Installed new front brake pads on my 2000 Maxima GLE. The rotors were in good shape so I did not have them turned. The new pads now emit a faint "squealing" sound when braking. What can I do to eliminate the squeal?

roger wells

 

Don't brake... HAH!!

Seriously...

1. did you de-glaze the rotors? Since you didn't have them turned.. sand each surface with a medium grade sandpaper in a small rotary sander. Remove all shiny, smooth surface leaving a swirling dull finish. This helps bed the pads. If you don't have a sander, do it manually even though it's very hard on the fingers. I know, I don't have one.

2. did you bed the new pads? several techniques depending on material... I will moderately accelerate up to 60 mph and brake, also moderately, to a stop three times in succession. Then drive at 60-70 for 10-15 minutes cooling everything, then repeat. Bedding cooks off the resins in the surface region of the pad to allow for good braking performance and reduced fade. Bedding works better if the rotors were de-glazed as in step 1. But you want to avoid over heating the pads as this cooks off resins deeper in and glazes the pads and rotors. In the extreme, you'll de-temper the rotor (can you say "judder") and crack the pads.

3. did you clean the calipers, pad clips and shims in brake cleaner? and lightly lube sliding surfaces with high-temp brake lube?

4. did you put the shims back on correctly? sometimes use of anti-squeal compound is necessary, but I've never had a problem if I've properly done 1,2 and 3.

good luck
BuddyWh

 

If someone didn't break in the brake pads properly the first time after installing them, can a person go back and try to do it properly lets say three days later?

 

I've heard the following and wonder if it is b.s. If you take it to a shop that does not use the OEM pads, the pads they use require them to discard some piece of hardware on the system and, in turn, you have constant squealing problems with the brakes.

I've known at least two people that were told this by Nissan. In both cases, they shop could not get the brakes to stop squealing for any length of time. When they had the brakes done at Nissan - they never squealed again.

 

You can pull out the pad and use sandpaper (1500 grit) and try scraping the surfacing. This has worked for some cars in eliminating the squeel.

Usually the noise is due to lack of brake grease on the shims.

 

This sounds correct... there are shims that should be placed on the back of the pads. Some aftermarket pads come with their own shims; some come with nothing in which case you have to clean the old shims (if still there) and reuse them. Or buy new ones. If you don't... well, let's say your neighbors will always know when you come home!

BuddyWh

 

Yes, give it a try... can't hurt.

If it didn't help, the worse case is to dis-assemble the brakes and deglaze the pads and rotor. With some medium grit sandpaper, rubbed in a circular motion on the rotor. For the pads... lay a sheet out on a flat surface and sand the pad in figure 8 on that surface. That way you won't round the pad leaving a high spot. Go easy, you really don't have to remove all that much.

I've had this happen before... the sound isn't a squeal but a grinding, exactly like the pad is wore away and only the plate is left! Only solution was to deglaze... or live with it.

Reassemble being careful to clean and grease the caliper pins, pad locating springs and anti-squeal shims.

BuddyWh

 

I had this problem with aftermarket pads too. I had a trusted friend who works at Butler Tire tell me that I should get the oem pads. He said that aftermakrket pads often squeek for no reason. My aftermarket pads had about 70%left and were squeeking. I switched to oem pads and they haven't squeeked in 4 months. Oem pads are a bit more expensive but i think they're well worth the money.