Introduction
Your car has its unique ways of telling you that there’s a problem brewing under the hood. In some cases, you might notice unsettling sounds, jerky acceleration, excessive vibrations and weird smells around the vehicle.
Within these symptoms, squeaky brakes are the most common problem plaguing most vehicles. But they aren’t always a cause for concern. This is because brakes are high-stressed components in a vehicle. Brake pads are typically made of soft metal pressed against the brake rotor with hydraulic callipers.
This interface of different materials creates friction which ultimately converts the energy of the car’s motion into heat energy. As a result, the brake pads go through repeated heating and cooling cycles in routine driving and therefore are more prone to failure or noisy operation.
That said, your car might have noisy brakes for plenty of reasons.
Here’s what the sounds mean and how you can fix them.
Causes of Squeaky/Noisy Brakes
- Wrongly Installed Callipers or Brake Rotors
Cheap components and poor installation techniques can cause squeaky brakes and other issues. A calliper that sticks due to being improperly greased is a typical offender. The calliper houses the brake pads and pistons and works with the rotors to slow down the wheels through friction. A stuck calliper can limit braking effectiveness and cause the car to “drag” as it scrapes against the rotor. In addition, it may eventually cause the brake pad to wear down, producing loud grinding noises.
- Cold or Rusty Brakes
When brakes have accumulated dew and rust overnight, friction between the brake pads may cause hissing or grinding sounds. Rainy mornings might also bring on brake pad noises by rainy mornings. Once the brake pads have removed the rust from the disc, the noise should stop. However, moisture might eventually lead to brake rusting.
- Advanced Brake Components
More components and safety features have caused vehicles to become heavier over time. Due to this, brake pads now frequently contain metallic and ceramic components. Compared to their predecessors, these materials are more effective in slowing down heavier cars. Yet, they also result in louder braking noises. Typically, there is no need for concern.
- Brake Pads Worn Out
Brake Pads are consumable items, and they need to be replaced periodically. They typically contain a wear indicator embedded within the pad. It’s a thin piece of metal that scrapes the brake rotor and provides auditory and visual confirmation of a worn-out brake pad.
How to repair squeaky brakes?
Changing to aftermarket brake pads is one technique to eliminate innocuous squeals. In addition, many aftermarket components have noise-reducing features.
Anaerobic adhesives are also an excellent option to reduce squealing. They are strong metal-bonding adhesives. The process of application of this product goes something like this. First, the pad and calliper must be taken out and cleaned. The adhesive would next be applied to the piston. Only use this technique if you feel confident disassembling and reassembling the brake parts. Or leave them up to professionals who specialise in car brake pad replacements.
It’s important to reiterate that a mechanic should handle major braking problems immediately.
Suppose your brand-new brakes start to squeak.
As previously indicated, dampness or metallic or ceramic pads can make pads squeal. However, this kind of squeaking is typically unharmful.
A foreign object can also cause new brake pads to squeal. For example, rocks, twigs, or pinecones could be wedged between the brake pad and the rotor. In addition, squeaking might happen even when the pedal is not depressed. If that’s the case, get your automobile to the repair right once to prevent rotor damage.
Conclusion
If your car has squeaky brakes, you may need to search for a car brake pad replacement. But it would be best to get a professional opinion before replacing the pads. This is because the sound may not originate from a fault in the pad itself but require a deeper diagnosis for a proper fix.