I need advice!! I installed power disk brakes on my car. The brakes work well, except the squeak very loudly. I broke them in and it still happens. Any thoughts? Different pads? The car is just a driver and not raced.

thx
-Rob

Both sides or 1 side?
light braking upto and interesction?
Tried holding pressure on the brakes and creeping the car foward a few feet, does that stop the squeek...for a while?
Elcheapo pads? they either are noisy or not
Do the pads have dust cuts in them?

both sides squeak
Squeaks with light and med braking
They are el cheapo pads - bought a discount kit off internet.
Not sure about dust cutouts. There is significant dust from pads.

Thoughts??

Take the pads off and use either a hand file or even a bench grinder to bevel the edges of the pad all the way around where the pad meets the rotor. The square edge is what amplifies harmonics.....or so what I understand. Every time I bevel the edges (round them off) it works every time for me.

Or you could always use a little high temp grease on them....either way, your squeak should go away.:D:D:D:D:D

~Joe

Generally brake pad squeel is due to the pads moving. Either from rotor runout or improper pad installation. On the large GM single piston caliper as found on the 69 Camaro the outer pad has two "fingers" that need to be bent down when installed, making for a snug fit when installing the outer pad. Rotor runout can be cured by turning the rotors or applying a anti-squeel compound to the back side of the pads, I prefer trueing the rotors.

They are el cheapo pads - bought a discount kit off internet.
Not sure about dust cutouts. There is significant dust from pads.

With elcheapo pads you are banging your head against a brick wall
Check the fingers mentioned above..these should be done regardless what sort of pad
And bevel the edges as mentioned
Failling that, get out the hacksaw, and cut 2 groves across the pad (horozonal as the sit in the calipers, about 2/3 of the way thru

Failing that every time the start to squeel. hit the brakes with a water blaster to cleam out the old dust...and BE VERY CAREFUL afterwards as for the 1st couple aplications, the pades will not grip...

Failing that, get some better quaily pads

Economically quality pads are cheaper, the wear far better than the elcheapos

Generally brake pad squeel is due to the pads moving. Either from rotor runout or improper pad installation. On the large GM single piston caliper as found on the 69 Camaro the outer pad has two "fingers" that need to be bent down when installed, making for a snug fit when installing the outer pad. Rotor runout can be cured by turning the rotors or applying a anti-squeel compound to the back side of the pads, I prefer trueing the rotors.

X2 I would also suggest after rotors (or drums) are machined would be to wash them off good with water.- Why?- run a clean finger across the freshly machined surface and your finger will be silver from the metal dust- if not cleaned off this is ground into the brake pads-not good! few years back I had a 78 caprice that the rear brakes made a horrible sound when lightly braking - visual showed nothing - cut the drums and washed em - like new! a buddy of mine rode in the car and he thought by the sound they were metal to metal-and had been for a while-not so

Joe is correct about this being a harmonics issue. As the pads touch the rotor micro vibrations occur and are transmitted via the metal backing plates like tuning forks and amplified by the rotor and caliper.

A good coating of disc brake quiet on the backing plates will almost always eliminate squeaks and squeals as it breaks the vibration path. If that doesn't work, search the web for anti-vibration pads. They are high temp self adhesive pads that stick to the backing plate and essentially do the same thing as brake quiet but without the sticky mess.

Apply a thin coating of silicone to the back of the pads where they contact the piston. Also, metallic brakes, and some semi-brakes, squeak. Metal on metal. Its normal.

Joe is correct about this being a harmonics issue. As the pads touch the rotor micro vibrations occur and are transmitted via the metal backing plates like tuning forks and amplified by the rotor and caliper.

A good coating of disc brake quiet on the backing plates will almost always eliminate squeaks and squeals as it breaks the vibration path. If that doesn't work, search the web for anti-vibration pads. They are high temp self adhesive pads that stick to the backing plate and essentially do the same thing as brake quiet but without the sticky mess.

x2

The orange "Disc Brake Quiet" in the squeeze bottle is easy to apply and works great. Just sqeeze a line on the backs, smear it around with your finger, let it sit for a minute, then reinstall. My brakes make absolutely no noise.

You also need to make sure that all the anti-rattle springs were installed.