7 years later this video is still helping people like me. Thank you! Not only did I fix my bike but it boosted my confidence and put a smile on my face saving money. Thank you GCN
I spent half an hour watching videos on how to adjust disc brakes and fiddling with my bike to no avail, this one was bang on and 1 minute to watch 1st method, under 1 minute to try it on the bike and fixed perfectly! Thanks very much.
Your 30 seconds explanation for the first step is much better than watching the entire video of ~10mins for the same problem on another youtube channels. Thanks for saving our time. Solved my problem :)
Bleeded my breaks for the first time, created a huge mess but I learned a few things. Besides the oil needed replacement. Played with my pistons as well (sadly with a metal butter-knife ;() and cleaned it a tad as well. Nothing worked. Asked my mom to bring me my toolkit when she visited me recently in my dorms. But then: Played with the calipers as recommended in this video and I can finally ride my bike again, that solved my problem. Thank you very much. Next ride I'ma cheer for you GCN, aight dope.
I am so grateful to stumble upon this 10-year-old video. The first method worked like a charm. I had a new bike with a major disk rub, and wallah, it's fixed!
First method was the same for me - worked like a charm! Had this issue on a brand new bike built by Halfords. Panicked a bit but this was a nice easy fix. Thanks guys as always! 😎
First method worked for me! But not until I had my front wheel ELEVATED. I tried it a couple of times with my bike on the ground, and the rubbing got worse. The second I stood my bike up on its back wheel to keep the front wheel elevated, worked like a charm!
Omg. After 10 mins of trying to make minor tweaks to how the wheel hub quick release was, and making it better/worse/way worse, the first attempt at your first fix worked perfectly. THANK YOU!
This video is more helpful than 40% of the bike shops in my town. One told me I had two bent rotor (both straight out of the package). Went home, applied step 1, then step 2, then step 1 again, and poof--quiet as a mouse. If anyone else is having troubles, be sure to put the bike on a stand or flip it upside down while you work.
Spectacular! Ordered a Breezer Radar Expert on the internets and had to put the front brake on the frame. On the first ride, I was greeted with an annoying rhythmic "tick-tick-tick" that I traced to the rotor. Took 30 seconds to sort out after watching this. Thanks!
Second one worked for me. Thank you so much. I didn't even have to remove the pads. On my brakes, the pistons are slightly proud of the pads and I could get my tire tool on the edge to push them back. Awesome video. Thanks again.
New bike and was tempted to go back to the shop. Saved myself a journey with the slacken the mount tip. Had to do it a couple of times, But absolutely no rub whatsoever. Thankyou!!!!!
Fixed my rubbing break problem! That constant rub and squeak was going to push me off a ledge!! For those where neither method works, do a combination of both. That’s what worked for me. I first reset the brake pistons (without removing the brake pads), then I put the wheel back in place (don’t touch the brake lever yet). Then follow the first tip where you loosen the bolts on the caliper and pull the brake lever. The brake lever should be really loose at this point, tighten the bolts again. After that you might have to pull the lever a few times to get the pistons extended the right distance. Not only did it get rid of the squeak, my braking force and brake lever are very tight again. Like new!
Thanks! Recently got my first disc-brake bike so had no experience with them. Holding the brake method didn't work for me, but knowing which bolts do what allowed me to visually line up the disc between the pads. :)
omg the solution on unloosening the bolts while holding the brake in, savvved me, i bought this ebike i have and the front tire was rubbing, i couldn't figure out why, so riding it was like murder but its what i commute to and from work with, so today i did this solution and it solved my problem and it was soo easy!! it put a smile on my face and boosted my confidence level too thank you for your awesome easy explained video it soo helped me!
Removing the pads did it for me, I pressed the brake with tyre off and that made them come closer, resulting in contact no matter how many times I centred the brake by adjusting the screws. After removing the pads and opening up the gap the wheel started spinning freely. Thanks for the video!
Oh you sneaky GCN! You guys are spying on me! This happened to me yesterday. I'm gonna bring my bike close to my computer so I can fix this. Thank you!
Much appreciate the info. I just received my Feedback Pro-Elite Bike Repair Stand and noticed my front rotor was rubbing. This video was extremely helpful, Thanks.
For anyone watching this but having no success with the two suggestions, scroll down to the person who said they used thin pieces of cardboard to fix it - this solution was what eventually worked for me. After loosening the two hex bolts as shown, slot in your thin cardboard and then squeeze the handle and tighten the nuts back up again. Remove cardboard. Instant fix for me.
I am a beginner mtbiker, and after seeing your video on how to fix a front disc brake from rubbing the 1st time/try I actually surprised myself. Excellent info. Hope to see more in the near future.
This worked perfectly... I initially thought the problem was a warped rotor.... 2 minute job and working perfectly... I didn't realise how much rub there was... Cheers guys
Read this if none of these are working!! Tear two tiny pieces of thin cardboard from literally anything you can find i used a cigarette pack LOL put them at either side of the break disc inside the break pad so it is alligned while you tighten it and WALA!!
This sorted it out perfectly on my new bike, first one with disc brakes. I was going to take it back to the shop to fix it at the weekend but I now know how to look after them in future.
With my stock Giant P-X2 wheels, the 1st method worked great. I got a new DT Swiss wheelset with new rotors and cassette and I couldn't get rid of the rotor rub with either method. I had to do a manual caliper alignment as follows. I ended up loosening the two bolts on the disc caliper from the frame and visually checking the spacing between the rotor and brake pad making sure to start with an even space on either side of the rotor and the brake pad. I'd tighten each bolt a little bit and as with each turn, the caliper would shift left/right (depending if I was tightening or loosening the bolt). So the process was hold the caliper firmly with one hand trying to keep it still, tighten one bolt a bit, spin wheel and listen for rub, move caliper to the left if tightening the bolt was moving the caliper to the right and repeat until fully tightened on both bolts. It was quite the process, but eventually there was no more rotor rub. Cue sigh of relief.
I JUST HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM TODAY WITH MY REAR CALIPER. I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE PISTONS IS PROTRUDING TOO MUCH. I WAS PLANNING TO TAKE IT TO THE NEARBY BIKE MECHANIC TOMORROW, BUT AFTER I WATCHED THIS VIDEO I HAVE DECIDED TO FIX IT MYSELF. THANKS A LOT!
Got a third option worth to try if like me, neither of these options worked for you, the first method did nothing and the second I didn't seem to have any pistons to push back!? I have a Pinnacle lithium 3 and the way the wheel seems to be bolted is on a spring and it seems that whatever side you tighten you can adjust the lateral direction of the wheel, so if hold still the non allen key side and tighten the allen key side you get a different result to if you do the opposite, managed to play around with this and stop if from rubbing. Hope this helps someone!
Thank you man this was helpful got a really good deal on a bike a couple of day ago and had the same problem, and was thinking of returning the bicycle thinking it was something and this worked at the first method
Just wanted to say thanks, helpful video and very concise. Brakes were playing up having just got my bike out of storage and now fixed and funning smoothly.
Thank you so much. I spent like 2 hours thinking it was my disc brake that was warped. Turns out one of the pistons was slightly out of place but it made a huge difference.
