Squeaky Brakes.... Help Me Please!!!

[Adamroberts]

Hi guys,

I recently replaced the rear discs and pads on my FR TDI and at the same time, I took the front brakes off so that I could apply some copper grease to the pads to stop the insanely loud screeching when I pressed the brake.

At first, all was well, the brakes made no noise at all and they worked perfectly. However after a few days (a week at the most) they have started to make a squeak again, in all fairness the squeak is no where near as loud as before and it only occurs when a decent amount of pressure is applied to the brakes, whereas before you only had to look at the brakes the wrong way and they would start squeaking!

I have taken the pads out again and regreased everything in an attempt to solve it but it seems to have made very little, if any effect at all.

The issue seems to be the front brakes, the rear makes no noise at all.

Can someone point me in the right direction as to what to do please?

I am considering taking it to a garage, I dont really want to do this as it would take away from the fact that I fitted the rears fine by myself.

Thanks for looking guys!

 

[Slimy]

Where did you apply the grease? Are the retaining springs in good condition?

 

[Adamroberts]

Thanks for the reply!

I applied the copper grease on the rear of the pads and on the recesses in the holding clips where the pads sit.

Pretty much everywhere that the pads touch (apart from the disc) on the caliper.

Could it be the retaining springs that are causing the issue?

 

[Slimy]

Squeaks tend to be the pads vibrating in the calipers as they rub against the discs, that's why you put copper grease on the rear of the pads. The retaining springs also keep the pads still, if they're a little past their shelf life it might be worth changing them. They're not very expensive (unless you have Brembo's!).

 

[Adamroberts]

Can you buy the retaining springs on their own? Or would I have to buy new pads?

I do want to get a 312mm set up but I have only had the car for 3 weeks so I can't start modding that soon haha!

 

[Slimy]

I'm fairly sure you HAVE to buy them separately!

 

[Adamroberts]

Any idea where I can get them? Is it a dealer job?

 

[Adamroberts]

Just been looking at some front pads on ebay and it shows that most of the pads for the 1.9 have an electrical connector on them (low pad warning I would assume). I dont have the connector on my ones which is a bit strange!

 

[cheshire cat]

you could try putting a slight chamfer on the leading edge of each pad 1/8" should do use a coarsish emery on a dead flat surface

 

[Slimy]

Just been looking at some front pads on ebay and it shows that most of the pads for the 1.9 have an electrical connector on them (low pad warning I would assume). I dont have the connector on my ones which is a bit strange!

Is there a spare connector on the strut? Or perhaps a bit of wire with some tape round the end, where someone has disconnected the low pad warning?

 

[Malice19]

Squeaks tend to be the pads vibrating in the calipers as they rub against the discs, that's why you put copper grease on the rear of the pads. The retaining springs also keep the pads still, if they're a little past their shelf life it might be worth changing them. They're not very expensive (unless you have Brembo's!).

I have recently taken off my front pads and cleaned them up, applied copper grease and all was great for like 4 days... the noise they make is painful let alone embarrassing, only happens at light breaking.

So when you say retaining springs past their shelf life, car is 10 years old.... time to change retaining springs im guessing?

Cheers i will try this next and pop down to GSF or Euro car parts.


£7.39
http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/S...1359be2a83f66fdb2e57e86939a86e75154146&000416

 

[Malice19]

If the replacement retaining springs don't work has anyone ever used anti-rattle shims before out of interest?

 

[RUM4MO]

Just one thing, as your car has Alfred Teves (ATE) front callipers, is there not something the pads being "handed" - ie a correct direction relative to forward disc rotation? I seem to remember something like that from my B5 Passat days - it had ATE front callipers.

Is it possible that you have removed both sides at once, and fitted them back to the "other" side? Might be signs of an arrow on back of the affected pad each side.

Just a thought as I've never had noisy front brakes - noisy rear brakes when using ECP sourced ATE pads that came with no anti squeal material - taxi style noises.

Anti squeal on the front, the correct pads should have, if I remember correctly, sticky backed ant- squeal material that holds the pad to the calliper fist, and probably a tapered metal shim on the pad that clips to the piston.

I've never ever needed to replace that damping spring though on ATE callipers, last car was owned from new until 13 years old.