'91 RS, new pads/rotors/shoes/drums approximately 2,000 miles ago. My brakes squeak at low speeds just about every time I'm coming to a stop. Have tried Anti-Seize about 10 times, have tried CRC Disc Brake Quiet (Red stuff in clear bottle), have tried riding the brakes for extended periods at low speed. About the only thing that quiets them down temporarily is making a panic stop at 40+ mph. Hawk HPS pads, AC Delco rotors. They also squeaked the entire life of my last set of brake pads (same brand/model). I've had 2 sets of these pads on my '02 T/A, and they never made so much as a peep on that car.

Anyone have any ideas? This has been going on the entire time I'm owned this car (5 years now), and it's extremely annoying.

 

I'm kinda speculating with sorta circumstantial evidence but are those the same calipers?
My 77 squeaked occasionally for 13 years till I changed calipers. I changed to wilwood calipers and braided hoses at the time. I don't have a good explanation for it, not claiming to be correct.
Glazed rotors would be my educated guess otherwise. Glazed the new rotors too?

 

Calipers have never been changed while I've owned it -- didn't think of that. Rotors looked okay a few days ago. Guess I'll try the calipers next...thanks!

 

Change out the hoses while you're at it, they can swell internally and constrict flow as they age.

 

Alright, I've replaced the calipers and the hoses, no change.

Any other ideas?

 

My brakes make some terrible noises also, but I think mine started when I swapped to a disc brake rear. Coincidence? All my hardware is old

 

Toss on a different set of pads, try some Napa brand or AC-Delco. Sometimes you just get a bad set of pads and due to the content of the pad/how they were made that day in the factory/whatever they squeak. If your current pads are mettalic, try a non-metallic, or vise versa.

 

When you put the pads on, do you bend the "ears" of the outer pads inward, such that they GRIP the calipers?

If not, that's probably the source of the noyze. NO WAY a blob of SPOOOOOOOJJJJJJJJE is gonna resist the forces applied when trying to slow down a 3500 lb car with some kinda weeeeeeeeniie CRAP that's only 5¼" from the centerline of the rotating part. It's gonna take METAL to do that.

Brand of pads doesn't matter in the least. They're probably all actually MADE BY Pads R Us, in India or Outer Elbonia or some such where. Better to control what you CAN (installation PERFECTION) than to P&M about what you can't. (what the pads actually ARE, independent of the printing on the box)

 

Didn't know that was a thing -- thanks for the tip, I'll give it a go before I try anything else.

 

I've also never heard of this. I wouldn't recommend bending any part of the pad. The outer pad doesn't have to "grip" anything on the caliper, it doesn't move during braking.

 

Are you sure it's the fronts? Maybe a poorly adjusted set of rears?

 

Bend these tabs downward to where they grip the caliper SOLIDLY. Easiest way to do that is to just set them on the floor standing upright, and tap the tabs downward GENTLY with a hammmer.

Too eeeeeezy. FAR more affective than ANY spooooojjjje ever will be.

 

I think so, but not 100% -- didn't think drum brakes could squeak?

 

If the pads don't "grip" the calipers, they'll move around when they operate. One way they can move is to vibrate. aka sqweeeek. All of that "anti-sqweeek" crap that you buy, the silicone spooge and the little "sticky pad" things and whatnot that you put on the back of the pads, is SUPPOSED TO keep the outer pads locked to the caliper so they don't jiggle around in there in any way for any reason. What a FORKING JOKE. Placebo effect, at best.

Bend the tabs.

Yes dumb brakes - sorry, I meant drum - can sqweeeeeek. Believe it or don't, brakes weren't always quiet back in the day, and sqweeeeeking brakes didn't suddenly magically come into existence only after discs were introduced.

 

Alright, just bent the tabs -- won't know anything until after I leave work though. Hoping it's not the drums, only thing I know how to do with those is clean and adjust, and I haven't done that on a vehicle in 20+ years (meaning I don't remember the actual procedure other than getting the drum off, and turning a little wheel at the bottom a couple notches with a screwdriver).

 

Squeak is still there

Can't seem to tell where it's coming from either.

 

Oh well... worth a try, anyway. Especially since it's free and eeeezy.

 

Replaced the pads with the $20 amazon "Delco" ceramic pads, squeak is now gone!

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

Sometimes the obvious is easy to overlook.