So I changed the brakes on the max a while, everything went fine(done this many times before). Nothing too exciting, used oem replacement brembo rotors and bendix pads.
My question is I have noticed that the brakes on "newer" cars (my brothers 2003 max he just got from the dealer for example and say someone who went to the dealer for a brake job) seem tighter. Let me explain. If I take my foot ever so slightly off the brake I can get to where the pads just bearly come off the rotor and the car moves slightly forward and makes a low rumbling/rubbing noise. Also when I brake slowly, like coming to a red light, I get a very slight "eerrgh" sound just before the car totally stops - kinda like the above described noise but milder. There is no loss in braking power at any speed.
So is this normal? What could be causing it? Is it my selection of rotors/pads? Is there something that can be "tightened"?
thanks

 

how long has it been? i think the pads just need to be broken in.
its "tight" because there is more material on the newer pads...doesnt take as much to make contact with the rotor

 

you might need to change your brake fluid and/or lines as well. Rubber gets old after a while.

 

well my brakes do something similiar, im still on OEM pads and rotors and when i brake lightly i feel the small "eerrh" noise right before i would come to a halt at a red light. im getting ready to swap my brakes and pads with OEM blanks in the back, and power slot rotors in the front. Im gonna do HAWK HPS Pads all the way around. anything else i should be aware of?

also what is the name of that good brake fluid that i hear people talk about. its like a blue color

thanks alot to anyone

 

That "eeerrrrr" sound is the pads. I find that mine do it when they have moisture in them.

 

i think i wasnt clear in the original post...the brakes arent actually too tight literally...but I feel like they infact could be tighter so that the "eerrgh" noise wouldnt occur...does that make sense?
and this pretty has been happening since I changed them and it doesnt matter if there wet or dry but I know what your talking about - when the brakes are wet...but if I am not mistaken that sound goes away as soon as they warm up

Also I did have to remove some of the brake fluid as the level increased when the piston in the caliper was pushed back. THe over all level is still appropriate.
So I guess the nest thing I could try is changing the fluid as someone suggested.

 

Have you changed the original brake fluid yet? If not, then definitely change the fluid! I know what you mean about the brakes being tighter, I think it may be the brake lines, perhaps they're starting to break down, and expanding a little bit when you're braking, hence the lack of tightness. I'm finding that w/ my 2000 as well. Next year, when I do my brakes w/ Brembo blanks, I think I may switch to ss lines.

 

That brake fluid is ATE superblue.

 

no two sets of brakes are alike. it's just material differences. as long as they stop correctly and aren't dragging when you aren't using them don't sweat it.

 

sounds kool too me. i was hoping to just ride out the winter with my OEM pads and ROTORS. AND wait till spring to slap on my Hawk pads, and powerslot and brembo rotors.

thanks to all for the info

 

Did you bed the new pads after completing the install?

 

I hope you put brake paste on the shins before installing the pads, cuz that's what causing the errrgg noise. to keep the caliper piston and the shins causing a squealing nosie

 

that noise with your brakes slightly pressed is normal. Even for OEM, however most of the times it does not happen. They xome like that from factory sometimes too. Nissan says it's normal. I've seen a TSB.