Moose, thank you for welcoming me and my show to the CR4 community! I'm glad to be a part of it, and am very excited to be able to blog here on automotive topics!

Brakes, especially disc brakes are about the easiest and cleanest project on a car.

I've often changed them out for the neighbor ladies just to help them out. (I was younger, unmarried and..uh.. full of... hhmmmm... 'niceness' for the ladies back then). Kind of like cleaning the snow/ice off the neighbor's cars windshields during the winter is a good thing to do.

Just my two cents.

JL Mealer
http://mealercompanies.com
America's Next Major Automaker

Hi All

This post reminds me of my now departed Dad, he had the pads on his car replaced whilst on vacation. On the way home he noticed that he had develooped a squeak at low speed in traffic 5 mph ish.

On arrival home he calls to say all safe and sound had a great time and by the way could you take a look at my brakes had the pads changed whilst away and the are squeaking. At this point I should point our Dad was a non mechanical man a butcher by trade.

So next weekend down to Dads we go wheels off and sure enough just as I guessed no copper slip on the brake pad shimms, cleaned off all the rust and gunge copper slipped the shimms and reassembled. There you go Dad all sorted.

Next morning phones going at 9 oclock on the dot its Dad, Ive just been to get the paper and the squeak is still there.

Next weekend down to Dads again this time removed the calipers and discs cleaned them and scarified the surface of discs and pads reassembled and low and behold we still have a squeak still at 5 mph ish when the brakes are both hot and cold. So OK Dad we will sort this next weekend no problem whilst quietly racking my brains as to what it could possibly be causing the squeek.

On Thursday evening the phone goes its Dad . don't worry about the brakes son I've sorted the problem, I had to ask what on earth did you do, oh it was easy son I've oiled them.

PANIC!!!

Down to Dads get the keys and test the brakes they are ace no pull left or right and stop you on a sixpence, non mechanical knowledge solution if it squeaks then oil it.

On some cars and trucks the tool you will need is a ball joint fork to separate the upper and lower ball joints. You have to remove the whole steering knuckle assembly to get to the bolts in back of the rotor and hub assembly.

WOW! Glad I drive a Subaru. The rotors simply slide off and on over the lug bolts.

While replacing a set of pads for the mechanically inclined (who have the tools and equipment) is not that difficult, it may not be wise to fore go the safety inspection of the total system that a trained mechanic performs. Failing breaks are life threatening. The job could also turn into more of a project when they still squeak or chatter or pull and the rotors need to be turned & trued. The average person should probably not do their own brakes.

it may not be wise to fore go the safety inspection of the total system that a trained mechanic performs

Trained mechanics are not often found in repair shops where parts changing is the standard operational procedure.

Observance of procedure given in any worthwhile repair manual can provide one with the safety inspection skills required for the operation.

Just had my rear rotors and pads (yes disc brakes) replaced 6-8 weeks ago and they have developed a once per rev squeak at very low speeds - on both sides. It got particularly annoying in a long stretch of stop and go traffic last weekend. is there anything I can check before taking it back to the mechanic? (It's a pain whenever I have to coordinate dropping a car off)

Opening caveat: I am not an automotive mechanic!

It sounds like your rotors maybe warped. Possibly your mechanic did not have the rotors machined to true them. Typically a new rotor is true from the fabricator but sometimes this does happen. Hopefully, the rotor is not getting loose. In any event, 6-8 weeks is clearly within the 90 day nominal warranty for a repair. Bring it back to them and see what they say.

Hi all

I have a 88 celebrity and when it rains my back brakes squeak and stick. Can you tell me why this happens.

Metallic brake materials can corrode/rust...drag the emergency for first block then release

that type of car has drum brakes in the back

Changing the pads is good but don`t forget to remove the unworn outer lip carefully with an angle grinder or in a lathe if you have one. If not you get friction vertically and not just horizontally especially with new pads. My 406 brakes were squealing and when I removed the lip I got and extra 60 miles from a tank of diesel. Noisy brakes creep up on you and can cost a lot more than the remedy in fuel.

Changing pads is easy. Changing rotors is not. You might need an impact gun to remove the caliper brackets. Or strong arms.

Before installing the rotor, you'll need to clean/sand the mating surface to remove dust and rust. Trapping anything between the rotor and hub will cause the rotor to wobble. Result in pad touching rotor and cause uneven wear.

Depends on vehicle- on many modern cars, the rotor is held in place by the wheel itself.

On those cars once the wheel is off, the rotor is loose. You still have to unbolt the caliper to change the pads, and the rotor just pulls off.

As you said, the mounting surfaces must be clean. If the brakes didn't pull or pulse before, you can just give it new pads. If the rotors are grooved a bit, the pads will wear into the irregularities. You'll get a bit less mileage out of the pads, but you saved the cost of machining the rotors.

I have a 95 Lincoln Town Car with all-wheel disc brakes. I have had it in the shop several times for squeaking brakes. I have had the works; New pads, milled, clean and adjust and a few weeks later...SQUEEEEEEEK.

What are other possible squeakulators?

A metallic tab designed to alert one when the pads need service may not have been adjusted properly during repair and is prematurely alerting you...

It's possible that shims need to be installed between caliper and pads. Also if the squeak is temporary and after a rain, you maybe just hearing the surface rust being removed on the first brake application. On my Isuzu Impulse I had an odd one though, the brake dust shield would occasionally sing like a bell resonating during braking. This took months to identify and solve but adding a plastic shim between shield and bracket did shut it up.

If they squeak, it is worthwhile inspecting the pad thickness. Very often they squeak even though the pads are just fine.

If they scream, they need changing.

If they scrape or grind, you should have already changed them!

- personally, I don't have the beer until after I've done the job...

We did few different things to address this issue. One was to score the pads or rough up the pads and disc with sixty grit in a rotary sander just to break the glaze.

If it's glaze that's causing the squeak may you need adjust your driving style...You will find this helpful in abating the squeaks and a thorough description of brake repair principles an objectives.