Why Are Your Brakes Squeaking?

Brake squeaking is a groaning sound associated with a car when slowing down to a stop. It is one of the most common reasons people go to the car service experts. Most of the time, these sounds are brought about by loose or old parts. However, some of the them can be associated with cold weather or moisture caught in the brakes.

Because your brakes are so vital to the safety of you and your passengers, you need to be sure they are in good working order. Brake repair should not be something you put off doing.

Causes Of Brake Squeaks

Dust, sand, heavy braking and humidity can all make for squeaking brakes. The noise is usually caused by the pads and the caliper vibrating like a guitar string, at a high frequency. High frequency noises often stem from the semi-metallic brake pads on newer models, which are made from harder compounds.

Some squeaking brakes are caused by a small piece of steel that indicates that a pad has reached the end of its life. This metallic noise is easily discernible from normal squeaking brakes.

Debris that is stuck in the brakes, wood, rocks or sticks can definitely cause squeaking brakes. Remove it and try the break once again. If it doesn’t squeak anymore, it only means that debris is what caused it to malfunction.

Other problems may be due to worn out pads or shoes (which is serious), the incorrect pads, or even glazed pads. There could also be noise from brake rotors, calipers, pistons and worn wheel bearings.

How To Fix The Problem

The first sign of a worn out brake is squeaking. Make sure you have these parts replaced and re-installed as soon as possible to avoid further problems.

The easiest solution is to replace the pads or linings with a different friction material. Alternatively, try a softer, non-squeaking, friction material or pads with a higher carbon content.

One can buy Teflon, or fibre, shims that are placed between the pad and the caliper piston. These stop the vibration between the two and are often effective. The drawback is that the extra spacing can cause brakes to drag with new pads.

If you find that the squeaking is occurring as you come to a stop, then it often is the pad vibrating against the caliper. An easy fix for this is to place some high-temperature copper grease on the back of the brake pad, where it meets the piston. Applying it directly to the brakes will lessen the sound, and will reduce your anxiety while driving.

The grease tends to damp out the vibration. While you’ve got the brakes open, take a piece of sandpaper and sand of the glazed pad surface. This sometimes helps and if used with Teflon/fibre shims, will work even better!

Conclusion

Problems with squeaking brakes should not be taken for granted, because these things cause life threatening accidents. Make it a point to check on it regularly. If a problem occurs, address it right away. If you don’t, you’ll end up in a much complicated situation.

If you’re not familiar on how to do it, don’t try to fix things on your own, because most of the time, you’ll end up creating more problems. It would be better to seek the help of mobile car mechanic experts, because they will be able to address and fix the problem right away.

Image Credit.

The post Why Are Your Brakes Squeaking? appeared first on Geek Mechanics.