BrAke!! ha stop and look here

[Josie]

.. well so recently my brakes have been screeching for a few days now, so i checked them out and it seems like i need new brakes! For putting new brakes on, is it hard to do? or more of complicated.. dont want to ruin anything.. me and my uncle were thinking of doing them. or is it best to bring it to somone? this way will save money and thats always good : )

[volkerc]

Originally Posted by Josie

.. well so recently my brakes have been screeching for a few days now, so i checked them out and it seems like i need new brakes! For putting new brakes on, is it hard to do? or more of complicated.. dont want to ruin anything.. me and my uncle were thinking of doing them. or is it best to bring it to somone? this way will save money and thats always good : )

brakes are easy to do. hopefully you haven't ruined the rotors yet, but in 99.9 % that is not the case. brake shoes for drums are a bit more complicated than just pads. Don't forget to use the paste that goes between the back of the brake pad and piston of the caliper. You use it so the brakes won't make noise once new pads are in. Get a repair manual for your car, if you haven't already, it will guide you through the steps.Make sure not to brake to hard for the first few miles so the new pads can work themselves in (no emergency stops).good luck

[bigbadta]

some of those cars have rear discs as well

[Josie]

.. thank you for your reply's i do appreciate it. Yesterday i bought my brake pads they cost me $68 not too bad, of course i got the best quality b/c my car deserves the best : ) i would recommend Ray Brute Force ( BD-154M). and yes my brakes in the back are still good, ha they look like they havnt been used, but front are worn. So that paste you were talking about (Volkerc) is there any special kind i need? or is there a general kind for everyones use? So i have heard from other people that they just got new brakes and there brakes still squeek im guessing they forgot to put that paste? .. And ill be sure not to brake hard, thank you for all your help!! : ) if you have any more suggestions feel free to tell.

[volkerc]

Originally Posted by Josie

.. thank you for your reply's i do appreciate it. Yesterday i bought my brake pads they cost me $68 not too bad, of course i got the best quality b/c my car deserves the best : ) i would recommend Ray Brute Force ( BD-154M). and yes my brakes in the back are still good, ha they look like they havnt been used, but front are worn. So that paste you were talking about (Volkerc) is there any special kind i need? or is there a general kind for everyones use? So i have heard from other people that they just got new brakes and there brakes still squeek im guessing they forgot to put that paste? .. And ill be sure not to brake hard, thank you for all your help!! : ) if you have any more suggestions feel free to tell.

yes they did not use any paste at all. the noise gets created by the backside of the pad "vibrating", rubbing against the piston in the caliper when you aplly the brake. By putting that stuff right in between there you will avoid the noise. Some sets of new pads already come with a little bag of that paste, I assume yours did not. You can usually get this at any parts store, just explain to them what you are looking for. Mine I believe is called copperpaste, it has a copper like color. But again, a good parts guy will immediately know what you need. Do yourself a favour and use it. Just make sure you get nothing in between the pad surface and the disc. An even coat not to thick will do it, just enough to cover the contact area of the piston and backside of the pad....
Good Luck!

[volkerc]

...another suggestion, clean those pins that the caliper is sliding on good, it will improve the movement of the caliper, use a little grease sparingly for better gliding....if they are to rusty replace them with new ones, or the cheap version, use very fine sandpaper 600 to 800 grit to clean them a bit. But they shouldn't be to expensive, so replace if they look to rusty...

[Twizted_3KGT]

So the back of the pad vibrating on the piston makes a squealing noise?? My brakes squeal the entire time i'm driving and I have new pads/rotors all the way around...it only stops squeaking when I hit the brakes, so you think that paste would fix my problem?

[volkerc]

Originally Posted by Twizted_3KGT

So the back of the pad vibrating on the piston makes a squealing noise?? My brakes squeal the entire time i'm driving and I have new pads/rotors all the way around...it only stops squeaking when I hit the brakes, so you think that paste would fix my problem?

yes, i think so, thats what it is for. but your brakes should not be making any noise while you are driving and NOT applying the brakes.in your case the pistons in the caliper might not be going back in their seats causing your pads always to run against the rotors causing contact between the pad and rotor while driving. easy way to check, lift up the car and turn the wheel by hand, see if your wheel runs free or if it drags. If it drags you found your problem. If you just installed the pads, the noise might go away in a while as the pad wears. The vibration I'm talking about only really occurs when you apply the brake.Don't think of the vibration like a tire wobble, you won't even notice it with your own eyes, but it is there.

[Twizted_3KGT]

Ahhh ok, well I didn't just get them done, they've been in there a year. The dealer that put them in when I bought the car said it should go away after a while, but it never did so I was just assuming they were cheap noisy pads....oh well I don't wanna hijack the thread anymore thanks for your help.