Most of us are running stock brakes and have them working just fine.

 

Then something in my system must not be stock...

I think either the rotor is bent, or the caliper is the issue... I've replaced or repaired everything else.

If I take the pads off, the squeak goes away... So something between caliper, pad and rotor is the issue. At this point, I am kinda burnt out trying to figure it out. I'd rather start over and replace everything from the ground up, preferably something a bit more modern and more responsive.

I've seen several options about there. I guess I'll have my mechanic take a look and see what he thinks. He did fix the last squeak/lock up problem I had by, of all things... replacing the caliper...

So I guess I will go that route first before going too drastic. I just want a perfectly reliable and quiet system. I hate squeaks and unresponsive braking systems.

What I do know is, the previous owner replaced the master cylinder, and the pads. I don't think they bled them properly as the brake pedal travel exceeded the allowable 3.5" from top to bottom.

This and the left rear locked, squeaked, and leaked.. The replacement of that caliper by my mechanic solved that. I have a solid screech from the right rear as well that has developed recently, outside of this front right I am having issues with. This occurs only at stops or short rolls with heavy brake pressure. I'm of the opinion that this is a caliper issue as well. The pads look find, and the wearing pin is not hitting the rotors.

Once the system was properly bled by my mechanic it worked rather well, save for this continual and worsening front left squeak, squeak and now this right rear squeal.

I'm thinking the person that did the brakes prior did not address all issues at once and simply threw on some pads, the master cylinder and walked away. The rotors look like they were turned however. There are no groves in them that I can see.

I really do not know what else to look for on my own as I have done everything I know how to do, and followed every piece of advice offered. Outside of replacing other components, nothing else is left save for the rotor and caliper.

 

I had the same squeeky brake problem on my daughter's Camaro. I replaced the pads and used the brake quiet goo with no success. I finally replaced the rotors and pads and problem solved. My theory is that sometimes the rotors will develop a wear pattern that will promote a high fequency vibration, ie. squeal. Any way, it worked for me. Good luck.

 

Thanks for that! I really think it is either the rotor or pads or both... I lean towards the rotor thinking that there may be a slight warp in the rotor that is to account for the squeak, squeak sound that hits at a patterned interval during rotation.

I've looked into replacing the rotor, but how on earth do you separate the rotor from the hub? I see rivets, etc... and am not sure that is something I can handle on my own. So far I have not found anything on this forum that deals with that procedure.

I made an appointment with my mechanic and cannot get in until June 2nd, so in the interim, I am willing to try something else like replacing the rotor.

 

On my daughter's Camaro the rotor and hub were separate. I checked my Vette manual and the hub and rotor are one unit. Good news, you don't have to try and separate them, bad news, you have to buy the whole assembly.

 

Er... That kinda sucks considering I already put new bearings in the existing assembly.. But I don't believe that is the case. The rotor is sold with rivets, and the two pieces do separate from one another.... It is not one unit.

The real question is, how do you separate and then properly join to two?

 

Have your mechanic check the rotors for evidence of glazing on the braking surface and follow advise using 100 grit pads.

 

If your rotors are rivited, they are the originals. To remove them you can sither drill and punch them out of cut off the rivet head and punch them out. At that point clean the hub surface with a whizz wheel. At this point you will have to check for runout with the rotors. This is done with a dial indicator and the appropriate arbor shims. runout must be within .002. This will take a good amount of time as you will have to remove the rotor hundreds of times, add, remove shims. If you do not do this, these calipers will become air pumps and suck air into the brake system. Because of this pain, I have decided to convert to the C5 brake system with floating calipers. I am having brackets fabbed for the front as we speak. Until then I will knuckle under and check for runout and shim properly. Welcome to the pains of the antiquated C3 brake system. (my opinion anyway)

 

I am an aircraft mechanic 37 years and I work in the commerical side of the aviation industry,the big jets,cudos to you and not listening to your buddy the aircraft mechanic,you drop it you replace it there is no substitute for safty in this industry.Treat your car like an aircraft it holds your safty on its wheels! .

 

Mia said:

You really need to check the runout. My 78 had the same left front wheel squeak problem with newly rebuilt calipers and new pads. Rotor runout was the problem. I could actually see the pads moving side to side within the caliper as I turned the rotor with the wheel off. Could really see it when I clamped a small carpenter's framing square to a large wood block, positioned an edge of the square against the rotor face, then turned the rotor with a bright light behind the square and rotor.

Took the front rotors to Car Quest to be turned, but they were already too thin. Bought new rotors and used Oldguard 7's process for removing the old rotors and shimming the new ones to eliminate runout:

I did not rivet the new rotors to the hubs. After about 3,000 miles, no squeaks; stops great.

Good Luck!
Jerry

 

Well, I looked into getting the rotor turned today... Seems no one around here does that anymore... Used to be you could drop them off at NAPA or Bumper to Bumper and have them turned... I've called 8 different places today and so far, nothing...

ARGH... Maybe I should stick to the original plan and just replace them all with some newer/modern updated stuff....

 

Noone turns rotors anymore because you can get brand new ones for like 30 bucks. Then again, those are chinese rotors.

 

The pratice of turning rotors will die just like vehicles with carbs. The brake lathe most shops have are collecting dust as replacing rotors is so much simpler.

 

Sounds like a hot-spotted rotor causing the pads to jiggle around a bit.

Hmm...someone must be doing it, Hunter still sells lathes. http://www.hunter.com/pub/product/lathe/index.htm

Mia, try calling dealership service departments in your area. I bet one of them has an on-car lathe.

 

If you are going to replace the rotors check with your local NAPA store. I bought their "Ultra Premium" rotors earlier this year for my rear brakes for around forty dollars each. They were USA made and came in the same box and instruction sheet as the Bendix USA made I bought for the front. Only the label on the box was different. You can still get US made quality brake parts if you look. The AC Delco I almost bought were made in China.

 

I got the NAPA rotors, too. They seem to be well-made.

 

That is all that is left.

That is what I did. The Chevy dealer has a machine that can do it while the rotors are on the car. So I don't even have to waste the time removing them.

Was this the entire hub assembly as well? Or is this just the rotor that has to be riveted back on?

Seems to be the case.

Agreed...

BTW, I got a hold of the organic pads yesterday and after installing them... STILL SQUEAKS!!!! ARGH!!!

 

What is your next course of action?

 

If I wasn't married, I'd get married... Anything to aggravate me more! Perhaps I'll just continue beating my head against the wall..

Seriously though, I have an appointment at the dealer to get the rotors turned. I also have any appointment in with my regular mechanic (the guy that does the things that either I cannot do, or takes over when all else fails).....

Ultimately I am just one of those people that will stop at nothing to fix everything, and fix it completely!!!

In the interim, I think I am gonna move onto the next problem area on the car and try to solve that. I'm off all weekend and have nothing but time for a change...

In all the frustration it has given me some time to start working on my MG again!

 

To answer your question, on the NAPA rotors, it is only the rotors. You use your original hubs. The rotors do not have to be bolted or riveted back on to the hub. A number of aftermarket replacement rotors do not have all the "rivet" holes drilled in the rotors so you can't do that anyway with those (unless you want to make a template off the old rotor, or hub, and drill them). You still need to check the runout on the new rotors and shim if necessary. There are threads in this forum and elsewhere on how to do that.