My disc brake rub fix backfired hard on a group ride last Saturday

Tried to fix a warped rotor by bending it back with a crescent wrench, figured it was good enough. On a 40 mile ride in Austin, it started screeching so loud at mile 12 that people two blocks back heard it. Ended up having to take the caliper off completely and ride with no front brake for the last 28 miles. Anyone else learn the hard way that rotor truing tools are worth the $30?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicajohnson23d ago

Goodness, that sounds like a real mess. One thing that doesn't get talked about enough is that sometimes a warped rotor is actually a sign of a sticky caliper piston or a bent axle. I've seen folks spend hours trying to true a rotor that was perfectly fine, only to find out the real problem was a seized piston pushing the pads unevenly. Might be worth checking your caliper for smooth movement before you go spending money on a tool you might not even need.

joelp8120d ago

Yo, did you check the caliper alignment too? Cause I had almost the exact same thing happen on a ride near Houston. I bent my rotor back with pliers cause I was cheap and lazy, and it seemed fine for like two rides. Then on a long downhill section it started screaming like a banshee and I had to stop and loosen the caliper bolts just to get home. Turned out the rotor wasnt even that warped, but my caliper was slightly crooked from the factory and even a tiny wobble made it rub bad once the pads bedded in. Lesson learned - now I always check the caliper first with a business card trick before touching the rotor.