Brake Pad Squeal

[TurboSlacker]

I've changed my front brake pads numerous times and still get squealing noise after a while. I've used every type of Raybestos pads. Only the ceramics stayed quiet, but had horrible brake fade. Yes, I had my rotors turned but it didn't help.

Wonder if my calipers are dragging a bit and causing too much heat or if my original stock rotors simply need to be replaced.

Ideas ?

 

[MY85pontiac]

i used raybestos and i like their products but i HATE the noises they make.

for example their brutestop pads were so irritating i couldnt wait to get another set of pads. i hated them. i generally find sometimes brakes are just gonna make noise. right now i have a set of bendix pads on along with new rotors. initially they made a bunch of noise and i thought it would never stop but now they are quiet as a church mouse. and i really like the pads, very little fade and they seem to last a really long time! i dont use any anti squeeling stuff or anything. i dont believe in it and it just makes a mess of everything and it looks ugly after awhile.

MAYBE they're dragging but thats normal and i seriously thats causing the noise. brake noise seems to be a hit and miss thing, sometimes its there and sometimes its not. try bendix, they seem to make the less noise that ive seen and experienced for myself.

 

[tim87tr]

I think the ceramic ones I bought from AutoZone were Performance brand. Anyway they were quite from the start and have excellent braking on stock rotors. Mmmm...the Powerslot rotors look nice, only $110 each

 

[Jeff Rand]

Hate to say this but the pads from GM might fix your problem. I heard it has to do with the rate of expansion and matching up the correct material for the application.
Jeff

 

[Racer X]

Just a couple of thoughts here. Are the pads metalic or semi metalic? Those pads will be noisy. Some metalic pads will stay noisy whereas others will get quieter as you bed them in. Are you putting the anti-squeek lube on the calipers?

 

[BarnesGN]

You might want to check to see if your rotors are warped.
Yes you've had them turned but still check thats proably it.

 

[gnjim3]

tim87tr................
I concur with him on the "performance friction" lifetime warranty pads...NO SQUEAKING!!

 

[tim87tr]

Originally posted by gnjim3
tim87tr................
I concur with him on the "performance friction" lifetime warranty pads...NO SQUEAKING!!

Yep, that's the brand because I bought the carbon metallic first, then returned them and bought the Ceramic. My stock front rotors are warped, and they are still quiet and stop the car very well, especially compared to stock pads

 

[TurboSlacker]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm using semi-metallic pads. The Raybestos Brute Stop pads were really noisy, so I switched to Super Stops. I like the performance but they're still a little noisy under certain pressures.

One thing I've never quite been clear on...how do you apply the anti-squeak lube? I've put a thin layer on the metal part on the back of the pads. Am I suppose to put it on the calipers ?

I really liked the ceramics the most. Excellent feel and ZERO noise. Why did I experience so much brake fade? Very scary at high speeds.

 

[6PacktoGo]

I'm using the Performance Friction Carbon Metallic pads on both of my G body cars (one has B body spindles) and on my last generation F body. No noise and no fade. They do however turn the wheels black when you drive hard.

I apply the anti squeak adhesive and then stake my pads by having someone step on the brakes while I pry the pad up from the rotor towards the top of the caliper and use a hammer to form the tabs on the pads to fit the calipers.

Regarding fade issues, some of the high end pad materials require a certain finish on the rotors and burnishing during breakin. If the finish is wrong, or the rotor and pad glaze due to improper breakin you'll never get rid of the fade.

 

[pat83t]

Brake squeal is actually do to the brake pad vibrating against the piston that pushes it. Your best bet is to use the CRC orange anti-squeal. Put a small amount on the back right were the pad will sit against the piston. Let it set up for a little bit so that it starts to tack up. Then put the pads in place. Make sure when you push the piston back in that you open the bleeder and push the fluid out there. Some people just remove the cap and push it back in but if there is any debris behind the piston you just contaminate the rest of your fluid. If the squeal continues, bevel the edge of the pad.

