Squealing Brakes

Something's rubbing

slightly but they get really hot if it's significant.

then

if it's really bad

Cleaning the calipers & lubricating the sliders would be more beneficial

Could be the metal on the pad coming into contact with the lip on the disc if its shiny on the lip surface. As a rule of thumb, we only used to inform customers pads needed changing if they were at 3mm or less when inspected during a service because they'd need doing before the next one. One pad could be overheating if the caliper or piston is stuck.

Without access to the vehicle, it is hard to give a definite.

Some vehicles need an anti-squeal shim place between the pad and the caliper. Does yours need these and if so are they fitted?

Copper grease applied behind the pad can cure this problem

Rob Graham

you need a mechanic to check out the front brakes, probably all that is needed is new discs and pads plus correct fitting.

The lip doesn't seem to be too shiny. One of the garages I took it to suggested it was just the lip - but given there's plenty of brake pad material, Im a bit cautious.

Here's a pic (if you can make it out)

Looks like plenty of meat on there, but I don't seem to be able to see any shims on there.

I must admit though, I really have a problem figuring out how a little bit of metal is supposed to stop break squeal.

Cya Simon

I must admit, I hadn't thought of that, and IIRC - I don't think they're fitted, but I think it does need them.

It just reduces the stiction so that the pad can move to a point where it doesn't vibrate, copaslip normally works just as well initially

Easy tiger :-)

Yes he needs a mechanic but disks and pads look OK. There again he posted his photo after your post ;-)

Answer to the OP. As others said (and paraphrasing) dismantle, clean, and reassemble using copper grease on all metal surfaces that make contact (not the face of the pads/disk).

Charles

But surely on the surface, that would be guaranteed to reduce squeal? Important parts must be lubricated surely! :-)

Disks and pads on the average car wear out every 30 -36k, he has done 25k, so nearly there. Any wear lip visble is going to mean that the actual wear is greater than guessed at. New pad and disk kits are now so cheap that there is no point in stuffing about. In order to clean it all up it all has to come apart, so why would any sensible person do all that and then re-do it in a year or less when it is completely worn out. At the same time the fluid needs pumping out and piston smooth movement checked. In the past it was worth messing about, but with present prices of parts .....why bother doing half the job?

You could also use a anti squeal compound (silicon based) and "glue" the pads to the pistons and reduce the noise. or piston/shim /pad

Stuff like this. (Which does not dry as hard as regular silicon)

and look at this as well