Squeaking Brakes

Those who drive cars regularly, I guess one of their worst nightmares would be to hear brakes giving a bad squeal - perhaps telling you that they are not in a good condition. Whatever it may be, the fact is that squeaking brakes are not exactly a pleasant sound to hear. In extreme cases, if something happens to be wrong with your brakes, the most important of car parts, it can ruin your whole day. How do you then tackle this braking and squealing issue? Do not despair or trouble yourself! Just check out the text to come!

Why do Brakes Squeak?

Brake Pad Wear and Tear
Worn out brake pads are the most common reasons for squeaky brakes. Brake pads normally have built in wear and tear indicators. These indicators are small metal strips that are embedded and merged in the material with which a brake pad is made. When these strips get exposed and they rub against the spinning brake rotors, the result is brakes which squeak.

Brake Pad Vibration
If the brake pads shake or vibrate when they are applied, it leads to irregular or uneven pressure on the spinning brake rotor. That leads to reduced brake power, grinding and squeaking of brakes.

Dusty Brakes
With wear and tear of brake pads, small brake dust particles are shed. These particles cover the surface of the spinning brake rotor, causing squeaking brakes.

Brake Rotors and Calipers
Brake rotors are made in such a way that their smooth and flat surfaces are easily held by brake calipers. If the brake rotors are not in a good condition, they present an uneven surface for the brake calipers to hold. This leads to squeaking brakes in cars. Brake calipers have the function of squeezing the brake shoes tightly against the rotors. Uneven brake shoe application on account of any problem in the calipers leads to squeaking when brakes are applied.

How to Stop Squeaking Brakes

Technique #1
Remove the caliper from the rotor and replace the brake pads by pulling them out. Position the new units on the caliper pistons. Brake pads as mentioned earlier are made in such a way that they indicate their wear and tear.

Technique #2
Remove the original drum brake shoes by getting the drum out from the assembly and following that by releasing springs holding the shoe in place. Scraping and squealing of shoe material if it falls below the safe limit of thickness is usual. However, a shoe does not come with squealer tab like the disc brakes. In addition to that, to avoid the incidence of squeaky brakes, check out whether there are debris in the drum prior to replacing the shoes.

Technique #3
Spraying disc brake dressing in liberal amounts, in the opening center of the caliper will curb squeaky brakes. That will help the dressing reach the rear of the disc brake pads. The purpose of the dressing is to help the caliper piston level retrieve the pad and prohibit it from touching the rotor when it is not in use.

Technique #4
If the brakes have not been used for several hours and are cold, wash the brakes using a high pressure hose. Squeaking due to dust and debris on the brake pads will stop with this.

Technique #5
The last thing you can do for preventing squeaking is to see if the master cylinder has the proper fluid level and color. That can be done by inspecting the fluid in the cylinder. This cylinder is located beneath the hood on the side firewall of the driver's side. The fluid should be golden and not brown or black.

All these things can help avoid the incidence of squeaky brakes. All you need is to keep a close watch on the inner workings of the car! Most importantly, be involved and say bye to squeaking brakes!