brake noise

[TealZ00]

ok i just bought a 00 blazer 4x4 the brakes were sqeaking really bad so i boight ceramic brakes...i was led to believe with ceramic breaks they wouidlnt sqeak but they still do....anyone know why?

[mobil_12]

I believe that truck came from factory with ceramic brakes, so you are headed in the right direction.
Noise can come from many different sources. Noise is vibration. You just have to find out what is vibrating.
What brand are your pads? Do they have shims or noise dampeners on the back of them? Is that hardware keeping the pads secure and is it lubed? Did you machine or replace your rotors?
Some cheap ceramic pads have a very small amount of ceramic material in them and are mostly semi-metalic and will make noise. Try Raybestos ceramic pads from CarQuest, they are a full ceramic and should have a lot less noise.

[DINO55]

Did you cut the rotors or put new rotors on, did you do all four wheels, also did you use cheap ceramic pads, These are all factors when doing a good brake job. ceramic pads will squeal if the rotors are not true or if they are cheapies one's. I just did mine last week with Bendix Ceramic pads and new rotors, they are perfect now, No noise or rumbling at all.. Good Luck my friend.....

[TealZ00]

I used Friction Master cermaic pads so they arent cheap ones....i just put them on the front and i havent replaced the rotors...u think it might be the rotors?

[DINO55]

How did your rotors look before the new pads went on, When was the last time they were cut? Any grooves at all in them can cause a squeak. Did you check the wear indcators to see if they were bent at all when you put the pads on? Did the new pads come with backing plates installed on them?

[rlith]

Originally Posted by TealZ00

I used Friction Master cermaic pads so they arent cheap ones....i just put them on the front and i havent replaced the rotors...u think it might be the rotors?

You shouldn't have done that. If your rotors are cut or warped you just wasted money on new pads because the pads will start shaspaing themselves. Never replace pads without at least cutting. If they're too thin to cut, replace them. Gads they're cheap. Also did you use anti-squeal on the back of the pads? Did you check the condition of your retention clips? If they were corroded did you clean them up or replace them??

[wolfox]

I am with Rlith on this one too. I did a full ceramic upgrade on my truck (A '95 LS Blazer) and had no issues whatsoever. However, I did a couple of "extra" things".

All parts for the job were picked up (With the exception of the caliper lube) at NAPA. The NAPA line of "Ceramix" full and semi ceramic brakes are the only ones to wit that carry OEM certification for the application they go into, and Federal/DOT/NHSTA endorsement for safety. Everything else hasn't been tested either by GM, nor meets any federal criteria. (Seriously guys, google the stuff up if you want to, most brake pads cary no certs whatsoever. Especially $19 "Lifetime warranty" pieces of garbage. No *good* part carries a lifetime warranty.)

1) Dropped the rotors off to have them "shaved" .012" to remove any surface imperfections and any embedded material from the old brake linings that were semi-metallic.

2) Once they were taken home, they were washed in a pan of Dawn dishwashing soap and water and left to air dry after a thorough rinse. (Rotors that is)

3) Reassembled the calipers using all new anti-rattle clips and retension hardware for the shoes and calipers, using the anti-squeal compound that came in the box and lubricating pins, slides and contact areas on the caliper boss with a high temp "purple" grease used for caliper lubrication. ($3.50 for a lifetime supply of the stuff at O'Reilley's Auto parts). Flush the surface of the rotors once assembled with a chlorinated solvent. Berryman's brake cleaner is good for this. Turn the rotor by hand and get the areas shielded by your caliper assembly, but make sure there are NO fingerprints, spots of grease or brake fluid ANYWHERE on either side of the rotors before you put your wheels back on.

4) Initial break in burnishing. THIS IS CRITICAL for even, no-noise braking from a set of ceramic brakes. Take the truck up to 10MPH in the parking lot/driveway/unoccupied side street. Apply the brakes FIRMLY until you reach a full stop. Let them grab, but not so hard that you chirp your tires. Repeat 10X.

Take it to a larger parking lot, or stay in the side street: take the truck up to 25~30MPH and stop her firmly again, repeating 5 times. Get out an inspect for leaks or odd smells, etc. The new Ceramic brakes will smell a little "Earthy" at first, but anything like lube or brake fluid burning is not good.

5) Final break in: Drive your truck like it was filled with loose pallettes of eggs in the back for the next 200 miles. PLAN where you are going to stop, keeping your eyes and head up in traffic. Come to even and complete stops, avoiding panic or spirited braking/handling of the vehicle in this time. This allows the bonding material in the brakes to properly outgas. Elevated temps when outgassing will cause the rotors to glaze under extreme braking pressures, rendering the work you just did absolutely fruitless. The glazing will make them squeal and the only way to break that glaze is to drop the rotors back out and refinish them by hand or have them turned and cut .012" again.

I did mine about....ohhh, 6 months back and she stops smooth, quick, and silent. Oh, and relatively fade free. Splashing through mud and water does not seem to affect the brakes either. Just make sure you set out and do the brakes right the first time so you set the stage for solid footing and permormance later on.