newbie to disk brakes

Was a dirty rotor really the reason for poor breaking? I find just having a fiddle with the adjustments can do the world of good. Most impurities get burnt off when you break so go down a sick hill and ride the breaks.
If your going to clean your rotors or pads, use Isopropyl Alcohol...its found in those alcoholic swabs you get when before you recieve an injection or whatever. People all have thier own techniques for cleaning breaks but the manual for my Hayes recommends Isopropyl.
Hope that helps!

well i already did it and now they are squeling really bad

Hummm...bugger.
Is there anything knowticeable on the rotor or the pads???
Try rubbing back like a mm off the pads using the alcohol using a rag, then wash it all off with water. Make sure you saturate the rotor and the pads. Then take it for a spin and see how that works.

Warm water and detergant may work as well but dont hold that one against me 😕

daylight99 said:

well i already did it and now they are squeling really bad

Buy some new pads, and refit. Put a small blob of copper grease on the back of the pad as this should stop them squealing. don't use any other grease as this will work it's way round to the front of the pad - good luck

So you mean in between the back of the pad and the magnet that holds them in place yeah? Never heard of it to be honest. Ill try it as my brakes have been a bit musical lately. Cheers man.

AngoXC said:

So you mean in between the back of the pad and the magnet that holds them in place yeah? Never heard of it to be honest. Ill try it as my brakes have been a bit musical lately. Cheers man.

Yep, where the piston pushes on the back of the pad;and it doesn't just seem to me that does it

http://www.whatmtb.com/trailtipsdetails.asp?id=71

They say high temp grease, but copper grease is high temp grease, it works for me, still get the odd little 'yelp', but i think thats more pad contamination in bad weather, but my brakes used to howl! Good luck with it