May be a stupid brake question...
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,452
Likes: 2
From: CFOTHQlikeaMofoForums.com
St. Jude Donor '09
May be a stupid brake question...
...I just got the pads replaced on all 4 wheels and have a new brake squeal. It didn't do this with worn out pads. :skep: It occurs with light pressure on the brake pedal. Is this just the new pads wearing in or is it another, new problem? The car stops like it did when it was new :smash:
:steering: Ride On :seeya
:steering: Ride On :seeya
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (magnetized)
it could be the backing plates of the pads rubbing the steel caliper piston... they sell a compound that absorbs this metal to metal contact.. or it couls be
the metalic in the pads is harder than the rotors.. this will cause irrepairable damage to the rotors... Many guys on this forum have complaned about Hawk pads causing sqeeking at light stopping pressure...I had hawk pads on for a few days... took them off and the noise went away...
the metalic in the pads is harder than the rotors.. this will cause irrepairable damage to the rotors... Many guys on this forum have complaned about Hawk pads causing sqeeking at light stopping pressure...I had hawk pads on for a few days... took them off and the noise went away...
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (Evil-Twin)
Squeeling is also a sign of great brakes. It's a side-effect of all the extra friction between the pad and rotor. Quiet brakes have less friction, and slide over the rotor more easily, diminishing the braking capacity. I would rather have kickbutt brakes that squeel and avoid a crash because I won't be grateful for having brakes that remained silent just before I rear ended someone.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (leaftye)
Squeeling is also a sign of great brakes. It's a side-effect of all the extra friction between the pad and rotor. Quiet brakes have less friction, and slide over the rotor more easily, diminishing the braking capacity. I would rather have kickbutt brakes that squeel and avoid a crash because I won't be grateful for having brakes that remained silent just before I rear ended someone.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (Evil-Twin)
You dont have a clue about brakes.... squeal is caused by metal to metal contact... Ive been an automotive engineer for GM for 35 years... squeal is the sign there is something wrong... To the original poster... There are many opinions on this forum... rather than listening to opinions.. try to find some people on this forum who are professionals in the field.. there are many here... many professional tuners, racers, engineers, and automotive experts, unfortunatley there are many more wannabees, I've seen many of these wannabees cause consideral damage and expense to new member of this forum. So be careful who you listen too. Welcome to the forum
If you were near me I'd gladly ride with you and give you my opinion. I'll bet the Evil one would do the same.
Sometimes defining "squeal" is in the ear of the beholder. True metal-to-metal (steel to cast iron) sound is, as you said, big time bad.
There is a chance the sound, at light pedal, is because the pads haven't become intimately acquainted with the rotors yet. IOW, it may not be metal-to-metal contact.
Magnetized, did you burnish the new pads with moderate stops as recommended by many pad manufacturers? Were the pads chamfered on their leading edges? What kind/brand/style of pads? I use Performance Friction Carbon Metallic and burnish them like they say and there's never any "squeal". Are you gettng any new scratches on the rotors? Check outside and inside. One more off-the-wall thought: the worn pad indicator tabs aren't bent too far toward the rotors are they, maybe just on one pad?
My $.02
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (leaftye)
Squeeling is also a sign of great brakes. It's a side-effect of all the extra friction between the pad and rotor. Quiet brakes have less friction, and slide over the rotor more easily, diminishing the braking capacity. I would rather have kickbutt brakes that squeel and avoid a crash because I won't be grateful for having brakes that remained silent just before I rear ended someone.
WOW!
Squealing is a sign of vibration in the human hearing range. Great brakes need not squeal.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (Evil-Twin)
You dont have a clue about brakes.... squeal is caused by metal to metal contact... Ive been an automotive engineer for GM for 35 years... squeal is the sign there is something wrong... To the original poster... There are many opinions on this forum... rather than listening to opinions.. try to find some people on this forum who are professionals in the field.. there are many here... many professional tuners, racers, engineers, and automotive experts, unfortunatley there are many more wannabees, I've seen many of these wannabees cause consideral damage and expense to new member of this forum. So be careful who you listen too. Welcome to the forum
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,452
Likes: 2
From: CFOTHQlikeaMofoForums.com
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (OldSStroker)
Magnetized, did you burnish the new pads with moderate stops as recommended by many pad manufacturers? Were the pads chamfered on their leading edges? What kind/brand/style of pads? I use Performance Friction Carbon Metallic and burnish them like they say and there's never any "squeal". Are you gettng any new scratches on the rotors? Check outside and inside. One more off-the-wall thought: the worn pad indicator tabs aren't bent too far toward the rotors are they, maybe just on one pad?
:steering: Ride On :seeya
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 883
Likes: 3
From: wilmington DE
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (magnetized)
Here's some recommended break-in instructions for new pads.
Brake Pad Break-in Procedure courtesy of StopTech
There is only one way to prevent this sort of thing - following proper break in procedures for both pad and disc and use the correct pad for your driving style and conditions. All high performance after market discs and pads should come with both installation and break in instructions. The procedures are very similar between manufacturers. With respect to the pads, the bonding resins must be burned off relatively slowly to avoid both fade and uneven deposits. The procedure is several stops of increasing severity with a brief cooling period between them. After the last stop, the system should be allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Typically, a series of ten increasingly hard stops from 60mph to 5 mph with normal acceleration in between should get the job done for a high performance street pad. During pad or disc break-in, do not come to a complete stop, so plan where and when you do this procedure with care and concern for yourself and the safety of others. If you come to a complete stop before the break-in process is completed there is the chance for non-uniform pad material transfer or pad imprinting to take place and the results will be what the whole process is trying to avoid.
