semi-metallic pads. They squeal in the wet badly. So bad it was embarrassingly loud. I found if I rode around and applied light pad pressure they would get quieter after say a minute. Then progressively added more pressure after a short time, then they became quiet. I know it’s a pain, but maybe you’ll have to dry them like that before you’ll get quiet operation. You can try other pads. Maybe ceramic are better for that if you can get them. But then you should expect to go through rotors because ceramic is often very hard.
---
### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [June 29, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/8 "2026-06-29T23:51:57Z")
> [@Nobody](#):
>
> So bad it was embarrassingly loud.
That’s where I’m at. I tried to apply light pressure to ‘dry’ the brakes when I could see there was a stop up ahead, but didn’t make any difference. In fact, even a light touch would emit a squeal.
---
### Author:  [@rolly](https://fixed.org.au/u/rolly)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2026, 12:16am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/9 "2026-06-30T00:16:28Z")
My Hilux brakes squeal a lot. Also embarrassing.
---
### Author:  [@Zach](https://fixed.org.au/u/Zach)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/10 "2026-06-30T00:25:25Z")
mini blowtorch the rotors and sand the pads
bed in with 10 repeats down a big hill quick stop but not a complete stop
perfect every time
---
### Author:  [@familyguy](https://fixed.org.au/u/familyguy)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/11 "2026-06-30T01:04:50Z")
^This guy discs. Have had success torching and sanding pads to solve ineffectual-ness and noise. Had to resort to changing discs once as turned out they were at or a tiny bit under the minimum thickness recommended. Beefier material seems to squeal less. Think of it as a sort of inbuilt warning system.
---
### Author:  [@Nobody](https://fixed.org.au/u/Nobody)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/12 "2026-06-30T03:29:35Z")
As others have said, for me it was a bit more than drying the disc. I was about to do a steep off-road descent and so I built up the pressure further, slowly, until I was sure I could really haul on the front brake without too much noise. Then went down the hill. Not something I was doing as part of my ride. Something I took time out for.
I was one of the road disc early adopters from about 2009. But I only ride discs on MTBs these days. I seemed to find that front discs don’t appear to like lighter applications without immediate or eventual squealing. Not that rim brakes are immune either. Being able to feather the brakes more is a positive feature of rim brakes IMO.
---
### Author:  [@warthog](https://fixed.org.au/u/warthog)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2026, 8:58am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/13 "2026-06-30T08:58:18Z")
Great hard rubbish find! 😯
Maybe try some different pads.
---
### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/14 "2026-07-01T01:12:25Z")
Do you think something like this would do the job? [Samba Jet Flame Lighter - Bunnings Australia](https://www.bunnings.com.au/samba-jet-flame-lighter_p0657652)
I assume the idea is to burn the muck off.
---
### Author:  [@Zach](https://fixed.org.au/u/Zach)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/15 "2026-07-01T01:25:24Z")
that’ll do it, it’ll burn any contaminates off
---
### Author:  [@familyguy](https://fixed.org.au/u/familyguy)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/16 "2026-07-01T02:59:30Z")
That will work. You’ll see any contaminant moisture boil out of the pad material pretty quick.
I found one of these on a ride, has been great for pad cooking:
> **[Iroda Pro-Torch PT-200 Butane Gas Blow Torch](https://koodak.com.au/collections/torches-accessories/products/iroda-pro-torch-pt-200-butane-gas-blow-torch)**
>
> The Iroda PT-200 butane gas blow torch is a light weight, robust blow torch with a 1300°C flame, making it suitable for a wide variety of tasks from silver soldering or brazing to automotive repairs. It's even ideal for chef use and the 20ml gas tank...
---
### Author:  [@nikcee](https://fixed.org.au/u/nikcee)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/17 "2026-07-03T02:46:52Z")
strong endorsement of this.
try not to handle the rotors too much with greasy hands while reinstalling them too.
---
### Author:  [@warthog](https://fixed.org.au/u/warthog)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2026, 4:07am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/18 "2026-07-03T04:07:11Z")
I dislike riding in the rain, but I also dislike the trainer.
Risked it today and got caught out on Mt Alex.
My discs did make a noise when wet, pretty loud until the water was gone off them.
Road was wet so alternated front rear brakes to avoid just dragging them on the down hill.
They still worked well just noisy briefly. Once the water was gone on initial firm application, they were quiet.
Ultegra 8100 calipers, L05a pads and galfer wave rotors.
---
### Author:  [@Nobody](https://fixed.org.au/u/Nobody)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2026, 3:39am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/19 "2026-07-05T03:39:26Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsxUmKgPw9A)
I just happen to come across this. It’s the start again approach as others have described.
---
### Author:  [@warthog](https://fixed.org.au/u/warthog)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762/20 "2026-07-17T10:20:51Z")
From a disc pad thread on WW. The poster rides a lot;
> [@](#):
>
> I use two models of brake pad:
>
> SwissStop RS - The quietest pads you will ever use. They are silent in dry conditions. They don’t squeal in most wet conditions. They only end up squealing when it’s both wet and freezing. The downside is they don’t last very long at all.
>
> MTX Red - Ceramic pads. Great power, great modulation, great pad life. They are less thermally conductive than other pads so your rotors will get hotter. They squeal a bit when it’s wet, but nowhere near as bad as with metallic pads. Very quiet in dry conditions.
[Next page](https://fixed.org.au/t/disc-brake-squeal/158762.md?page=2)