I know i should of asked this on the brake board, they never respond to me So here is my problem.

Just put new pads on the front and had the rotors cut. I bought the cheapest pads they have. The reason why is the store was closing, thats all they had in stock, and my car was apart in my parking lot! So anyways, now every time i brake i get alot of sqeaks, and a very bad metallic burning smell. I pulled the wheels off, the pads still look new. I doubt i have a caliper hanging up, they are new along with the lines. Could the cheap brake pads be my problem?

 

I would say that the cheap brake pads are the biggest problem. They are semi-metallic, which means that they are made from metal chips and held together with some other form of bonding that is also part of the braking action. Most of the cheap semi-metallic pads I have tried will squeak when you put light pedal pressure on, but will get quiet again when you really hit the brakes hard. If you want to get rid of that, get you a good set of Raybestos, Performance Friction, or some other good name top of the line pads. This was my experience on some of my own vehicles.

 

I bought cheap brake pads once. They worked okay for months; I broke them in properly, etc. One day I was racing someone on a major highway... my exit came up. So I did my "usual", cut a few lanes over, and hit the brakes to slow down for the turnoff. Did it millions of times before, but not with the new brake pads. Well, the car started slowing down, then this acrid smell filled the air- and I had no brakes! The car wasn't slowing down at all, and not only did I have a sharp turn coming up, but cars in front of me!! I sht my pants, yanked up the ebrake, and downshifted into second, then first... the engine didn't like that at all, but I stopped before plowing into those cars, thank goodness.

So no more cheap brake pads for me! The next day I yanked that noname crap out and threw my "usual" Bendix pads (MKD154) underneath; never had a problem with 'em.

Is there an anti-squeak plate on the back of the pads, where the pad backing touches the caliper? The Bendix pads have that now, and I think Raybestos might. A few years ago, Bendix didn't have that little pad, but the brakes would come with a plastic tube of blue anti-squeak. You'd smear it on the back of the pads- not the "braking" side, of course, but the backing plate side- and let it dry. Then you'd install the pads. You can buy it separately, it's called (appropriately) disk brake anti-squeak or disk-brake quiet. The permatex stuff I've seen is green.

 

I call & sell it as the "blue goop".

Performance Friction pads come w/the anti-squiel pads on them.


**Neat Tip**

I learned this while working @ an auto parts store--
the front & rear brakes on my 85 Firebird are the same used on my 95 Blazer. That means free brkes for both since the 'bird has the lifetime warranty brakes. :lala: So when the pads & shoes wear down on the Blazer, I can swap em out using the 'birds info. Now that's just down right nifty

 

Sometimes it's not even the CHEAP pads that suck. Last month I put a set of Delco Durastop (duracrap) pads on. They squeeked LOUD EVERY STOP. I turned the rotors, the problem persisted.
I got fed up and went to pep boys for some $30 Raybestos pads. Not one squeek. ZERO.

Get this:
Raybestos pads: $30-35
Durastops: $80!!!!! (that's list price, I payed $30)

 

Whats funky too is that the rear disc pads on 82-88 models are the same exact pads as the front discs, with one minor modification to the tabs. If I ever get the page up of my rear disc axle swap (I still have two rolls of undeveloped film from 2 years ago, haha), I took a picture of the two pads to show the difference.

That's funny though, one day, some clerk in a dusty office storeroom is going to find your warranty info and think "man, that guy really rode his brakes!"

 

thanks for all the replies guys. I was hoping it was just my cheap pads, i had no choice but to buy them at the time. I will go tonight and buy something better. I also noticed they put off a ton of brake dust. Damn these cheap pads

 

brake dust yeah, I have Addpants cheapie brakes on the front of the blazer. they wear good, but always give a good foot or so brake dust layer on the front whhels every 3 months or so Advance breaks, never again.

 

Yeah its all to do with the pads (more then likely)
I usually order the medium grade pads. I once used the low end saved like $4, and they were gone in 5000 km just like I put the brakes on once and the next thing I hear is *sqweak, sqweak*

I find high grade in the after market aren't too much better for double the value, but its what you prefer, if you like slack braking and replacing pads with every oil change get the low end ones. *laughs*

 

maybe this will teach me not to buy 11 dollar pads!! But in my defense, what kind of auto parts store only has the cheap pads in stock. Most stores just tell you they only have the $1200 pads. Everyone can check out my car in the thread i started here earlier.


bye

 

Yeah, that's kind of crappy of the store. But hey, crappy pads are better than no pads... when you need brakes, you need brakes... not quite like skipping an oil change! I was short on cash when I bought those no-name pads... pretty much had no choice, but I learned from that near-death scare; I'll NEVER use cheap pads again... even if I gotta park the car for a week and walk to work to save up $$ for 'em. Let us know how putting quality pads on works out! Also check the rotors again, see if the rotors got messed up from 'em. Oh and I take it you let the pads break in first before slamming on the brakes, right? My Bendix pads say they come with some titanium coating that doesn't require a break-in period, but I break 'em in anyway... I'd rather not have my pads crack in half from abusing them too soon