Brake Pad Break-in Procedure courtesy of StopTech
There is only one way to prevent this sort of thing - following proper break in procedures for both pad and disc and use the correct pad for your driving style and conditions. All high performance after market discs and pads should come with both installation and break in instructions. The procedures are very similar between manufacturers. With respect to the pads, the bonding resins must be burned off relatively slowly to avoid both fade and uneven deposits. The procedure is several stops of increasing severity with a brief cooling period between them. After the last stop, the system should be allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Typically, a series of ten increasingly hard stops from 60mph to 5 mph with normal acceleration in between should get the job done for a high performance street pad. During pad or disc break-in, do not come to a complete stop, so plan where and when you do this procedure with care and concern for yourself and the safety of others. If you come to a complete stop before the break-in process is completed there is the chance for non-uniform pad material transfer or pad imprinting to take place and the results will be what the whole process is trying to avoid.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (leaftye)
You dont have a clue about brakes.... squeal is caused by metal to metal contact... Ive been an automotive engineer for GM for 35 years... squeal is the sign there is something wrong... To the original poster... There are many opinions on this forum... rather than listening to opinions.. try to find some people on this forum who are professionals in the field.. there are many here... many professional tuners, racers, engineers, and automotive experts, unfortunatley there are many more wannabees, I've seen many of these wannabees cause consideral damage and expense to new member of this forum. So be careful who you listen too. Welcome to the forum
For a pro, you've done little to help him cure his brakes that you soo strongly stated have a problem. While my decision to use the word "squeal" was wrong, there's no doubt that a high friction pad that produces enough force to create tons of braking power and a lot of brake dust is going to make more noise than a gentler pad. That noise may not be what you call squealing, and the good and bad noise are at different frequencies, but both sound like a squeal to me. You may call me a wannabe, even though I have wrenched every car (7 of them) and two motorcycles that I've had, and I've only had 7 years to do it in. Do I make mistakes? Yeah, occasionally I do, I'll admit that. At least I'll admit that, and I learn from them. I take my lessons and try to help other people, instead of flaming people. Flaming is something I'd expect from a teenager or a troll, but definitely not a professional. If you are a professional, you should act like it and help. You can use the guy that posted right after you as an example.
For a pro, you've done little to help him cure his brakes that you soo strongly stated have a problem. While my decision to use the word "squeal" was wrong, there's no doubt that a high friction pad that produces enough force to create tons of braking power and a lot of brake dust is going to make more noise than a gentler pad. That noise may not be what you call squealing, and the good and bad noise are at different frequencies, but both sound like a squeal to me. You may call me a wannabe, even though I have wrenched every car (7 of them) and two motorcycles that I've had, and I've only had 7 years to do it in. Do I make mistakes? Yeah, occasionally I do, I'll admit that. At least I'll admit that, and I learn from them. I take my lessons and try to help other people, instead of flaming people. Flaming is something I'd expect from a teenager or a troll, but definitely not a professional. If you are a professional, you should act like it and help. You can use the guy that posted right after you as an example.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,396
Likes: 2
From: North Manchester Indiana
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (Evil-Twin)
easy,, guys,, I have had squeal on new nrakes, break them in correctly, dont stop and let hot brakes set,, drive and cool slowly ,,the break in procedure posted above is correct......the squeal is most likely vibration inducted, not metal to metal, if it goes away under moderate braking,,its most likely not a big deal, as worn/bad pads will grind and you will know it,,,,lets not get pissy about who is right and who is wrong,,,,i really doubt is there is anyting seriously wrong,,but I would check, as I have installed many high performance brakes on street rod and some do squeal at fairground cruising speeds..but not under street braking, baer, wildwood, have both done this. AND there was not a thing wrong. I have seen guys spray tires with tires foam,, in my opinion this is a bad practice,, you spray silicone onto the rotors,,this stuff will play havoc with rotor surface...I have been informed at many trade/professional show (PRI) to wipe tire dressinf on,, or spray as to not get on rotors....just something else hink about...
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7,452
Likes: 2
From: CFOTHQlikeaMofoForums.com
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: May be a stupid brake question... (magnetized)
Well, went back to the dealer, had the vette guy duplicate it, and it isn't a big deal. He pulled both rotors and we inspected for any anomalies (none) and it turns out the rear pads are still a bit wavy (haven't been worn in yet.) He cross-sanded the rear rotors a tiny bit to help them speed up the break-in, and the insuing drive had quelled 50% of the noise. His advice was to brake a bit more aggressively and they should be fine. With 20+ years as a vette specialist I believe him. So, tomorrow I'm back to class in Baton Rouge, and those puppies will be put to the test :smash: (traffic :mad)
Thanks to the useful replies, and at least Bill has been able to make a new friend :jester
:steering: Ride On :seeya
Thanks to the useful replies, and at least Bill has been able to make a new friend :jester
:steering: Ride On :seeya