MikeDirntRulez

Hello,

After searching for about 25 minutes, I finally decided to post because there were toooo many replies as to what may have happened.

OK, here's the deal. I can go about 35 MPH in my car when all of a sudden my front-passenger side Disc brake starts screeching, NON-STOP. It isn't a wheel bearing noise that goes *squeak squeak squeak*, it goes *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*. As you could imagine, this gets very annoying and quite embarrassing when people on the street cover their ears to hide from the screeching monstrosity coming down the street.

Now here's what cures the problem, braking, and when it's wet outside. When my wheels are wet I don't get the noise, and when I brake, it goes away! . If I remember correctly, it's supposed to be the other way around

What the heck could this be? I jacked the car up and spun the rotor around and it still squeaks so I don't think it's anything suspension related because it makes the noise when there's no pressure on the struts and when there is.

I'm completely clueless as to what this is doing. Somebody please help. Like any other 18 year old kid, I have enough $$ to buy one part, so i'm hoping I only buy the part that needs to be fixed rather than throwing money at this thing.

Thank you,
Steve

greezemonkey

iTrader: (14)

Brake pads

Gumby

HAHAHAHAHAHHHA

Doesn't that suck.

For several years now brake pads come with wear indicators. A wear indicator is a funny tab of metal that will sing and make very loud annoying noises when the pads get close to worn out.

kind of an early warning system.

But some people just ignore it as brakes back in the day, sung like that. But it wasn't suppose to. They just made noise.

So its basically falls on deaf ears most times.
If you can tune it out.

Time for new pads.

MikeDirntRulez

I dont know if that was sarcastic, but I do know what disc brakes are and what they do, but if it wasn't sarcastic, thank you for your explanation anyways.

I just figured it wouldn't be the pad because it's REALLY bad when I am turning. It's a normal screech when going straight, but when I turn it gets worse, the screech didn't gradually appear, one night I took my car home and no noise, next morning it's squealing like no other.

I've heard wheel bearing and possibly stuck caliper, I didn't think it was simply brake pads because those usually squeel when the brake is being applied, rather than going away when the brake is being applied.

But are you sure this could be it?

91Z28-350

Brake pads. Feel free to ignore it. It'll start to become a grind shortly, and your rotors will get a few nice deep tracks in it. It doesn't hurt anything to take off the rims and take a look, or take a look through the spokes, no?

TheGreatJ

The friction material of a brake pad is held on with rivets. When the pad gets enough wear, the rivets drag on the surface of the rotor. This causes a high-frequency vibration in the rotor which you hear as a screech. When you apply the brakes, the pressure of the pad on the rotor dampens the vibration and the screech goes away.


In other words......brake pads.

MikeDirntRulez

Yes, thank you, I didn't know the brakes were behind the rims.

And i'm sorry, I forgot to mention that I did take the wheel off and the wear indicator isn't even close to touching the rotor itself, that's what puzzles me, and the pad has a good deal of material left on it.

RTFC

Its very rare but possible that you picked up a foriegn object (debris) that imbedded itself into the pad material surface and is scratching the rotor surface as it turns. Almost like nails on a chalkboard.

greezemonkey

iTrader: (14)

"it" There are FOUR pads 2 inboard- 2 outboard- I know if I only looked at one pad for brake inspections (which I perform on a daily basis) Many of brakes would have went metal to metal , Just because one pad is thick doesn`t mean at all the others will be..fat chance in fact, that all will be the same thickness.

Do yourself a favor and take it to a "free" brake inspection at a tuffy or midas or something so this thread can end...starting to remind me of shane

MikeDirntRulez

K, thanks. That's all I needed.

What you added after that is just dumb. If I wanted to take it somewhere, I would have already and wouldn't be here. I don't need your unnecessary bitterness but thanks anyways.

I forget that newbies aren't entitled to ask dumb questions and/or make dumb mistakes.

Thank you to everyone else who answered my question.

greezemonkey

iTrader: (14)

No offense, just checking for life, some times I wonder if anyone reads all of the responses...I applogize for my bitterness, I see some many disregaurd good info and re post without lifting a finger to track down the problem...really only trying to help- sorry

MikeDirntRulez

Don't worry, I understand.

I'm just used to being at sites where if one dumb question is asked, everyone jumps on you like flies on ****. Good to know I can deal with maturity and respect around here.

91Z28-350

So, did you find the problem? Did you take apart the caliper assembly?

If you spun the rotor around and heard the squeak, it should be pretty easy to find what is squeaking. That won't cost you anything but time.

MikeDirntRulez

In fact I did.

I did find that the back pad was worn down low enough all the way to the warning indicator. Now the car must sit on blocks until I can get around to buying new pads and replacing them.

Something so simple, yet overlooked.

black_highway

You know, i'm having that same problem, but the diffrence is i only have 5,000 miles on this brake job, if that (that's all the miles put on the car last year). I still have alot of pad, i jacked my car up and spun the tire, and yes it is my driver side front tire. Any idea what it could be?

Isaactheawesome

To all those guys saying it's break pads they're just assuming the obvious LOL it could very well be your wheel bearings causing the squeak and when brakes are applied it dampens vibration somehow and lessons or quiets the squeak and I had the same problem with one of our cars and when it got wet it would go away I would look into getting your wheel bearing replaced though granted this is a very old thread so it's possible you have since fixed this problem

Fullmonte77

iTrader: (3)

You do realize this thread is like 18 years old right?