Squeaky Brakes

[850CSi]

My car's over 13K miles now and I get that sound from my braking often now... Should changing my brake pads when I take it in for maintenance take care of it?

[850CSi]

Hmmmm some quick research on E90 post says it could be because BMWs have a bad brake dust habit and after accumulating on my wheels dust could be making its way back to the rotors...

Whatever, I'll clean my wheels and have the pads taken care of when I take it in anyways since it's free.

[S204STi]

I don't know what the brake warranty is with BMW, but with VW is it remarkably short, like 10k miles, so it may not be covered under warranty, but at least mention it when you bring it in.  There may be some service bulletin with upgraded parts or a specific proceedure for eliminating the noise.

I know with current gen Frontiers, Pathfinders, and I think Xterras there is a problem with brake squeak.  The fix is new pads and shims, and in the case of the Pathfinder new rear caliper brackets.

[AutobahnSHO]

I know with current gen Frontiers, Pathfinders, and I think Xterras there is a problem with brake squeak.? The fix is new pads and shims, and in the case of the Pathfinder new rear caliper brackets.

Mine (the plymouth, been driving it 30kmiles on the brakes that it came with) started making nasty noises every touch of the pedal.  I put new pads/rotors on, and I'm curious but too lazy to look it up now- did I need some sort of shims?

It squeaks (pretty loud!) just the last part right before the van stops, and then only if i'm kind of heavy on the brakes. If I brake more gradually, no noise.

[850CSi]

I don't know what the brake warranty is with BMW, but with VW is it remarkably short, like 10k miles, so it may not be covered under warranty, but at least mention it when you bring it in.

I don't know about brakes overall, but all maintenance to 50K is free.

[S204STi]

Mine (the plymouth, been driving it 30kmiles on the brakes that it came with) started making nasty noises every touch of the pedal.  I put new pads/rotors on, and I'm curious but too lazy to look it up now- did I need some sort of shims?

It squeaks (pretty loud!) just the last part right before the van stops, and then only if i'm kind of heavy on the brakes. If I brake more gradually, no noise.

Generic aftermarket stuff usually has some sort of built-in shim design, or else they will be included with the pad set.  I cannot say why it is that you are experiencing noise after installing new pads.  Was the rotor relatively clean and devoid of ridges or valleys in the overall surface?  Also, is it possible that the pads you bought were wicked cheap? 

Even then...I put some Raybestos pads on the rear of my Legacy a few months ago to pass inspection, along with new rotors, and have had no problems with noise, even though those are kinda cheap pads. My fronts are cheapo "Bond"/"Parts Master" pads, which are quiet but have pathetic braking power.

Next time you rotate your tires, take the brakes apart and take a look.  Check the position of the wear bars, also check any other metal parts involved.  Also inspect the rotor surface for rust, ridges, etc.

Also, does the noise come from the rear or the front?  I have found that some rear drum brakes can be a bit noisy, such as those on a few Neons I have worked on.

[AutobahnSHO]

Generic aftermarket stuff

Thanks-
It's the fronts, I put new pads and rotors on at the same time.  The pads are just one step up from the cheapos, I don't plan on owning this van forever.. 
I just turn the stereo up, but don't like the trashy factor those OUTSIDE the van experience.. 

[Ron From Regina]

Take the tire off and visually inspect. You should be able to see how much pad material you have left. If they are worn right down, its time for new ones. There is all sorts of reasons that pads with materal left will squeak.


I changed pads on my sunbird last week. I always buy the cheap ones for it because I am cheap, and don't mind changing them every year. I've never had a problem with squeak.

Also once new pads pads are installed, properly bed the brakes in. If you don't, they will squeak. I've used the following procedure, and never had a problem.
-Make a few soft stops to make sure everything is put together properly.
-Make a few more stops, then let everything cool down completly.
-Make 2 hard stops from highways speed. Let the whole system cool down completly. Repeat two more times, remembering to let everything cool.

[S204STi]

Thanks-

Sorry bro, didn't mean to prod ya for it...I mean, that is what most people buy, I wasn't intending to belittle it. 

lol, like I said I have the crap stuff on my own vehicle.  I spent the money on my wife's car; Brembo front rotors and Ford OEM pads.  Good stuff.

