Why brake pads creak

Content

Reasons for squeaking brake pads
Ways to eliminate creaking brake pads

Often, during the operation of the car, situations and breakdowns appear, the causes of which, at first glance, are incomprehensible. One of them is the squeaking of the brake pads. What to do if suddenly there is an unpleasant noise coming from the side of the brake discs, and what could be the reason? In fact, there can be quite a lot of them.

Reasons for squeaking brake pads

First, consider the simplest and most banal case - natural wear and tear. Most modern pads have wear indicators, the so-called "squeakers". They are a metal element that, as the pad wears, gets closer and closer to the metal brake disc. At a certain point, when the material has worn enough, the "squeaker" touches the disc and produces an unpleasant sound. This means that the pad will also work for some time, and there is nothing wrong with the situation, but it's time to think about replacing it. Accordingly, in this case, you only need to replace these consumable parts. You can do this at the service station by entrusting the work to the appropriate craftsmen. This will protect you from unexpected situations. However, if you have sufficient experience, you can carry out the work yourself.

The second reason for the squeak may be natural vibration of pads. In this case, the brake system can make very loud and unpleasant sounds. you need to know that new pads have special anti-vibration plates in their design. As the name implies, they are designed to dampen natural vibration. However, some sellers may throw away this part, considering it superfluous. Another reason is the failure of the plate or its loss. Accordingly, if there is no such plate on the pads of your car, we strongly recommend installing it. And you should buy pads only with them. As practice shows, even if the brake caliper is worn out enough, the pad with an anti-vibration plate will operate almost silently.

Anti-squeak plates

also one reason for the squeak - poor quality pad material. The fact is that any manufacturer in the process of manufacturing these spare parts uses their own know-how and materials that allow consumables to perform their work efficiently. However, there are cases (mostly when buying cheap pads) when they are made from a material that does not match the technology. Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, we advise you to buy branded pads, and not use cheap counterfeit products.

also the cause of the squeak can be shoe shape mismatch vehicle manufacturer's data. Here the situation is similar to the previous problem. any machine has its own geometric shape of the block with the arrangement of grooves and protrusions, which ensure the reliable operation of the system, as well as the correct operation of the block, so that it does not warp or “bite”. Accordingly, if the shape of the block changes, then a creak or whistle may appear. Therefore, in this case, it is also recommended to buy original spare parts.

Perhaps in the manufacture of pads, the manufacturer could violate the technology and include metal shavings in the original composition or other foreign bodies. During operation, they can naturally make creaking or whistling sounds. In addition to the voiced advice about buying original consumables, here you can add advice about buying ceramic pads. However, this option is not suitable for everyone. Firstly, ceramic pads are not made for all cars, and secondly, they are very expensive.

Pad squeaking gets worse in wet weather

In some cases, creaking brake pads due to weather factors. This is especially true for the cold season. Frost, moisture, as well as harsh operating conditions at the same time - all this can cause unpleasant sounds. However, in this case, you should not worry too much. With the onset of favorable weather conditions, everything will return to normal. As a last resort, if you are very annoyed by the sounds that appear, you can change the pads.

Ways to eliminate creaking brake pads

We have already described how to get rid of the squeak of the pads when braking in one case or another. Let's add some methods here as well. Some manufacturers (for example, Honda) offer a special lubricant that is similar to graphite powder with their original pads. It fills the micropores of the pad, significantly reducing vibration. In addition, in car dealerships you can often find universal lubricants that are suitable for almost any pad. However, before buying, you need to carefully read the instruction manual.

Eliminate squeaky drum pads

also one method of eliminating unpleasant sounds is making anti-creak cuts on the working surface of the block. This is done in order to reduce the area of the vibrating surface by 2–3 times. usually, after this procedure, vibration and creaking disappear. there is also an option to round the corner parts of the block. The fact is that vibration often starts from this side, since during braking it is the extreme part that takes the force first and begins to vibrate. Therefore, if it is rounded, then the braking will be softer, and the vibration will disappear.

In connection with all of the above, we recommend that you buy only original brake pads that are listed in the documentation for your car. In addition, according to experienced motorists, we present a small list of reliable pads that do not creak: