Squeaky brakes!

[annmpena]

So I recently changed my front discs and pads on my 2006 Fiesta. They were great for a while but now there is an awful squeak/squeal when I'm braking, coming to a stop. I understand that they need to wear in and that can sometimes cause squeaking but it's been nearly 2 months, I do around 200-300 miles a week so surely they should be worn in by now? I'm stumped as to why they are squeaking, is it my new pads and discs or something else from the braking system... was wondering if anyone else has had this issue and figured it out.
Thanks in advance!

*** to add, it sounds like it's more from the front of the car. It occurred after having to brake quite hard one day (at least that's when I started noticing it)

 

[Handy Andy]

Although not uncommon, the squeal from applying brakes - is why they have those "shims" or flat pieces of metal that are "Clipped" onto the brake pad metal backing.

The squeal comes from that shim not working to absorb the noise and reduce the resonance - by it's design it prevents a direct brute force impact of the pad onto the rotating rotor.

Think of this like writing on a chalkboard, if you hold the chalk wrong - soon the teacher and everyone else in the room will have had enough of your Poetry and singing chalk-writing - due to how the slate and chalk dragged across it - make that noise.

You have to lead in or trail behind so the two are not square faced onto each other - that is what those shims on pads do, give the rotor and pads some give until the pressure needed your applying - to stop the car - overcomes that resonance that would otherwise have been there as that squeal.

So you'll have to take apart the brakes and look into cleaning out any debris and applying anti-seize/squeal compound or reposition the pads - to see if the piston and shim are making contact and not skewing - making the squeal return like you're experiencing. .

 

[annmpena]

Although not uncommon, the squeal from applying brakes - is why they have those "shims" or flat pieces of metal that are "Clipped" onto the brake pad metal backing.

The squeal comes from that shim not working to absorb the noise and reduce the resonance - by it's design it prevents a direct brute force impact of the pad onto the rotating rotor.

Think of this like writing on a chalkboard, if you hold the chalk wrong - soon the teacher and everyone else in the room will have had enough of your Poetry and singing chalk-writing - due to how the slate and chalk dragged across it - make that noise.

You have to lead in or trail behind so the two are not square faced onto each other - that is what those shims on pads do, give the rotor and pads some give until the pressure needed your applying - to stop the car - overcomes that resonance that would otherwise have been there as that squeal.

So you'll have to take apart the brakes and look into cleaning out any debris and applying anti-seize/squeal compound or reposition the pads - to see if the piston and shim are making contact and not skewing - making the squeal return like you're experiencing. .

Thank you for your reply and the detail you put into your reply, I'm no longer confused . I shall try this as soon as the British weather permits me to do so!

 

[Handy Andy]

Don't worry, the squeal is annoying but it's not damaging the car, just the way the rub of the pads against the rotor surface means it's honed - as in a type of surface reconditioning - that your hear as a horrendous squeal.

If they do this noise while you're driving and NOT applying the brakes - it can mean damage is being done by their consistent and constant ringing can wear a pattern into the surface and at a given speed (like highway) - but that takes time - unless you are using hardened pads like ceramics and semi-metalics. Where there compositions are more prone to squeal due to their hardness factor against the metal.

It usually tells me the cradle, bracket or the pads themselves might need to be inspected to make sure nothing is dragging across the rotor (front) surfaces that can make the surfaces too smooth due to the rubbing drag - even the calipers piston should be looked at. The caliper and pins need to be inspected - even lifted off and by using a clamp - re-seat the piston back into the seat of the bore and reset it's boot - all the way in - to let the pads resettle into a groove or pattern of shift that can help reduce the squeal because the pads wear pattern has settled into a position that is loose enough to cause this squeal - the re-seating helps the pads reposition themselves to a new resting spot and might take care of that squeal.