Brake Squeal at low speeds

[MontiCristo]

21 GT Performance pack, Brembo's up front, regular brakes out back. Just started getting pretty bad squeal at low speeds last week. 2nd and 3rd gear particularly. Car is a bit older being a 21 but only has 37k miles on it. seems to do it more when the car has warmed up and has been driven a bit. Took it up to my local mechanic, and he said noone was doing just pads anymore and that doing so would make it squeak and squeal all the more. Said it would have to be rotors and pads (however he was not able to look at it because his shop was busy).

I've seen some threads posted on this subject and here are some specific questions it would be great to get help on :

1. is this normal, and if so why did it just start doing it (i've had the car for 8-9 months)
2. Is it true that just putting pads on won't fix the issue?
3. I've read some say to stop hard at high speeds to remove dust / glaze etcc..... I tried this today a couple of times with no luck

again, this is not a normal characteristic because i've had the car for 15k miles and it just started doing it.

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[sk47]

Hello; Interesting the brake squeal is associated with 2nd & 3rd gear. Not sure I have a fix. My first thought was pads worn enough to have the metal indicator star to squeal, but I suppose not.

Some things I read account for the squeal to a vibration. There are compounds to put on the back of the pads to dampen the vibration. Some brake companies have a sort of shim to fit on the back of their pads.

TV car show ads often pitch special pads with claims to reduce squeal, dust or more. Cannot say since i have not had the problem.

I do not know about new rotors with new pads. Some European makes (VW, Porsche come to mind) designed the rotors to wear same as the pads so yes to getting a new rotor with pads. I do not know about Fords approach to Mustangs.

I have replaced lots of pads but seldom the rotors.

My WAG is to try some of the stuff on the back of a pad.

 

[Joe Gonsalves]

I have a hard time believing the pads are toast at 37K miles. However, I've changed pads many times without doing the rotors. The only time I change rotors is if they are worn, i.e. deep grooves or warped, which you will feel in the pedal as pumping. Take a look and see if the pads are worn down. I'm not sure about Brembo's, but some pads have a metal tang that contacts the rotor that produces a squeal when the pads are worn down. That tang is meant to give you a warning before the rotors get destroyed by pads that are worn past the friction material. If they look to be worn down, get a good set of ceramics and use a DA sander and break the glaze off the rotors. As reference good pads should be around 1/2 inch thick. Below 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thick it's time for a change.

 

[MontiCristo]

I have a hard time believing the pads are toast at 37K miles. However, I've changed pads many times without doing the rotors. The only time I change rotors is if they are worn, i.e. deep grooves or warped, which you will feel in the pedal as pumping. Take a look and see if the pads are worn down. I'm not sure about Brembo's, but some pads have a metal tang that contacts the rotor that produces a squeal when the pads are worn down. That tang is meant to give you a warning before the rotors get destroyed by pads that are worn past the friction material. If they look to be worn down, get a good set of ceramics and use a DA sander and break the glaze off the rotors. As reference good pads should be around 1/2 inch thick. Below 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thick it's time for a change.

thanks Joe will do!

 

[1 old racer]

if it is a metallic sounds it may be the wear indicators. If just a growling noise try getting the brakes hot by doing a couple of hard braking stops (don't come to a complete stop) from 30-40 mph. see if the noise goes away. if so it is just dust that can collect from easy freeway driving.

 

[dburgjohn]

my wife's Lincoln MKX had a habit of squeaking after so many miles regardless of pad thickness. It did it with different sets of pads. The parts store has the little packets of grease to apply to back (metal backing not contact surface) of the pads. That would get us months of quite braking. Never took it to shop because once I learned the trick why pay for diag when a $1 grease packet and 30 min of my time fixed it.

 

[ORRadtech]

my wife's Lincoln MKX had a habit of squeaking after so many miles regardless of pad thickness. It did it with different sets of pads. The parts store has the little packets of grease to apply to back (metal backing not contact surface) of the pads. That would get us months of quite braking. Never took it to shop because once I learned the trick why pay for diag when a $1 grease packet and 30 min of my time fixed it.

There's the grease you mention and a rubberized product from CRC called "Brake Quiet" that comes in a squeeze bottle or a spray can. I used the bottle stuff and never get squeaking after a full brake job or a pad swap.

 

[MontiCristo]

There's the grease you mention and a rubberized product from CRC called "Brake Quiet" that comes in a squeeze bottle or a spray can. I used the bottle stuff and never get squeaking after a full brake job or a pad swap.

Had brakes looked at at a shop today. Pads and rotors look fine. They greased a couple things and cleaned the metal clips and it seems to have worked.

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