Noisy Brake Pads

[GregoXB]

I installed EBC rear brake pads on the XB and they are quite squeaky. Is there another option out there that is OEM or as close to OEM as possible?

 

[Simplymichaeljr]

Did you go through the "breaking in" or "embedding" process. Might also try cleaning up the rotor with scotch Brite. I have EBC on my front brakes and never experienced a squeak. That might do away with the squeaking you're hearing. I just ordered and installed the cheapest rear pads you can find on flea bay--no issues. I'll wait to upgrade pads when I upgrade rotor and do the hidden rear brake.

 

[user_deleted]

EBC from england arguably the finest motorcycle pads in the world. they do not squeak or squeal. ever. incorrect installation is the problem....not the pads.

 

[GregoXB]

Did you go through the "breaking in" or "embedding" process. Might also try cleaning up the rotor with scotch Brite. I have EBC on my front brakes and never experienced a squeak. That might do away with the squeaking you're hearing. I just ordered and installed the cheapest rear pads you can find on flea bay--no issues. I'll wait to upgrade pads when I upgrade rotor and do the hidden rear brake.

I scrubbed the hell out of the rotor with scotch brite and then bedded them in ferociously, nosie has gone away..... thank you....

 

[GregoXB]

Update: The squeaking returned almost right away. I removed the EBC pads and installed OEM brake pads. The rear brakes are now quite as a church mouse.

 

[Cooter]

Sanding brake disks is a terrible idea (unless you are getting pulsing from an improper bedding procedure). Sanding them un-does what they NEED, which is some pad material transferred to the rotor surface. That will make them last and be effective for the life of the pads.

Overheating the brakes, especially when they are new during the bedding process will almost guarantee pulsing, ineffective material transfer, and usually noise as a by product of them not working well.

Bedding the pads is mandatory for proper brake performance, but bedding them "ferociously" will cause issues immediately. There should never be enough heat to make them smoke, do not stop during the process, let them cool completely afterwards.

I don't work there or anything, but I have never had a problem with EBC pads. Including noise. If the noise comes back, remove the caliper and clean all the old brake dust off it around the pad mounting area, very, very, well. Do that right and 99% of the time it will fix noise issues.

 

[GregoXB]

Sanding brake disks is a terrible idea (unless you are getting pulsing from an improper bedding procedure). Sanding them un-does what they NEED, which is some pad material transferred to the rotor surface. That will make them last and be effective for the life of the pads.

Overheating the brakes, especially when they are new during the bedding process will almost guarantee pulsing, ineffective material transfer, and usually noise as a by product of them not working well.

Bedding the pads is mandatory for proper brake performance, but bedding them "ferociously" will cause issues immediately. There should never be enough heat to make them smoke, do not stop during the process, let them cool completely afterwards.

I don't work there or anything, but I have never had a problem with EBC pads. Including noise. If the noise comes back, remove the caliper and clean all the old brake dust off it around the pad mounting area, very, very, well. Do that right and 99% of the time it will fix noise issues.

IDK, I am running EBC pads with a Braking Wave rotor up front, no problems ever. The combo of the OEM rotor and the EBC pads in the rear just never worked for me. OEM pads with OEM rotor though.... :up::up::up: Like butter.

 

[BuellyBagger]

My rear squeaks too with the ebc' s, but I chalked that up to me likely not bedding the rear as well as the front... stock rotors both ends.

 

[Cooter]

It is hard to get the rear bedded properly. For me, I don't really use it that often (ever) to know where it's limits are. I honestly used a temp gun in a OWB holster to check it while riding:applause: Ya overkill, I know.....

All my Buells have had notoriously bad rear brakes.

 

[Outlaw]

Rear brakes..... rarely use it. Agreed ^^^^

 

[GregoXB]

My rear squeaks too with the ebc' s, but I chalked that up to me likely not bedding the rear as well as the front... stock rotors both ends.

That was about my situation as well, but I bedded both the EBC and the OEM replacements about the same way. Yet the OEM replacement pads are silent. Maybe we got a bad batch of rear pads? How long ago did you get your EBCs?

Rear brakes..... rarely use it. Agreed ^^^^

I'm a 70/30 brake user. By the book :loyal: My MSS instructor would be so proud of me.

 

[BuellyBagger]

How long ago did you get your EBCs

2 years ago if I had to guess? The chances of them being from the same production run even if we bought them the same time are pretty slim.. I can't imagine anything being "bad" about them causing them to squeak either. Just coincidence

 

[Mesozoic]

I've got EBC pads on the rear of my 12Ss and when I replaced them I also replaced the rotor... because it was below min thickness. I used an EBC rotor as well, no noise, works good. Going to try Ferodo ST front brakes on the ZTL2 next, we'll see how that works.

 

[Cooter]

Do that Mesozoic!: I've ridden both, but never back-to-back so it was hard to tell the difference. I just swapped to a ZTL2 on the STT and only did the caliper and OEM pads to see what happened. Hated it. Way too soft a lever. Couldn't even ride it.

So I upgraded to a 19mm 'radial' master cylinder from an EBR 1190 and remote reservoir. (I think the stock master for the stock ZTL2 is 19mm). WOW! what a difference! Very, Very happy.

I got the caliper with pads from SPHDonline.com brand new on sale for super cheap.

 

[GregoXB]

2 years ago if I had to guess? The chances of them being from the same production run even if we bought them the same time are pretty slim.. I can't imagine anything being "bad" about them causing them to squeak either. Just coincidence

True lol. I got mine off Amazon about a year ago, roughly when I started this thread. For $60 I really wanted to make those rear EBCs work, but the screeching noise was unbearable. I am one of those people that has a visceral response from screeching noises like nails on a chalk board. Plus the fellas I ride with were not big fans either. So for me, I had to do something about it.

Do that Mesozoic!: I've ridden both, but never back-to-back so it was hard to tell the difference. I just swapped to a ZTL2 on the STT and only did the caliper and OEM pads to see what happened. Hated it. Way too soft a lever. Couldn't even ride it.

So I upgraded to a 19mm 'radial' master cylinder from an EBR 1190 and remote reservoir. (I think the stock master for the stock ZTL2 is 19mm). WOW! what a difference! Very, Very happy.

I got the caliper with pads from SPHDonline.com brand new on sale for super cheap.

I love the bite of my Front EBC pads. Combined with the Braking Wave rotor, it is a vast improvement over the softer stock set up. Even for street riding, they provide much more confidence and shorter stopping distances. On the rear, for street riding, IMO, the EBCs may have been a little overkill. Aside from mine screeching, they certainly bit harder then the stock pads and they could lock up the rear without much effort. The OEM pads are noticeably softer and require quite a bit more force from my foot before they lock up. Perhaps, a good thing in the rear?