DIAGNOSE

What's wrong with your brakes?

Match your symptom to one of four common faults. Each links to the right fix.

Problem	What you see / hear	Cause	Fix	Difficulty
Worn Pads	The most common fault — the wear line is gone and the rubber has hardened.	Normal friction wears the rubber until the molded line disappears.	Replace the pads. Don't wait until the metal backing touches the rim.	EASY
Squeal	A high-pitched scream when you brake, usually contamination or bad toe-in.	Oil on the rim or pads, glazed rubber, or pads hitting the rim flat.	Clean the rim with alcohol, sand the pads, and set the toe-in.	MEDIUM
Poor Braking	The lever pulls to the bar but the wheel barely slows.	Pad gap too wide, stretched cable, or worn-out pads.	Adjust the barrel adjuster, tighten the cable, or replace pads.	MEDIUM
Uneven Wear	One pad wears faster than the other; the wheel pulls to one side.	Caliper arms not parallel or uneven spring tension.	Balance the spring-tension screws; if arms are bent, replace the caliper.	CALL A PRO

The most common fault — the wear line is gone and the rubber has hardened.

A high-pitched scream when you brake, usually contamination or bad toe-in.

The lever pulls to the bar but the wheel barely slows.

One pad wears faster than the other; the wheel pulls to one side.

Jump to the fix guide and follow the illustrated steps.