Sqeaky Brakes

mz651 · Jul 13th, 2004, 07:08 PM

Few weeks ago, when i started to slow down or speed up from stop i would hear a sqeaky noise. I figured my brakes pads we're going bad. So i changed the front brakes and found that a groove had been rubbed into my rotor. I replaced both front rotors and brake pads. Now i press the brake it still makes the noise. Then when i start driving from a dead stop another noise is made.... Its like a sqeak but not high pitched. Any ideas?

note: I'm missing the shims that come with the brake pad (that fit around the shoes) could that have anything to do with the noise?

nissanjunkie · Jul 13th, 2004, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mz651

I replaced both front rotors and brake pads. Now i press the brake it still makes the noise. Then when i start driving from a dead stop another noise is made.... Its like a sqeak but not high pitched. Any ideas?

My guess is welcome to the world of cheap brake pads!!!!!!! The ones at the zone for $20 and a "lifetime" warranty are made with tiny chunks of different metals mixed together(the brass is easy to spot in most) which makes a surface that doesn't wear evenly but for the first week or two because they grind the surface to make them smooth enough initally to not have someone take them right off. I worked at Performance Friction for a while and they use carbon powder that is really dusty but it makes for a good smooth stopping surface with no squeal and a much higher price tag 50-100 for retail applications but you are getting the same compound the race cars do but their pads are much larger (about 3 lbs of carbon for each pad baking for 15 mins) and expensive (not sure how much the race car pads cost but the dump truck pads are about $1000 a set) you have two options buy more expensive pads or go find the stuff we used to use in the shop that goes on the front of the pad I can't remember the name of it but it was $15 for about 1 oz and it was like black ink but more fluid. They also have some stop squeal at teh zone in a blue can approx $7 which you put on the back of the pads only to help with the squeal (we had an idiot put it on the front once and nearly ruin his camaro's brakes). Don't bother with the crappy little packs at the counter all it is is vasoline they label it battery terminal protector, caliper pin lubricant and a bunch of other crap but its all the good ol tube lube renamed! I suggest getting better pads although I'm guilty of getting the cheapos myself but I don't care about the brake dust that the cheap ones make cause you can't tell for all the mud but if you don't want enough dust on your rims to make a whole new pad then get some performance friction, raybestos, metal master or a similar "racing inspired pads"

[ lightbulb comes on above my head just before I post] Also check for a little rock or some sediment stuck in between the rotor and pad it happens to me alot when I go off road!

Bror Jace · Jul 16th, 2004, 12:13 PM

Brake squeal usually comes from two different sources: The steel plate and/or the friction material.

In your case mz651, I bet the absence of shims is the culprit. If the set is supposed to have these and you lose them or leave them off, that’s bad.

What usually happens is the plate vibrates very rapidly and this makes an awful racket.

Of course, if you fail to re-surface your rotors you are more likely to get some minor squeaks and squeal from the pads rubbing against non-uniform surfaces.

I used to work for a subsidiary of a brake company which made Textar, Mintex, Repco, etc ... brake products.

nissanjunkie, you have a lot in your post, let me see if I can sort through it and offer some clarification.

” ... made with tiny chunks of different metals mixed together (the brass is easy to spot in most) which makes a surface that doesn't wear evenly ...”

Not quite. The brass is added to many friction material formulas as a cleansing/scouring agent which safely keeps the rotors clean. It is found in many cheap and pricey pads alike.

”I worked at Performance Friction for a while and they use carbon powder that is really dusty but it makes for a good smooth stopping surface with no squeal.”

Performance Friction were one of the first to offer carbon fiber disc brake pads which are very good for high performance, heavy-duty applications but these can be murder on rotors. If you want to play, you’ll have to pay.

The little tubes of goo applied to the back of disc plates are a membrane material designed to help take up the space between the back of the plate and the caliper piston(s) and make it more uniform (prevent vibration). This sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t.

Be sure not to get a full-race brake pad for a street machine as they will be very squeaky (hard, abrasive friction material), hard on the rotor and they might not grab properly until you build some heat into them.

kerdog · Jul 30th, 2004, 05:19 AM

My 97 pathfinder had a front hub / brake squeal. Nissan has a tsb out on front baffle plates. Ijust replaced mine and so far no noise.

lewisnc100 · Jul 30th, 2004, 07:18 AM

kerdog, how much were the redesigned baffle plates? From reading the TSB the new design has a dust seal on the baffle plate so you remove the inner dust seal from the back of the hub.

pfthrasher · Jul 30th, 2004, 01:07 PM

Where can I find this TSB?

I recently acquired a 1996 Pathy 4WD with some pretty worn, though quiet, brakes on it. After I had the shop turn the rotors and replace the pads a similarly annoying sound started coming from the front brakes (high pitch singing, some squealing after they warm up). I've had the shop replace the pads twice now and the singing just won't go away. They said they dropped OEM pads in the second time, but I'm not too sure I trust these guys at this point ...

I'm thinking either I need to invest in some higher quality pads (suggestions?) or maybe this TSB issue might be my problem.

Anyway, suggestions welcome.

lewisnc100 · Jul 30th, 2004, 01:25 PM

The TSB isn't really for the brakes, but the baffle plates behind the brakes. If they turned your rotors with an on-car brake lathe then this wouldn't apply and I'd look at the brakes for the noise. But if they removed the hubs to turn the rotors off of the vehicle then this could be the problem or they just didn't put enough grease on the inner seal before putting the hub back on.

Key points of the TSB are that the noise doesn't really start until warmed up, about 10 minutes or so. And when driving along at about 30mph next to a wall you depress the brakes and there is no change in the noise then this might apply.