 

[tim87tr]

Originally posted by pat83t
Brake squeal is actually do to the brake pad vibrating against the piston that pushes it. Make sure when you push the piston back in that you open the bleeder and push the fluid out there. Some people just remove the cap and push it back in but if there is any debris behind the piston you just contaminate the rest of your fluid. If the squeal continues, bevel the edge of the pad.

Maybe to add to this is the fact that I added new calipers since they were only about $15 each with trade-in. You can also get new srping clips that hold the pad to the inside of the piston. All these tips may help out TurboSlacker

 

[dpok69]

I have raybestos ceramic pads. And i also agree, they have horrible brake fade. I am gonna try the performance friction pads next time.

Do you guys think i need a new rotors. When i press on the brake nowadays, the car vibrates like crazy. Also when the car is rolling i hear noises coming from the front wheels, maybe bearings. Can the rotors be machined if they are warped? They are only one year old.0

 

[2quiktocare]

BRAKE NOIOSE

Brake noise is due to either pad vibration, or a connected component vibrating when pressure is applied. Over my years (to damn many to think about) I have seen many things cause vibration. Most is due to improper pad compound. As Jeff said, the most likely fix is going with a GM pad formulated for that particular application. The most common pad GM used to have was a D-52 . The aftermarket had one compound for that number, while GM had over 50 compounds in that configuration of pad puck. Depended on use of the application. If you use aftermarket pads to improve weak stopping, you have a slight price to pay, noise. Make sure you use new mounting hardware and guides. Check your mounting surfaces for the calipers as they do wear and will cause slop resulting in vibration, ie. noise. Use proper lube on all caliper/mount contact points. Make sure you check your calipers for smooth function. If the piston is not applying pressure equally on the pads, that will give you a noise.
I'm sure there are many more good ideas out here also. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mark

 

[Chuck Leeper]

My $.02

I see several problems showing up when doing the "brake squeel cure".
1. The ceramic pads are designed to work when hot, as in road racing and stock cars. A cold ceramic pad will have significantly less stopping power.
2. Some of the new, semi metallics call for some repeated hard applications after installation to get the pads seated. I notice when I use the AutoZone pads, that the instructions tell you that.
The first couple apps and they nearly won't stop.. gets MUCH better after 6-8 stops.
3. Heavy drag on the rotors is caused by the O'rings and little sleeves in the calipers being worn or crudded up.
4. When I replace the rotors, I ALWAYS look for rotors made in either the USA or Canada.. The import stuff is JUNK..They WILL warp and turning them does little good.
Some guys have the new rotors skim cut to be sure they are strait. I've not done that.. It may work.
5. The idea of bevelling the edges has already been mentioned and works sometimes. I have also filed a "v" groove in the pad face. This is an OLD GM engineering trik we used on the Vegas, as they had BAD noise problems..

Back under my rock..

 

[dpok69]

Yes, the rotors i have were most likey made in china. I told the guy to put in the cheapest rotors he could because i had plans go to 12 inch fbody brake conversion which i ended up not coming around to do yet.
Since my car is a daily driver i will have to get them replaced with better rotors. I was thinking about crossdrilled ones from a good company. Maybe even the autozone ones.

 

[TurboSlacker]

Tried chamfering my existing Raybestos pads and greased everything - no improvement. Still noisy.

Gave up on Raybestos products and went with Performance Friction. Problem solved! No more noise, great feel and excellent stopping power. I'll live with the extra dust and clean my wheels more frequently. Although they really don't put out any more dust than the Raybestos PG Plus, SuperStop or BruteStops.

 

[dpok69]

I just changed my rotors, bearings, and installed Performance Friction carbon Metalic pads (by accident, i was supposed to have got the ceramic ones). Now no more vibration. The pads come already chamfered nicely.

I did this service myself for the first time. Not as hard as i thought it would be. I had a hayes brake manual assist me, since i am only a weekend mechanic.