[AutobahnSHO]

Sorry bro, didn't mean to prod ya for it...I mean, that is what most people buy, I wasn't intending to belittle it.?

lol, like I said I have the crap stuff on my own vehicle.? I spent the money on my wife's car; Brembo front rotors and Ford OEM pads.? Good stuff.

I meant thanks for taking the time for an explanation, not for making fun of me.
But if you WERE making fun of me, then you suck.   

[Rupert]

Yeah, just put some oil on the rotors. 10 W 30 should be about right...

[The Pirate]

and if you don't have any 10w30, WD40 should work as well.

[850CSi]

Hmm wasn't squeaking today...

[280Z Turbo]

Heh heh...this thread reminds me, I need a brake kit for my rear drums.

The brakes on my Z squeek so bad that even the slightest tap makes them howl really loud. People say I need new brakes, but they work fine. I probably just need new shims or something.

[Rupert]

and if you don't have any 10w30, WD40 should work as well.

Really, anything slippery... 3-In-1, Phil Wood bike grease, most any chain lube, bar oil, olive oil, etc...

[S204STi]

Heh heh...this thread reminds me, I need a brake kit for my rear drums.

The brakes on my Z squeek so bad that even the slightest tap makes them howl really loud. People say I need new brakes, but they work fine. I probably just need new shims or something.

No, you probably need new brakes.

[S204STi]

I just realized that I really do have noisy brakes...just didn't think about it till now.  I know it is the crap-tastic Bond pads on the front.  I am pretty sure that if I took a good look they would be cracked, because last time I dared to look at them they were mildly glazed with some surface cracking.  So Will, it may be the pads you chose.  Oh well.

[AutobahnSHO]

I just realized that I really do have noisy brakes...just didn't think about it till now.? I know it is the crap-tastic Bond pads on the front.? I am pretty sure that if I took a good look they would be cracked, because last time I dared to look at them they were mildly glazed with some surface cracking.? So Will, it may be the pads you chose.? Oh well.

And to think I could have gone cheaper. The options at Advance Auto were $25, $35, and $56. I went with the middle... 
It only squeaks right as I stop, so I just try to stop lighter.

[The Pirate]

Next time around, I'm going to upgrade the brakes on my car.  I was thinking Brembo rotors with some Hawk pads.  Good prices on both on tirerack.com

[Rupert]

I used Axxis Ultimate pads on Brembos for the old Miata. Worked very well.

[The Pirate]

What's the consensus on slotted rotors?  I'm looking up stuff for my car, and the midlevel Brembo is a slotted rotor. 

[JYODER240]

What's the consensus on slotted rotors?? I'm looking up stuff for my car, and the midlevel Brembo is a slotted rotor.?

Unless you're doing alot of track time (more than 5-6laps in a row) don't bother with them, unless you want the look.

[The Pirate]

Yeah, no track time in a Civic, and not really concerned with looks either.  I just want functionality.

[ro51092]

Yeah, no track time in a Civic, and not really concerned with looks either.  I just want functionality.

You're a wimp. 

[The Pirate]

You're a wimp. 

lol

I'm just a realist about what type of car I drive.

[Rupert]

Yeah, slotted rotors aren't gonna do any good (well, to be fair, no bad either) unless yer tracking the car...

[S204STi]

Yeah, no track time in a Civic, and not really concerned with looks either.? I just want functionality.

The basic Brembos are great man, I am running them on the front of my wife's focus which is a disc/drum vehicle, so a lot of stress it placed on the front brakes, and I have had no warpage despite some occasional beatings.

Also, stay away from the cheapo slotted rotors.  Unless you are buying big-name stuff I would be worried about them.  A lot of them run the slot allthe way to the edge of the rotor, which creates a stress riser which will eventually cause a crack in your rotor.

[The Pirate]

Thanks for the info guys.  Good to hear your insight on the basic Brembos, R-inge.  My car is very similar, a disc/drum setup, although my stripped no options DX is probably a little lighter than a Focus, which is good as far is braking goes.

Probably going to upgrade around springtime.  My grandfather has a heated garage which I can use, so I will probably do the brakes and get new shocks to install as well.

[SVT_Power]

Yeah, no track time in a Civic, and not really concerned with looks either.  I just want functionality.

Add the stickers. They'll give you 1240987129847HP. Wimmer or Sub should be able to send you some