Anyone have this problem? New brakes pads installed too...
Thanks

Roy

Squeak can be caused/cured by a number of things.

If the rotor finish did not match the pads material, they can squeak. Sometimes refinishing the rotors, or just scuffing with rough sand paper will help. If the pads have seated you may need to scuff them also.

If the pad ends and center pin hole are not lubed with brake lube or antiseize, they can squeak. These are points where the pad transfers vibration into the caliper. The lube stops the transfer by allowing movement (these have to slide), and allows the brakes to operate evenly, so this needs done regardless of squeak. Don't put anything on the pad surface.

There is an anti squeak compound that can be put on the back of the pads and to the caliper pistion. Silicone gasket sealer will also work at this location (basicly the same stuff), just a light coat to absorb vibration. You can buy the compound in a tube or spray.

If the car is not driven much, there can be a light film of rust forming on the rotor, which causes vibration, which causes squeak. This one is easy to cure. Go about 40 mph and stand on the brakes without locking the wheels. Cleans them right off. Do NOT do this several times and overheat the brakes.

Overheated brakes can cause the rotors and pads to glaze, which will create a squeak. Now you are back to refinishing the rotor and sanding, or replaceing the pads.

It is possible to take a rotary sander and break the glaze on the rotors. If they are smooth and flat you can do this on the car. Don't forget the back side of the rotor. If they are not smooth and flat, it's time for the brake lathe.

Hope this helps.

Ken,
Thank you for a excellent reply.


Roy

I went through this many times. I found that sanding the rotors would help for a while but after a week or two it sounded like a Mack truck stopping. Then I found a local Vette parts dealer that had organic pads instead of the metallic. Problem solved. been 3 years now without a peep.

I agree with kstyer's fixes..

but as a long term solution you have to reduce the heat or they will just reglaze..

I've had good luck with non-metallic pads and vented rotors.

Different pads is what I was refering to when I said a mismatch between pads and rotors. Oddly enough, different rotors made of different metals will respond to pads in different ways.

Organic pads is what our cars had new. They take less pedal effort, but are more subject to wear and heat fade. They wear out the fastest of all. Although fade is limited with disc brakes, it still exists. They are the quiet ones. And they don't rust to the rotors when the car sits. They make the most dust.

Semi-Metallic pads are more fade resistance and wear longer. They take a little more pedal effort, due to a lower friction level. They tend to make more noise than organic. They are more expensive than organic.
When the car sits in a damp area, the pads tend to rust to the rotors, making it a bit unpleasent for the first few to few hundred miles. Depending on how long they sat, and how rusty they got. These are a good option for a daily driver on a budget, a bit harder on the rotors, a bit dusty. These are stock on almost all new cars.

Carbon Metallic are twice the cost of the others. They have excellent fade resistance, and are a bit easier on the rotors than semi-metallic. More effort than organic, about the same as semi-metallic, and make less noise, but more than organic. Dust is not bad, but hard to clean off due to the carbon content. These are stock on new C5s, C6s, UPS trucks, and commercial aircraft. Good stuff.

Ceramic pads have almost no dust, and are much cleaner than any of the others. They are the most expensive. They have the least fade, almost none. They require the most pedal effort. And they don't work well until they get warmed up. So the down side is when you first start driving they don't work as well, or after cruising down the highway without using the brakes, the stop at the end of the ramp may not be as good. Great for racing, not so good for light duty use. Hard on the rotors.

Different brands of these vary their performance, dust, noise, etc. even withing each group. Some brands work better with different rotors, which are different metal compounds.

Decisions, decisions. I am going to have a not so strong cruiser to begin with, so I am going to start with the organic. If I get to really pushing it later, I may go to the carbon metallic.

How do you drive it, how often do you drive it, and how important is comfort vs noise? Take your choice.