Brakes Squeaking (I searched)

[Dream240]

Okay I'm starting this thread and I did search but none of the results for specific to my application.

Here's my setup: 30mm front brakes with CD\Slotted eBay rotors & Hawk HPS pads. Rears have CD\slotted eBay rotors and Axxis Ultimate pads.

I am running all z brakes on my car and I just did the rears a couple weeks ago. Well I did spray the backs of the pads with anti-squeal but forgot to spray the two shim pieces. And it started squealing withing a day or so. I thought it was the fronts but it turned out to be the backs. I just took the rears apart the other day and cleaned the whole thing with brake cleaner, and resprayed ALL the shims and the backs of the pads with anti-squeal. Put it all back together and everything seemed fine up until last night. Now the squeaking is back and I'm starting to think that Axxis pads are just squeakers. Question: are you supposed to anti-squeal the pads retaining clips too? Could it be the eBay rotors are just cheap material and are causing the squeal? Maybe I should just go with regular blank rotors? Does anyone run Axxis Ultimates and do they squeal? HELP!!!

[derrick]

hey dream, i don't know exactly what the problem might be without actually taking a look at the brakes, but my brother runs axxis ultimates on his z conversion for his s14 and we don't have any squeeling issues, so at least you'll know it's not the pads. it is a possibility that it is the rotors, but that'd be very interesting as most rotors are made under very similar conditions.

[Dream240]

Well I asked the guys at MVP motorsports and Trent told me that it most likely is due to the eBay rotors. He says they're made very poorly even though the look the same as Brembos and the like. So I think I'm just going to live with it for now and get brembos later on. Damn I hate it when stuff like this happens.

Thanks for the info.

[thx247]

Its the pads

[Dream240]

How do you know? From experience?

[Ritz S14]

Cheap rotors will warp, but they shouldn't squeel or make any noise unless you're metal to metal.

[thx247]

Yes, I run the 30 dollar autozone rotor on the track and they are very quiet, until I put a track pad on...


You can hear me coming..../shhhhheeeee shhhheeeeeee shhhheeeeeee

Then I step on the brakes and make the doggies howl...../Sqqquueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllll

Try changing the pads just for a quick run and see what happens.

[Dream240]

Well, as far as metal to metal that's not the case because the Ultimates are the ceramic pads of the PBR line. Also I've noticed the rear rotors look like they're glazing already!! Barely two weeks later! The fronts are glazed already and the Hawk HPS up front have caused the rotors faces to turn dark brown, not silver like the brembo blanks I had on before. That's what leads me to believe that it's the rotors, just cheap eBay crap. Don't know why i haven't learned my lesson yet.... :smash:

[Ritz S14]

Oh yeah, from what I've heard.. Most high performance pads will give you the squeeks.

[nlzmo400r]

ive got semi metallic metal pads from PBR on my fronts (with built in shims) and have no squeaks, i also have BMI CD/Slotted 26mm rotors

[thx247]

My z brakes are also suprisingly quiet for track pads.

I think the reason is because I'm finally away from that sliding caliper craptastic design, and now the caliper doesn't influence the angle of the pads on the rotor.

[Dream240]

Actually I think its called a "floating caliper" design and from what I've read before it's supposed to be a better design, just not as good in our case because they're soooo small on the 240sx. Most new import models use them.

[drift into a curb]

How'd you glaze your rotors already? Did you properly bed them in or drive easy for the first hundred some miles for the "break-in" period? I've ran cheap taiwan stuff with no problems before. Now I have genuine brembo and still get noise with KVR pads after rough driving while kicking up dust. Most likely, it's the pads in your situation since it's new. You can lube up the shims, clips, and pad pins with anti-squeel to try to lessen it. Although you do have to remember, you got performance brake pads, not OEM premium pads. In most cases, you will get more external noise because they aren't made to be squeek free. Just something to consider.

[8_6_Fo_Life]

Did you properly bed them in or drive easy for the first hundred some miles for the "break-in" period?

This is what I was going to bring up. My guess is that you did not bed the brakes correctly. That will leave them to squeel, plus they will wear horribly and not work as well as they should.

Tell us how you bedded them...???

[thx247]

Actually I think its called a "floating caliper" design and from what I've read before it's supposed to be a better design, just not as good in our case because they're soooo small on the 240sx. Most new import models use them.

Floating/sliding calipers are less rigid than a fixed caliper. Its due to the design. How can a "C" piece of metal be more rigid than a "[]"? The only thing sliding calipers do better than fixed calipers is give more rim clearance.

I have never seen a descriptive difference between a sliding caliper or a floating caliper. If you have somewhere that explains the differences I'd be glad to read it.

[Dream240]

Well, I'm scrapping the whole brake set up anyways. Got some new front pads and Brembo rotors, and am going to get new Brembo rotors for the backs soon. Maybe my problem is not letting them bed in properly. So after I get it done I'll let you guys know.