Brake Squeal / Life Question
05-02-2011, 05:26 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Member Since: Dec 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,049
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Brake Squeal / Life Question
All,
Sorry in advance if there are numerous threads on this topic; at work, so posting quickly.
On my 2005 (base suspension/brakes) Corvette I am beginning to have a tremendous amount of brake squeal. The squeal started several months ago and has increased over that period of time. The brakes work great and there is no change in the feel or stopping power of them.
Is this typically an indicator for new pads or am I just experiencing the loud brakes I’ve heard about? For reference, the car has under 20,000 miles (I purchased the car with 2,500 miles a little over a year ago), so I would assume that the pads are original.
The squeal is worse on cold/wet days as I would imagine, but it gets loud other days as well. It seems only to squeal with moderate pressure. When the brakes are fully engaged or just lightly tapped, there is no sound. My first thought is that I converted my driving style to mostly side roads with numerous lights when I moved, rather than the long highway drives to and from work that I used to experience. I don’t know if that would affect it.
Anything I can check without lifting the car? I’m in an apartment so I may just have to take her in somewhere.
Thank you in advance!
Sorry in advance if there are numerous threads on this topic; at work, so posting quickly.
On my 2005 (base suspension/brakes) Corvette I am beginning to have a tremendous amount of brake squeal. The squeal started several months ago and has increased over that period of time. The brakes work great and there is no change in the feel or stopping power of them.
Is this typically an indicator for new pads or am I just experiencing the loud brakes I’ve heard about? For reference, the car has under 20,000 miles (I purchased the car with 2,500 miles a little over a year ago), so I would assume that the pads are original.
The squeal is worse on cold/wet days as I would imagine, but it gets loud other days as well. It seems only to squeal with moderate pressure. When the brakes are fully engaged or just lightly tapped, there is no sound. My first thought is that I converted my driving style to mostly side roads with numerous lights when I moved, rather than the long highway drives to and from work that I used to experience. I don’t know if that would affect it.
Anything I can check without lifting the car? I’m in an apartment so I may just have to take her in somewhere.
Thank you in advance!
05-03-2011, 02:04 PM
#2
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Oct 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Posts: 40,078
Received 8,917 Likes
on
5,327 Posts
Do a few hard stops in a row and see if the squealing at moderate pressure goes away. In most cases brake squealing doesn't mean anything. The better the pad the more they squeal. From what you say I doubt there are any issues. However, what you describe as squealing may actually sound different to me if I heard it. The stock pads have wear sensors on them that rub on the rotors when the pads are worn down to the minimum thickness. Those metal sensors will give off a squealing like sound (actually it is more like a scraping noise) but will do it at all levels of brake effort including some times after you have removed your foot from the brake pedal. It doesn't sound like you have that issue.
Bill
Bill
