Brake pad squeal

----------------
First we cut shims that matched the size and shape of the back of the pad. These
were made out of Soda cans so are easy to find and work with. Next, we applied
a layer of high temperature silicone RTV adhesive to the back of the pad and let
it skin over. Finally, we assembled the pads and calipers with the shim between
the piston and the silicone coated pad.
---
Put a very small amount on the back of each pad ie over the metal backing plate.
Only put it where the pistons contact the surface (you should be able to see sl
ight marks on the plate made by the piston contact) and don't get any near the e
dges just in case it ends up on the pad fronts...
---
shims used in production by friction manufacturers are just a sandwich of rubber
/steel/rubber
---
When's the last time you washed your bike? My bike starts to do this when it get
s dirty because a piece of dirt will get between the pad and the rotor which wil
l cause it to squeal. Try hosing off the rotors and the pads. It also wouldn't h
urt to pull the brake pads and rough them up with some sand paper. Then clean bo
th the rotors and the brake pads with brake cleaner. Hopefully this will clear u
p the problem.
---
anti-squeal pads
When I was driving beside a public transport bus and my brakes were squealing lo
uder than the bus, that's when I decided I needed to fix this problem.
Brake squeal is caused by high frequency vibration (high pitched sound) of the b
rakepads. It happens when the leading edge of the pad digs into the rotor and th
ere is a small gap between the trailing end of the pad and the rotor, allowing i
t to vibrate. It does not occur under heavy braking because the large pressure f
rom the piston squeezes the pad against the rotor.
After studying the various fixes for brake squeal, as far as I've learned, brake
squeal can be solved by two mechanisms:
1. Dampen vibrations
* use damper (RTV, grease, adhesive pad, etc.) between the pad and piston
2. Eliminate vibrations
* chamfer or bevel the leading edge of the pad so that it does not dig into
the rotor
* resurface rotor so the pad doesn't dig into it
* use anti-squeal shim to make trailing end of the pad contact rotor first a
nd to remove the gap
[how shim works.jpg]
* cut a radial groove down the center of pad, decreasing transfer of for
ces from the leading edge to the trailing end of the pad.
After removing the two pins going through the caliper and the brake pads, the pa
ds can be slid out. At first, I applied some very thick green brake grease to th
e back of the pads in an attempt to dampen the vibrations. The squeal got much b
etter but was still unsatisfactory.
I ordered a ~$8 brake pad fitting kit from BPNorthwest (PFK106) that includes ne
w pins and four anti-squeal shims to do both front brakes. I'm not sure if the o
riginal 75 TR6 comes with anti-squeal shims, but my car didn't have them. I also
bought a Permatex disc brake quiet compound, which unlike the grease I used bef
ore, actually hardens somewhat and should provide better damping.
* The shims have a directional arrow stamped into them. It's necessary that
this arrow is in the direction of wheel (rotor) movement, or else brake squeal w
ould probably worsen.
* Since the anti-squeal shims add to the effective thickness of the pads, I
opened the bleed valve on the calipers to decrease the brake fluid volume. I alw
ays ensured that the brake system fluid had positive pressure by pushing the pis
tons back into the caliper, so that air does not enter the system, and I don't h
ave to bleed the brakes afterwards.
* I also cleaned the back of the pads and pistons
* I chamfered the leading edge of the pad just as a precaution, since it onl
y takes 5 min to do
* Permatex disc brake quiet was applied in a thin layer on piston-side of th
e pads, and on both sides of the shims.
[Permatex disc brake quiet.jpg]
After installing anti-squeal shims, chamfering the leading edge of the pads, and
using Permatex disc brake quiet, the brakes do not squeal at all.
---