Squeeky Brakes

[Nobimmer 694]

Hey,just went for a WOF today and the dude passed everything and gave me a WOF but said to come back sometime soon because my brakes are squeeking.

I've asked around and the discs may be twisted or something?

Anyway...is there a way to stop the squeeking temporarily just to show the dude?

Cheers

Ashkan

[jpp 0]

Eh'? Why do you _need_ to go back if you got your warrant already?

[Nobimmer 694]

Cos today was last day of the 28 that they give you..and the guy was being friendly I guess

[TronSpec 0]

So have you got your warrent....?

[Nobimmer 694]

Yeh man but the dudes a local and my work and the place across the road are prtetty tight so yeh...I know if it was any other place I wouldn't go back but yeh..

Anyways...any ideas?

[martyyn 2]

Why didnt you ask him what he thought it was ?

Surely if he found them squeeking he worked out why ?

[Carl 3]

I've got squeaky brakes but I suspect it's just the surfaces needing a little sanding and re-bedding but I just live with the squeak

That's the pad surfaces I mean

[MADBMA 0]

if youve already got your warrant on your car he cant exactly go take the sticker off the car legally, go ask him how to stop it squeeking if its a mate, or alternativly spray some CRC in there

[kiwipetrolhead 1]

Squeaky brakes are NOT a WOF issue. So the garage can't legally fail you on that anyway, which means they have not actually done you a favour by giving you your WOF.

But there are various things you can do to stop your brakes from squeaking...

The best (most reliable) option is to machine your discs, but if you do that it is also a good idea to replace the pads at the same time. (Brake squeaking is not usually caused by warped discs - it is more a pad-to-rotor glazing issue, but also sometimes it's caused by very slight and high speed vibration between the pad and calliper.)

But there are cheaper (or free if you so it yourself) options that might work. One is to roughen up (sand) the discs yourself by hand (someone else has already mentioned that in this thread). Use Emery Cloth rather than sand paper. Rough up the pads as well. Also, putting a light smear of high-temp grease on the back of the pads (where the calliper pistons wear marks are) can help as well. Other tricks include making your pads 'off-centre' by taking a small bit off the leading edge of one pad and an equal amount off the trailing edge on the other pad - that's so the two pads on each side of the car are effectively off centre to each other. You just take off a thin slither though, you don’t want to reduce the pad-to-rotor contact area any more that is necessary. I use a hacksaw to do this job. Make sure you only cut off a bit of the pad's braking material too, and NOT any of the pad's steal backing.

Yet another trick I have heard of, but which I have never had to resort to myself to stop brakes from squeaking, is to drill a small hole in the middle of contact area of the pad's friction material and put some pencil lead in the hole. This 'theory' it that it supposedly gives a bit of carbon lubrication, but I am not convinced it'd work and I have never had to go to this extreme- so as I said, I have not personally tested this theory. I have know some guys who claim it works though.

What NOT to do...

I recall many years ago a mate complained about his squeaking brakes and another mate jokingly said, "Put some oil on them." The guy took him literally and did just that (he put 3-in-1 sewing machine oil on his pads). Then he wondered why his brakes were pulling so he drove around to my place to ask me to do a test drive. His brakes were lethal! I just laughed and told him to "Go buy a new set of pads and DON'T put oil of them again?"

Cheers

Paul

[CaM 0]

depends what the squeak is.

the anti rattle shim's wear indicator may be rubbing on the disc, which means you need new pads or some sh*t.

go back and see what he wants done