B-rent

So I finished putting my new pads on like how the old ones came off, and read the directions here on the forum.(I had the dealer change my fuild this afternoon). After getting the wheels back on and lowed the car down, I put it in reverse to test the new pads on my street. Started backing out and NO BRAKES! Luckily I realized to pump the pedal and got them working in time before running out into the street

The problem now is my pedal still feels alittle spongy, and the brakes work great except at about 7mph and below under medium to light braking I can hear a faint metal on metal grinding noise (not normal pad squeal). It sounds like its coming from the passenger front, but im not sure.

Any ideas? They are Z06 rear pads and Hawk HP+ fronts


Oh and I tested the ABS and it works as well.

Snidley

Any ideas? They are Z06 rear pads and Hawk HP+ fronts

Make sure you didn't get any of the pads on backwards (metal backing toward the rotor) doesn't make alot of noise, and still stops pretty good at low speed. Don't ask how I know

NoOne

Spongy is a poor brake bleed. Having the dealer do it is probably not your best course of action. If your taking your car to the track for high speed driving its best not to leave it up to someone else.

Now did the spongy pedal start before or after the ABS stops? If it started getting spongy then they didn't bleed the ABS unit with a Tech II which would be the only advantage to taking it to a dealer.

I'd bleed the brakes again yourself, bet you find air in the lines.

Noise is normal with higher friction pads. It could be a mix of the old pad material on the rotor and the new pad.

You should hear a car with real track pads, sounds like a 1970's bus coming to a stop.

I would not worry about the noise, you are rubbing two pieces of metal together.

NoOne

I read your other post about this.

Most high clamp pads will squeal when cold, not hot.

I would start over, bleed each corner, check each pad, etc.

B-rent

I had the dealer bleed because Ive never done it before, but the did install speed bleaders while they were at it so I guess I could do it again myself. The spongy-ness started after I changed pads though even before I made the ABS come on.

tomorrow I will double check I have the right side facing the rotor

I asked about getting a "Type 2" bleed and the service guy didnt know what that was...So ill try it again except Ill use the Tech 2 term

So anyways looks like Ill double check my work when its light, and possibly re-bleed the brakes. If I get time this week Ill also see about getting a Tech 2 bleed but with working 7-5 every day I doubt Ill have time before this event. Maybe the next one

AU N EGL

If the brakes are spongy, there most likely is air in the ABS system. I.E. brake need to be rebleed. Using the brake peddle pump method.

I think you mean Tech 2 not type 2.

and every one else is correct, learning to bleed your own brakes and change your own brake pads and rotors is not difficult to do, but essential to make sure it is done right.

You are also running two diffent compound brake pads, which in itself can not be a bad thing, but the Z06 pads are harder then the HP+ pads. Normally the harder pad compound goes on front. I would use one or the other on all four corners, and my choice would be the Z06 brake pads on all four corners.

Good Luck

NoOne

I like doing the Tech II bleed and the big reason being it bleeds the ABS unit.

If the dealer did a pressure bleed or something else like that then it never bled the ABS unit. Of course with anything knowing how to do it properly makes a difference. This bleed job might have gone to the lowest person on the totem pole at the dealer and this is the result.

I would for sure go back to the dealer and ask them the procedure they used to bleed the brakes. If they did not use the Tech II, which I believe the manual calls for in a flush, I'd ask for my money back. Ask someone who has a service manual what the called for procedure is. You pay by CC?

Also if you bleed the brakes yourself have someone take a few video's with a digicam of the fluid coming out of the line, if there is air in it, which there most likely is, go get your money back.

Hopefully they did get enough new fluid in the system so that your ABS stops put new fluid in the ABS unit, now you can just bleed again for the rest of the system.

I bled my ABS unit with a Tech II but then again all my neighbors work for GM

I don't do it every time so I know I am mixing old fluid with new fluid when I flush the rest of the system. However I am of the belief that you really only need the new fluid at the caliper itself because that is where all the heat is. So the small amount of old fluid that is in the ABS unit is far enough up stream not to make it to the caliper in a single day.

The non-Tech II way is to bleed the system, do some ABS stops, then bleed again, as I said hopefully you can just bleed once since the air has been purged from the ABS unit.

I also change my fluid with every event so even my old fluid isn't that old.

Bleeding brakes isn't hard at all, its more time to get the car in the air, take the wheels off, put the wheels back on and get the car on the ground than to do the actual procedure.

It helps if you make yourself a bleeder bottle stand of some kind. You'll need some clear plastic hose, I forget the size but HD sells it. Just take one of your old bleed screws with you, make sure it has a snug fit and you have to force it on.

Drill a hole in the cap of the 2 liter so you can put the other end of the hose into it. You'll need something to hold the bottle upright. I duct taped a 2 liter bottle to a bottle jack. Something else you can do is pick up a piece of maybe 6x6 3/4 inch wood and a short 2x4. Screw the 2x4 long ways into the 6x6 piece. Duct tape or band clamp the bottle to the 2x4.

That way you have a stand for the bottle because trust me, it will tip over on its own.

I've seen others use 20oz bottles with those little hanging bottle holders for bikes too, hang it off the control arm.

Your job will be a little tougher since they flushed the system you won't have a good indicator when the system is totally flushed. There should be a bit of old fluid from the ABS unit. You just want to flush and flush until there is no air bubbles.

If you find a single air bubble, the dealer did a poor job.

Some other good hints, take a rubber mallet and strike each of the calipers after you bleed it a few times, might get trapped air out of the caliper that is stuck.

Its not hard, just a bit of time.

B-rent

I probably will now, but I needed something for my first events this weekend so I figure it will be ok for the 3 days

UPDATE:

Spongy pedal seems to be fixed now after i bleed a little.

I grinded down the bottom metal bracket that the pads go on top of cause it seemed to be rubbing but the car is still making a loud metal on metal noise at the end of stops. It is def. not the brake pads squealing. I also made sure they were in the right way. Any ideas? I work all day this week so its gonna be hard getting someone to look at it

gkmccready

Have a digital camera? Pop the wheels off and take some pictures.

ERND IT

There are plenty of knowledgable folks coming to the event that can assist you if needed as well...

NoOne

ok something is very wrong.

These are brand new pads. NOTHING on them except the pad material should contact the rotor and cause it to squeal.

You ground down the anti-rattle pad? There isn't much to it so I can't imagine what you ground down. Plus you don't need them anyways.

Your sure you didn't put the antirattle pad on the pad material side, did you? It should go on the outside of the pad.

Or are you talking about the retaining clips at the top and bottom of the caliper? Those two should be way away from the rotor.

Also you said bleed a little. Did you do all 4 corners completely? There still could be air trapped and it will show itself after a few stops.

Please take some pics and post them up. If its making that much noise and your sure its not the pad itself is there any scoring in the rotor?

B-rent

I guess I ground down the sides of the sliders according to my buddy thats what they are called. or retaining clips. They back was far from the rotor and the front rubbed it.. but i think thats cause the rotor was loose due to no wheel being on to hold it tight against the hub. (it is supposed to be lose with no wheel correct?

Ill try and get some pics after work tomorrow. I cant really see any marks, but the guy at Autozone said it was probally rubbing on the inside ridge of the caliper...not sure how much he knows though