[SFCyclist]

First the disclaimer: I’m a newbie to wrenching.

And now the question: After replacing the rear brake pads on my Ultegra brakes, there is now a loud scratching sound whenever braking. Any idea what is causing this and how to remedy the problem?

A couple of things I've confirmed\tried:

a) Confirmed the left and right pads are affixed to correct shoe holder and fully seated.
b) Confirmed the shoe holders are not rubbing against the rims.
c) On someone's recommendation, rubbed sand paper on the pads.
d) Cleaned the rims.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

You might take a look at the way the pads align with the rims. They should be ever-so-slightly toed in. If they're not, very, very, very gently try to bend the so that they are. Aluminum does not like to bend & can break easily. If you feel uncomfortable with this, have your lbs do it. Gently sanding the pads is a good idea. I'd use a fine or very fine sandpaper. Try cleaning the braking surfaces of the rims with steel wool. Don't be afraid to rub them pretty hard.

BTW, I'm assuming the rims are aluminum. If they're CF, I wouldn't mess with them. Specific brake pads are made just for use with CF rms. You didn't get those, did you?

 

[djg21]

You might take a look at the way the pads align with the rims. They should be ever-so-slightly toed in. If they're not, very, very, very gently try to bend the so that they are. Aluminum does not like to bend & can break easily. If you feel uncomfortable with this, have your lbs do it. Gently sanding the pads is a good idea. I'd use a fine or very fine sandpaper. Try cleaning the braking surfaces of the rims with steel wool. Don't be afraid to rub them pretty hard.

BTW, I'm assuming the rims are aluminum. If they're CF, I wouldn't mess with them. Specific brake pads are made just for use with CF rms. You didn't get those, did you?

What kind of brakepads are you using? I've never encountered a brakepad issue that wasn't resolved by chucking the OEM shimano pads and replacing them with kool-stop pads. for regular rims, use the salmon colored ones. They also make ceramic and carbon-compatible pads. They are much quieter and provide better braking than the crap shimano sells.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Metal chips in the pads?

After replacing the rear brake pads on my Ultegra brakes, there is now a loud scratching sound whenever braking. Any idea what is causing this and how to remedy the problem?

Assuming the pads are contacting the rim correctly and squarely, the most likely thing is that you have small chips of metal imbedded in the pads. A close visual inspection will tell you if this is the case, and if so, pick them out.

 

[SFCyclist]

Shimano Dura Ace pads

I'm using Shimano Dura Ace pads. I've thrown out the packaging but think I remember seeing the phrase "ceramic pads"; could these pads be exclusive for ceramic rims and, if so, the cause of the problem?

 

[djg21]

I'm using Shimano Dura Ace pads. I've thrown out the packaging but think I remember seeing the phrase "ceramic pads"; could these pads be exclusive for ceramic rims and, if so, the cause of the problem?

Yes. Ceramic pads are made from a harder compound. IME, shimano ceramic pads tend to be very noisy, even with ceramic rims.

Buy some of the Koolstop Salmon pads