[shep]

it is the flat wire frame thing that goes around the brake pad before it is fitted to a calliper.
it is meant to make crap squeaking scraping noises when the pad gets to around 5mm thick.

[alien]

i thought that was the spring that holds the pad in place? are they one and the same or is it a separate piece? if its a separate bit then i dont have it... lol

all i have is the pad each side of the rotor, flat steel spring thing that retains / locks the pad in and a super thin piece of metal that goes between the caliper and pad on the outside (no idea what its supposed to do but i put it back on).

[mattybish]

have you scuffed the pads up with a piece of coarse sandpaper? it is a chance that they might have a bit of glaze on them and are squeaking when they hit a high spot on the disk, prob not the solution, but a thought none the less

[alien]

yeah when i had them out i just gave a light sand, not enough to take the shine off, just did it in case some tiny rock or something was stuck in the pad... i did the rotor and the pad (both sides).

maybe i should sanded them a bit harder =)

the pads are maybe 50% shiny (ie: imagine a rusty mirror) and the rotors are quite shiny - not polished steel, but definitely very smooth to touch even though you can see score lines in them still.

[mattybish]

it would def be worth a try to give them a bit heavier sand and really rough them up, if they are quite glazed it might take a bit more effort to take the top layer off. have you driven it since sanding them last time?

[alien]

yeah - like i said it went away for about 100m then came back gradually to what it was before.

why would turning right hand down make it worse though? thats the odd part if it is brakes.

[christover1]

If glazing is bad and/or is the problem,
then you need to work out why they are glazed,
probably getting too hot.
Calipers may be not sliding very well,
so pads are in contact when not braking.

I had similar issue on my rear disc brakes on my Sierra.
Mine was because the master cylinder needed a valve removed after disc brakes.
Drums (on my 1.o) have a slight pressure all the time,
I think to aid self adjusters.

[christover1]

If wheelbearings are not perfect,
then hard turns can push on the pads,
usually making pedal lower on first pump

[mattybish]

christover1 wrote:

If glazing is bad and/or is the problem,
then you need to work out why they are glazed,
probably getting too hot.
Calipers may be not sliding very well,
so pads are in contact when not braking.

I had similar issue on my rear disc brakes on my Sierra.
Mine was because the master cylinder needed a valve removed after disc brakes.
Drums (on my 1.o) have a slight pressure all the time,
I think to aid self adjusters.

thats a good point, have you checked the caliper slides? they might be sticking or partially siezed

[alien]

glazing would be caused by my driving style... i do a lot of hard braking in quick succession (accelerate, turn corner, accelerate again etc), so they do get a good workout... my rotors are solid (no slots or vents) so that wouldnt help.

i'll leave it for now - my local mechanic has a set of pads on their shelf for me cos i was going to replace them a few weeks ago due to squeaking while braking but when i saw they still had 50% or so on them i didnt bother.

maybe i can invest in some vented rotors to keep things cooler for the new pads.

i never checked the slides either... i'll add that to the 'to-do' list... now im more certain its the brake squeaking not a bearing or similar im more comfortable driving it a little longer with the sqeak before trying new pads/rotors (or even just getting the rotors machined).

[alien]

how much drag should the pad be giving when the wheel is jacked up and spun by hand?

[mattybish]

not much if any, at the most you should hear a 'swishing' noise as the pads slightly touch the rotor

[alien]

yeah mines like that - it was biting harder after i re-fitted the pads the other way around but since the test drive its just swishing.

passengers side looks equally shiny to the drivers side too, hopefully this is the cause of the issue.

are there any dodgy ways to rough the rotors up without me taking the wheel off again? i can't be bothered doing it again lol

[Jasen]

A_05_0017 saBesto SBS Brake Finishing Treatment

I've used this stuff from Wurth successfully a few times to get rid of minor glazing squeeks. Doesn't work all the time but has quietened some I've done.

[alien]

ooo i like the sound of that!

now to find some! their office is actually just down the road from my house but its in the opposite direction to my work so i cant get there business hours. hmpf.

[alien]

lol so i went 4wding yesterday, drove a little mud and some rocks etc... and the bloody squeak went away until driving to get lunch today (ie: was quiet all the way home and on the way to work this morning).

Im guessing that the mud was on the rotors/pads and roughing it up temporarily...

[alex]

[alien]

yeah my pads are glazey as well - not as bad as rotors.

i might splurge and get slotted rotors as well (only triple the price).

out of curiousity - whats the difference in a heavy duty brake pad vs standard? i know i have a set of standard pads on the shelf at the local mech. just wondering if i should swap them for HD or if standard will give better performance? im not fussed on how long they last as long as whichever has better stopping power / less fade.

[shandy92]

start using ur gears instead of ur brakes, i only use my brakes when really needed or when 1st doesnt stop me fast enough.

i have bendix pads in mine, they are decent but not cheap. what brakes do you run? sierra calipers or vitara? if vit, i have a set of swb ones here waiting to be used, only done 60km. urs for the taking.

[alien]

i use gears all the time, but i do a lot of fast cornering etc taking back streets on the way home as well, so i go hard on the brakes.

mine are bendix at the moment but just standard replacements. mines sierra calipers - vit ones won't clear the hi-steer setup. Thanks though =)

[alex]

shandy92 wrote:

start using ur gears instead of ur brakes, i only use my brakes when really needed or when 1st doesnt stop me fast enough.

pads are a lot easier to replace than a clutch

[atari4x4]

alex wrote:

shandy92 wrote:

start using ur gears instead of ur brakes, i only use my brakes when really needed or when 1st doesnt stop me fast enough.

pads are a lot easier to replace than a clutch

+1

[shandy92]

yes but i dont like my brakes, its just feels weird when i roll to a stop in 5th or 4th....un-natural.

[alien]

i agree.. i always gear down to 2nd, even first sometimes... but i do brake at the same time... i actually brake less on the initial downchange then as the gear fades i increase the brake pedal pressure and so forth... stopping this way means i stop VERY fast.

[shandy92]

alien wrote:

i agree.. i always gear down to 2nd, even first sometimes... but i do brake at the same time... i actually brake less on the initial downchange then as the gear fades i increase the brake pedal pressure and so forth... stopping this way means i stop VERY fast.

yeah this is pretty much what i do, but im on and off the brake. on when in process of changing gears or if engine braking isnt working enough lol.