JK> The funny part is, after the rims were all buffed off so nary a 
 JK> trace of the WD40 remained, the brakes seem _better_! They used to 
 JK> be kinda jarring, but now I stop just as quickly, but more smoothly.
I think what was happening was that your brakes were grabbing due to 
improper toe-in. The front part of the brake should contact the rim before 
the back does. Visualize what happens as the brake hits the rim. Since the 
rim is moving it is trying to pull the brake forward. If the front hits 
first this causes the back to follow against the rim. However, if the back 
hits first it will INcrease the angle, such that only the very tail end of 
the brake is contacting the wheel. Since the contact area is so small, and 
since the rim is hardly perfectly smooth, especially on a cheap bike, you 
tend to get intermittent on/off cycles. Gently bend the metal such that 
the front of the pad hits first, or else try to bevel the pads on some 
sand paper, etc. 
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 * Freddie 1.2.5 *  The best tool for the repair of a PC is a hammer.
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