Squeak in wheel that goes away

Might be the brake pads are rubbing against the disc. Actually the pads always rub and then get pushed away from the disc but maybe they're not being allowed to properly "float" over the disc. Could be the rubber for the piston seal is getting old and doesn't flex well. Could be there is some rust on the slider rod that makes the caliber stick.

I can only speak for the very few times that I've had a bad CV joint but it didn't squeal or squeak but instead I heard a grinding noise also sometimes called a humming or growling noise. Cheap rebuilt or worn CV joints can also rattle: you'll hear clunking or vibration noise when you accelerate or decelerate. You might hear a popping or clicking noise when turning (but you never mentioned the noise was heard only during turning). I don't recall a squeaking noise that abates after getting warmed up being attributed to CV joints and why I suspect you have a brake problem, or maybe even a bad drive belt that needs replacing.

Okay, so a leaking CV joint would result in a lower-pitched noise than what I'm hearing?

It's definitely coming from the wheels and not the engine. The noise doesn't occur until the car starts moving.

As for does the noise happen while I'm turning? Yes. Most of my manoeuvring from my driveway involves a turning action at some point. But I think I've heard it squeaking even if I'm just backing out straight sometimes. But it's mostly prevalent during the times I'm turning.

If this is a rusting brake caliper, what can I do to lubricate it? WD-40? Silicon or Lithium Grease? Etc.?

Yousuf Khan

Which means there is more torque on the drive belt when the power steering pump gets used. You later mentioned in another post that the sound is heard more during turns. As the car warms up, so does the belt along with no longer being positioned at its stretch marks around the pulleys. My guess is a warmed up drive belt has more grip than a cold one. Also, due to heat expansion of the engine and change in positioning of the components around which the belt moves, the belt will tighten up as the car warms up (but might take 5 to 20 miles before it tightens up based on how long you idle, RPM, outside temperature, city versus highway driving, etc). My mother's car need a new drive belt and it squeals, even more so during turns, until a few miles have been driven.

So how old is the fan belt? What are the extremes in outdoor temperatures during that time (i.e., summer versus winter)? Any contaminants get on it (engine oil, coolant, been splashing through puddles, etc)?

The fan belt replacement you can do yourself and its a cheap repair and may even be needed if the belt is old. Don't rely looking at the belt anymore looking for cracks or chips in the ribbing as some compounds won't show that despite the belt is worn and stretched. You could check the deflection of the old belt and see if tightening it up eliminates the squeak but I'd suggest going with a new belt in the first place.

You would need to replace the dried out seal around the piston is that's the cause. That means a caliper overhaul which you probably don't have the equipment, parts, and expertise. The fact that you think WD40 or other lube is going to get rid of a brake squeal pretty much indicates you don't know how brakes work and you don't know how to repair them. Some shops will burnish the slider rod if it has rust on it (mine get rust rings because it sits for months unused). The pads don't move (except with the caliper which is sliding on the rod. I'd suggest taking it in for a brake inspection if you think it's a brake problem. Then you can find out which shops are willing to do some minor repairs yourself and which ones just want to slap in a whole new caliper and charge you lots of money.

There is another cause of a squeal (although I've usually heard it as a groan): a pebble stuck between the disc and dust shield. This can actually burrow a groove into the disc which can exceed the depth a shop is allowed to turn a disc. In the past, you could probably turn (lathe down) a disc 2 or 3 times. Once is about all you get nowadays and probably won't fix a groove caused by stuck gravel wearing against the disc - but then just removing the gravel eliminates the noise (but not the groove that lets water get in between the disc and pad).

I've had a strut mount that would squeak when turning. Do you ever hear the sound after starting the engine and working the wheel back and forth WITHOUT moving forward? If so, could be abelt as mentioned or a strut mount.

Actually, I have tried that, and no, I don't hear the noise during that time, so it can't be the engine belt. The belt was actually replaced not too long ago, as the dealer had noticed it was fraying. It must've been within a year ago.

Yousuf Khan

See my reply to Lucky Texan, he asked if the noise occurs even if I'm not moving and just turning the wheels while sitting in place, and the answer is no. As a matter of fact, the belts were replaced around a year ago, when the dealer noticed that they were fraying, and I was having some unrelated problems with my power steering at that time.

It doesn't take 5 to 20 miles for the noise to go away, it takes maybe a less than 50 yards.

Obviously I wasn't talking about putting it on the brake pads or the disk rotors, just on the mount points of the calipers where the front and back join each other and they may slide against each other.

I don't think it's got anything to do with the braking surfaces themselves, besides, if a pebble were stuck between the pad and rotor it would be a constant squeal, not one that goes away in a couple of yards. However, rusting braking calipers might not be a bad place to look for this noise.

Yousuf Khan

CV joint, or wheel bearing. Don't let it go too long, unless you like to live dangerously. :\

Is it a pretty steady squeal, or a chirp? If it's a high pitche squeal it COULD be brakes, and it COULD just be an agrivation, as compared to a problem.

Perhaps double check the lug nuts. I read once of a guy whose wheel was loose! His theory was that maybe a theft of his rims was interrupted or he had an 'enemy' try to cause a wreck.

There is something called brake grease, or caliper grease, or SilGlyde, that you put on the brake sliders and all metal to metal contact points of the caliper assembly that pretty well looks after the most common causes. You do need to make sure the caliper piston itself is not seized and the rubbers are OK - but the calipers, particularly on most Japanese cars - but it's a good idea on Yank cars as well, should be serviced every 6 months to a year.

Always used to do it every second oil change in years gone by.

Which really isn't an issue.

It seems to have magically gone away since about a couple of weeks ago, on its own. I have a feeling that those who suggested maybe it was the brake calipers might have been right. Perhaps the stiction worked itself loose after some usage?

Yousuf Khan

Really? How does it differ from regular silicon grease? Is it just a different formulation, or is the can designed to work without spilling anything onto the rotors or something like that?

Yousuf Khan

It is a special high temperature and water resistant grease made specifically for brakes - and you need to be carefull NOT to get it onto rotors and friction material.

I bought some of the following - probably several lifetime's supply. It came highly recommended and seems to work fine for me;