Audible brake wear indicators

lemonade

lemonade

lemonade

Soldato
Joined
5 Apr 2010
Posts
3,262
Location
On Your Screen
What kind of noise do these exactly make? Because I keep hearing a sqeaky/squeal noise every now and again when driving and I have a feeling it is this, as my brakes are very spongy and feel worn and they do squeal when I brake.

Cheers
 
[TW]Fox;22006336 said:
A lip on the discs isn't caused by wearing the pads to the metal though?
Click to expand...

Correct, a lip on the disc will just tell you if the discs are worn or not. Some people just simply grind the lip off.

If the pads are on the metal they could put all sorts of marks on the disc
 
The little metal wear indicator tags fitted to some pads start to squeal when braking as a warning, pads with no friction material left make a proper grinding with clearly marked grooves on the disc surface, sounds like the pads need replaced soon.
 
[TW]Fox;22006336 said:
A lip on the discs isn't caused by wearing the pads to the metal though?
Click to expand...

Materials wear.. it's the way it's intended.

Pads wear quicker than pads. I the MOT place is doing their job properly... they will get the measuring calipers out and measure the thickness of the disc rather than just visually seeing if there is a lip. Every disc has a minimum thickness.

BTW.. I've had a pad rip off the backing metal and I didn't even have a metal on metal noise. I trashed the side of my car with 'fallout' from the brakes. Little metal filings all down the side of the car. Luckily it polished out with a machine polisher and wet/dry. Check the brakes out, just don't take it to kwik fit or similar, they might rip you off.
 
Clarkey said:
A horrendous squealing noise, generally it will sound all of the time too, not just when braking.
Click to expand...

Aye, quite loud, and hearable during normal driving not just braking ( mine actually went silent when I braked).

It's something that sounds quite different to your normal brake squeal. It's of a lower tone than a normal brake squeel.


Just put your wheel off and inspect the pads visually.
 
On that Accord in your sig?

I helped my dad fit new front discs and pads on his 2002 Accord and his pads were down to the metal but made no squeeling sound, just a grinding/rubbing noise when braking.

If your pads are fine though then there may just be debris trapped between pad and disc surface. Unusual lines on the rotor itself will indicate the position of the debris on the pad surface. You'll probably need to take the pad out and clean. You'll need to raise the car up in order to see the other side though, that or remove the whole calliper and then remove the disc :p

Doesn't really take long though on your car!
 
^ Yeh, I'm thinking maybe it is debris, because sometimes it doesn't make much noise or none at all. But I can feel brake fade when there is a lot of start stop driving, maybe there just some cheap pads. Need to inspect them properly htough.

How hard was it changing the pads? I'd like to do it myself but I live in a flat so have no suitable place to work on. :(

Cheers for all the info.
 
Not very hard at and only basic tools are required, chief of which is a G clamp to slowly press the piston back in so you can get it back over the pad/rotor during the re-fitting and keeping an eye on the brake fluid that it doesn't overflow out of the top up level in the engine bay too as you do this.

Once done tighten the wheel nuts and drive to local garage who can torque wrench them properly unless you have one :)
 
My Accord, which is the newer model has a strip of metal that will make a grinding sound when the pads approach the end of their life.

It should be fairly easy to visually check the pads, if not take it to quick fit, get them to check then make your excuses to do a swift exit :D

I've changed the front and rear pads on my Accord, for the fronts you'll need a socket set, some sort of clamp and maybe a hex key set (did for mine). For the rears you'll also need a calliper retraction tool. Make sure you also put the wheel that you're doing on an axle stand, better to be safe than sorry :)
 
High pitched shriek- pad wear indicator / stuck stone or tweaked backing plate, low graunchy noise- shagged pads and discs. As a rule of thumb.

lots of noise for a few thousand miles followed by a complete loss of pedal- successfully ground up entire calliper piston.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom