I have an eb 1 fairmont, ive had it for a little over 3 weeks. When i got it, it had a little squeak coming from the front wheels....like when you put new pads on and they squeak for a bit.....but this does it all the time....even when my foot isnt on the break pedal.So it does it when the breaks arent even applied. We replaced the front pads a week or so ago and i didnt hear any squeaking for a day...so i was pretty happy...but it came back a few days ago....so now im really pissed. Does anyone know what could it be, im thinking that the disks could need machining, but im not sure. Im all out of ideas and this noise is really embarrasing. Help would be greatly apprecieated
Grease the guide pins.
Not hard, worst bit's taking the wheel and caliper off. If the pins are corroded, you may need to use some fine sandpaper to smooth them down a bit.
Luck.
All brakes make a noise it just ususally at a frequency you can't hear (think about it - what would youn expect to happen when you grind down a synthetic material (pads) on a spinning metal brake disc. It been a problem since disk brakes and to a lesser extent drum brales existed. You can change the sound frequency so you hear nothing by:
a) Using CRC Stop Squeak; rubbery adhesive goo that you put on the back of the pads and anti rattle plates. Works in 99% of cases. PBR also make a brake pad adhesive but the CRC pink goo is best (Repco etc).
b) If no go with goo you can try radial cuts though the centre of the pad (same direction as imaginary wheel spokes) ; cut with hacksaw to within 1 mm of backing plate. Many good pads already have a cut or groove (carries dust away and changes frequency of sound).
c) Chamfer the leading edge of the pads; use a hacksaw or chisel to take 1 or two mm off creating a 45 degree angle.
The guide pins are one of the main components of the caliper. The caliper slides on these pins to maintain a straight line pressure on your disc. If these arent sliding freely then this will create a resistance when you apply or release the brake pedal, hence the slight squeal you can hear when you arent on the pedal. They havent released fully and are basically still touching the disc surface.
Get these greased or as said before sanded down and they should be as good as new.
Are you sure the cut in the brake pads wasnt there already??..These are usually standard with most pads for ventalation.
I had the same problem, I lubricated the slides and put a cut down the centre of the pad, it didn't go away, I pulled the pads out again and noticed that on the outside of the disc the edge was slightly raised due to wearing. I chamfered the edges of the pads and the constant noise is now gone
What brand of pads are you using ? Also check that the discs are not glazed. Machining is not now recognised as a good practice due to the dodgy machining of some operaters. If you do get the discs machined make sure that the discs are cleaned thoroughly and all filings and dust is completely gone. This residue can form a coating on the face of the pad which can cause noise, especially Metallic pads.
If you bought a good brand of pads, Bendix Advance or similar and they still squeel, replace the rotors. Slotted are the best
We (dad and I), just replaced the rear pads. While i was running them in like 15 mins ago they didnt squeal at all....but after i finished running them in the problem (squealing when the brakes arent applied) was back....its like 90% better now and it doesnt do it all the time. We sanded and greased the guide pins and stuff, and we made sure the discs were clean and stuff. Im glad that its a bit better but it would be nice if it didnt do it at all. It seems to stop doing it while im accellerating, so if im just cruising along and it is doing it, i give it a bit of a kick and it stops for a bit but then come back.
Sounds to me like you have slight brake drag on your car. Check for clogged master cylinder ports, handbrake linkage and your caliper pistons may require an overhaul?
bleh. Drove it more today and the squeak is pretty much gone. so im happy enough. I dont wanna have to do anything else caues i have no money which sucks, so ill put up with it and hope it goes away...but its like 98% better now so im stoked.
Thanks for everyones help
Dane.
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