I noticed my rear breaks are squeaking sometimes when breaking at normal 30mph speeds. They dont make any noise when i'm in a parking lot doing 10 and i tried cleaning them by doing some hard braking from 20 to 0 but they still squeak when i come to redlights from around 30mph. What can I do to stop the annoying and embarrasing sound of break squeak?

 

I recently replaced my rear pads, and they squeek more than the old ones Eventually it went away. You can buy this rubbery goo stuff that you put between the pad and the backing plate. It helps eliminate vibrations and squeal. I used it on my Nissan pickup and it worked great. If your pads aren't new, maybe they need changing? Seems obvious, but you didnt specify how worn they were.

 

i actually have no idea. didnt look at them when i put the rims on. i guess i will get them checked when i get my car serviced this week.

+oil change
+shock install
+o2 sensor replacement
+alignment
+balance
+breaks

I wasn't planning on spending so much money

 

then buy some tools and do the work yourself! You'll save alot in the long run. It's also valuable experience to have.

 

I would but i dont have a garage and none of those are parking lot jobs...town houses suck.

 

can anyone post instructions on the rear brake change

 

I do most of my work in a parking lot. When I'm up at school, there is nowhere else to work on your car. The cops hate it. I've helped a few kids change the transmissions in the VW's right in the lot.

To replace the rear pads...
1) jack up car, remove tires
2) there are two "floating" bolts that hold each caliper on...remove them
3) once caliper is removed, there is a bracket looking thing that holds the pads in place. If you look closely, the pads slide into special slots, since the outer shape of the pad matches the shape of the bracket. Usually if you place a flathead screwdriver between the pad and the rotor, you can work them out of the bracket.
4) install the new pads the same way the old ones came out. Match the pads to the bracket shape and make sure they are in there snug. Don't force them though, and be careful not to chip the pad material.
5) take the caliper and make sure that the piston is pressed back in (the big circular looking thing on one side) If the piston pushed out while the caliper was off, you can press it back in by taking a pair of channel-lock pliers and a rag, and squeeze them back in. This is so that the caliper will have enough clearance to go back on.
6) slide the caliper on over the pads in the same manner that they came off...and replace the two floating bolts.
7) that should be it. It's the same for both sides of the car.

 

hey i think ur dead on ur method for changing the rear brakes except on the part of using the channel lock to push it back in...........that works for the front (c clamp is a little better IMO) but for the rears i think you need to go get some kind of tool.........i havent done mine yet so not sure........but i've read on here enough that u need to get some kind of tool that you can rent from an auto store for free.

 

I've heard that alot of european cars are made so some sort of tool is needed to hold the piston in, since its threaded or something. Not really sure. To tell you the truth, I don't think that's the case with the maxima. Mine is a '96, and I know that I didn't need anything. Maybe it depends on the year. I've replaced pads on multiple vehicles over the years, and never needed such a tool.