I put a mustang II crossmamber in my project truck and used some 11" rotors with GM metric calipers. Right from the start I have brake squealing really bad. I figured it was the cheapo pads they probably bundle in with the GM caliper kit I bought, so I went out and bought some Wagner Thero-Quiet pads for a little bit more $$ than average pads. They made no difference, brakes squeal like a stuck pig everytime I step on them. The squeal whether they are hot or cold, it matters not. It's to the point now that I try and downshift to slow down when possible to reduce the embar***ment of these freaking brakes squealing. The rotors that I'm using had some kind of corosion resistant finish on them when they were new, very silver in appearance. Is there a chance that is causing a problem? I only have a little over 400 miles on the truck up until now but it does not seem to be getting any better. I thought I may try some of that anti-squeal paste on the backs of the pads this weekend and see if it helps.
Are there backing plates? Only squeal when brakes are applied? Squeal all the time? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
factory installed backing plates. They only squeal when applied. All of the rubber parts of the caliper have been inspected and greased. I think I may try some of this in a last ditch effort.
When you changed the pads did you fit the outer pad tight in the caliper by bend the tabs? Have you checked to make sure the rubber o-rings are in place on the sliding sleeves? Is the clip in place on the back of the inner pad? The "silver' finish should of burned off after the first few miles when you burned in the first set of pads, you did burn in the pads? A few hard 30-0 stops with out locking up the brakes until some smoke appears...then let the brakes cool down...good to go. This action releases the resins in the pads and prevents glazing (on the rotor) that can also cause squealing.
Absolutely they need to be cleaned. Not advised to use lube on Thermo quiets(may void your warranty). Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Live on a gravel road? I fought noisy brakes on one customer's car for weeks until I figured out that she was driving two miles each way on a gravel road several times a day. Are the pads fairly tight in the calipers? Not wedged in but snug enough that they don't rattle around. Have you got the forged caliper brackets or the ones cut out of steel plate? the ones cut out of plate might vibrate a bit when the brakes are applied. It sounds strange but when I was doing brakes every day the cheap lining or pads were usually the quieter ones. They just didn't last as long or stop as quick.
The pads fit tight in the caliper, almost no clearance at all The taps are being used as they should inner and outer O rings are in good shape. I only lubed the slide pins in the caliper, not the pads themselves. I did not perform fast brake procedure on the thermos when they were new. They came with a chamfered edge from the factory. I'm pretty sure my caliper brackets are forged If they are in fact glazed, whats the best procedure to remove it? Sand paper?
My any chance do you have Speedway pinto mii lower control arms stamped ones. If they could be hitting the inside of rotor.
There's a glaze removal hone that chucks into a drill motor. Our local Wagner guys told us to wash cool rotors with soap and water before installing pads. Otherwise, I think every trick has been touched on.
My lower control arms are of the tubular style. I wiped my rotors down with cleaner before installing the new pads. I'll pull them apart again this weekend to inspect.
Okay, so the stuff that comes on the rotors from the factory is cosmoline to prevent the rotors from flash rusting while on the shelf. You definitely need to clean this stuff off of there before you even install them on the car. Brake cleaner or even hot soapy water will work. If you dont clean it off it will load up in the brake pads and cause squeaking and smoke and not angood scenario. In addition to lubing the caliper slides it is a good idea to apply brake lube to the end of the caliper piston and the inside of the 'ears' that hold the outboard pad. Also apply a small amount of lube to the caliper bracket where the actual brake pads make contact. If you suspect your pads may be loaded up with gunk it is okay to sand them down a little with either a belt sander or some sand paper and elbow grease. Also, make sure the pads are installed in the correct location. Generally brake pads come with 2 pads that have squeal clips and 2 that dont...the pads with squeal clips should be the inboard pad on either side Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Hard to tell while driving but I wonder if it could be my rear drums. I have noticed what seems to be an excessive amount of dust on my rear wheels only.
Could most definitely be the rears,excessive dust can cause squeal Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Check your rear shoes. Last set of disk pads I replaced on my OT GMC, I had to sand off the excessive paint on the backing plates. They sprayed so much on, it made for a very tight fit within the caliper carriers. No bueno. Ground off the paint and dabbed anti seize on the surfaces to make sure they slid in/out easily. No squeal, great stopping power.
Yes. The Wilwood discs on the front of my Son's T bucket squeal like that and we have tried two different pads so far. Wilwood has suggested another one and told us to round the edges of the pads to eliminate the sharp edge that might be causing it. We haven't gotten around to it yet, but it is on our list of things to do. Don
Lots of times squealing is the result of high frequency vibrations of the pads. The anti-squeal paste helps deaden the vibrations and has helped me in a similar situation in the past. Your mileage may vary but I hope this helps. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If its sounds like the rear shoes and you had the drums turned, they may have not gone far enough and the out side of the shoes is rubbing on the drum. Look at side of shoe.
I"ll investigate this weekend. When I installed the thermo-quiets it did seem to be quieter the first time I drove it, but then the squeal came back worse than ever. I will check them for glazing, sand them, hit the rotors with cleaner, use brake quiet paste on the pads, re-grease contact points and open up drums to clean out. If that doesn't help I'm not sure what I'll do.
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