Sqeaky Brakes

If they make less dust, then they are harder material and this can lead to squeaks. In the days of old, we used to grind off the leading edge of the shoes so that there was a beveled edge instead of a 90° edge where the brake material ends.

I haven't done this to disc brake pads though, maybe Ray will jump in here and help out. He seems to be the resident brake expert.

Actually, prior to posting my message, I did take some of the edge off the new pads and improved the situation somewhat. I'll do it again, focusing on the leading edge.

Thanks...

That would be the leading edge from the perspective of the rotor, which would be the rear edge of the pad. Right?

Did you use OEM pads? You should have scuffed the rotors up to remove glase and rust on edges too. Did you use special grease on the pins so the pars move freely?

Did you use OEM or aftermarket pads? I have not had problems with squeal when using OEM pads.

I do not chamfer the lining material because it is not necessary.

When I do a brake job, I put the pads lining side down, along with the 2 shims per pad on a piece of newspaper and spray with Permatex aerosol anti-squeal compound and let it dry while I take the old pads off.

I use a scotch-brite pad to scuff the rotors. The kind that you can attach to a drill to strip paint works well.

You are correct.

By "pins" do you mean the part of the system that carries the calipers? These are covered by a small rubber sleeve? I did nothing to these as the manual I'm using (Chilton) says nothing about it.

I did not use OEM parts. I find it frustrating to deal with my local Toyota dealer. I have no experience with the anti-squeal compound. I'll have to look for it. What is it and how does it work? Thanks for the advice!

I have had occasional fit and squeal issues with some aftermarket pads so I prefer to use OEM parts whenever possible.

Anti-squeal compound sometimes comes in a small plastic envelope with brake pads.

You can purchase it at auto parts stores in tubes or in aerosol cans. If you use the stuff that comes in tube, you squirt some on the back of the pad and smear it around. I prefer the aerosol can because it is much neater and there is enough in the can for several dozen brake jobs. You spray it on like spray paint and it gets tacky but you don't have the stuff oozing all over the place. Anti-squeal compound works by keeping the shims from vibrating-resonating.

By the way, caliper slides consist of the bolts that hold the bracket that holds the pads and the sleeve that the bolts pass through. Use anti-seize or wheel bearing grease to make sure the bracket moves in and out freely. Stuck caliper slides will not usually cause brake squeal but they can result in premature brake wear.

It is a clear 'grease' like Dielectric grease used on the spark plugs. It goes between the shims and the pads and eliminates the vibrations that cause the high-pitched squeal when applying the brakes.

The last set of pads I bought had an adhesive/grease compound, but brake fluid got all over them and I hit them with Brake Cleaner and wore the adhesive off, so the driver's side squeals periodically. Some sets come with a little package of the stuff in the box, otherwise you can buy a tube just about anywhere.

I think you said you used the anti-squeal springs? This is also funny; the driver's side didn't have any when I removed the caliper, and the passenger's side did, but I managed to lose one. So with no springs and grease that had been partially cleaned off, the driver's side squeals slightly; the passenger's side with the adhesive intact and one spring doesn't squeal at all!

They should be checked for proper operation, that is, they slide back and forth with slight but firm pressure. If they don't move or are rather hard to slode, they can cause pads to remain against the rotor, wearing the pads, rotors and smelling to high heaven...

If they get stuck, every cloths and high-temp grease can get them slippy again.

This is for a '91 Supra, but the concept is the same: