Please help me identify embarassing squeak!

[peteyg]

It's driving me nuts!!

I have a loud squeak which I'm putting down to brake related coming from one of the corners. As much as I've tried, I can't tell exactly where it's coming from whilst driving along with the windows down. The noise is wheel speed related and stops when brakes are applied. It doesn't start immediately you get in the car first thing, only after a bit of driving but is then there if you stop for a while and start up again.

I can't get it to make the noise when up on the ramp, which is really irritating.

So far I have checked the front brakes which was a good thing as I found the nearly new green stuff pads were falling apart on one side. Instantly thought I had discovered the problem but since fitting new standard pads it seems to be marginally worse!! Rear UJs are all fine.

I have turbo groove discs fitted all round. These are nearly new but I'd done quite a few miles before the noise started.

No stones or grit or scoring on the discs.

Help! I'm ashamed to drive the car at the moment and the weather's sooo good. I hate attracting the wrong sort of attention!

Squeaky Pete

[Advantage]

Try driving again but pull the handbrake up a click. Hopefully this might narrow it down to front or rear?

[peteyg]

Good point G. Forgot to mention I already I tried and it doesn't make a difference so I guess it has to be fronts!

[Advantage]

You realise that there's only one way to fix it properly then?! Strip down, clean and re-lube everything.

Fit anti squeal shims,

chamfer the leading edge of the pads,

pop the pistons out and polish them with a bit of 1500 then reassemble using some red rubber grease

slather copper grease onto the back of the the pads

etc etc.

All usual stuff, but obviously time consuming.

An alternative might be the reverse Italian tune-up technique. Get them hot, really hot. Smoking hot. (if you need a driver for this let me know...)

[andydclements]

Are the dust grooves of the pads clear?

Are you using sufficient copper (or any anti-seize) grease on all metal to metal contact points?

Are the pad locating pins loose in the callipers?

[peteyg]

Yes, yes, no.

Thanks for the ideas Andy! Because the squeak is happening with every wheel revolution, something is rubbing on something but I just cant see what it is/could be.

I was led to believe that the front brakes kick in before the rear and it only take a very light touch on the pedal to stop the noise. So light that there's no noticable braking involved.

Pete

[Günter]

is there an reaction with the driving forwards & rearwards ...as for the pads sitting/resting on the upper and othervise lower support point within the caliper. So even if you say the the pins hold the pads tight -what's with the caliper ?!

[shawty_82]

To echo what has already been mentioned,had a similiar problem on 2 Honda CRX's I owned, the solution was using anti-rattle shims that weren't supplied with the aftermarket brake pads that were fitted

[peteyg]

Have just checked the calipers. They're all tight. HAve ordered rebuild kits for the fronts so we'll see what happens with those.

Any idea where these shims can be bought aftermarket, Tim?

Pete

[peteyg]

FRont calipers stripped and rebuilt. Checked wheel bearings. Squeak is still there!

Am going for the rear brakes now although I rebuilt those last year and the problem has only started recently.