Low-speed brake squeal

Having an annoying issue with my new car's brakes, where I get a pretty loud squeal at low-speeds, less than 20 km/h (12mph) I would guess. Usually happens while I'm manoeuvering around during parking, at very low speeds, forward or reverse. It doesn't happen while braking at middle or high speeds. The brakes are brand new, pads and rotors, they were installed just before I took delivery of the car. I took it to the dealership, and they basically reinstalled the brakes again with more grease, but they said they can't do anything about it, they said it'll go away after a couple of thousand kilometres.

I found a discussion about it in a forum for Infinitis, rather than for Subarus, but it seems it happens in a lot of different car makes and models.

LOW-speed (under 10mph) Brake squeal - MyG37

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In the forum postings above, there were a lot of theories about why it happens and how to fix it, but it doesn't seem that there is anything definitive. One suggested it happens because of brake dust build-up, but how can that be when it's a newly installed braking system?

Also the squeal is a metallic sound, like metal scraping against metal. Are the Tribeca's brake pads metallic?

Yousuf Khan

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Yousuf Khan
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That can be pad specific. I once had be Bendix pads installed on my truck. I could not take anymore squealing, shop changed them out and everything was fine.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

gregz pretended :

Do you think maybe that high-performance pads meant for stopping from high-speeds are what's to blame here?

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

Did they use OEM pads? what shop?

I have Centric PosiQuiet Ceramic on our Outback, very good value, as good grip as OEM, cheap and noise free.

The StopTech Street performance pads on my WRX are awesome, I've heard them squeak on about 6-8 occasions just at the last 1/2 second when coming to a mild stop. Inexpensive and good enough for an occasional track day.

I plan to stay with both the above.

You might also consider a 'bedding in' procedure with your Tribeca. Find a safe place and start with 30-30-30 . That's 30 medium/hard stops, from 30mph, with 30 seconds of cooling-off driving between each stop. More extreme bedding-in procedures may help too. lots of good info in the 'white papers' at;

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Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

You do realise you're meant to take the new pads out of the plastic packaging before fitting them, right? ;-)

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Your Name

Yeah, it was done by the dealership, and they said that they used OEM pads and rotors.

So would you say that the Centrics are softer and squishier, while the StopTechs are harder and firmer? Thus the harder pads tend to squeal more at the mild stops?

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Sounds like a plan. I'll give it a try.

BTW, I've had a couple of emergency hard stops with my Tribeca already. When hard braking, they stop really fast and really hard. You can sometimes feel the pain in your body from the seatbelts on those types of stops. I'm glad they work that well, but one thing I've noticed, or at least I've not noticed is the ABS. On some of these types of stops with my old Outback, I'd immediately feel and hear the anti-lock brakes kick in, even in the dry. I've not heard or felt them at all on the Tribeca. I guess I'm concerned that maybe the ABS is busted on this thing. Or is it maybe that after 8 years of technological changes (2000 OBW vs. 2008 Tribeca), that the ABS just doesn't kick in that quickly anymore?

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

I'm hoping the dealership which installed these things knew that too. :)

Yousuf Khan

Reply to
Yousuf Khan

The StopTech Street Perf. pads are a different material (para- aramid ???) and dust more than the Centric PQ Ceramic. plus, I run sticker tires on my WRX . I think the xtra performance capability and $ $ would be wasted putting those on my wife's Outback with 'normal' tires. Think of the Centrics as cheaper versions of stock pads. The StopTech SP are a compromise between the fade and heat resistance of 'race' pads, with the good cold initial bite and easy modulation characteristics of stock pads.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

So would I, but then judging by the idiot mechanic in one of the other topics, I wouldn't place any bets on that. :-\

Reply to
Your Name

It depends on the ABS programming. On my A4 with sport package ABS stays wonderfully out of my hair during dry stops, but it does engage when I have some use for it (in wet, on ice and snow). The more sporting is the car setup the higher is the abs engagement point. Basically on cheap cars abs is typically over eager to show it's working ;-)

And at tribeca price point there is a slight breath of entry level premium car on it's highbelted neck :^)

So what you have in tribeca is most likely called "sport abs setup" in carspeak

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Yeah, looks like it.

Yousuf Khan

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Yousuf Khan

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