Stop! In the Name of Love: Brakes
Screech. Sqeak. Sqqqk. Embarrassing car sounds.
Sometimes they are a minor annoyance, sometimes it’s very embarrassing.
We’re talking about noisy brakes.
Most modern brakes are disc brakes. These cast-iron discs are squeezed between two brake pads that provide the level of friction necessary to bring the wheels to a stop. It’s important to know that you should never expect to have complete silence from your breaks at all times. In fact, if you have high-performance carbon-metallic brake pads installed, they are actually prone to making noise. Original brake pads will make less noise, but pay attention to older brakes that may be noisy due to needing to be replaced.
Common Causes of Brake Noise Include:
Worn Pads
Brake pads undergo a tremendous amount of stress every time you apply your brakes. If you’re like most people, this stress is happening many times, every single day. Over time, the pad will naturally wear down and need to be replaced.
Brake pads come with a built-in wear indicator. In fact, there are different kinds of indicators. A mechanical indicator makes noise to signal that it is time to replace the pads. If you wait too long, you are risking further damage to your vehicle and yourself.
As brakes heat up, they become noisy and less effective. Brake pad-related noise is often caused by the metal in the pad. To minimize noise from your brake pads, use pads that contain more organic brake material (Kevlar, resin, rubber, fiber, etc).
Whatever type of brake pad you choose can easy and affordable fix. However, if you allow the pads to wear down for too long, you risk damaging the rotor, which is not so cheap to replace.
Pad Vibration
If the brake pads are vibrating against the rotor, that may be what is causing the noise. This may happen just before your vehicle comes to a complete stop. There are a few ways to counter this problem. Brake damper pads might do the trick, or you could try an anti-squeal compound that comes in a spray or liquid-application form.
Brake Rotor Rust
A layer of surface rust can occur very quickly, since the rotors are exposed to the elements. Many modern wheels are designed in such a way that the vehicle’s rotors are easily visible. While rotor rust can be an eyesore, it doesn’t pose much of a problem.
As mentioned, you can expect some occasional sounds from your brakes. However, if you feel it’s something beyond the norm, it’s wise to have your brakes checked out by a professional brake specialist.
At Phoenix Rim Repair, we not only service rims, color-coating wheels, and wheel repair, we know other great professionals in the auto industry. Great looking wheels are one thing, but having a safe vehicle with working brakes and parts is the complete package. We can typically provide recommendations for certain services not in our range of expertise.
What are you waiting for? Fill out an easy quote form and we’ll contact you quickly with a full quote.
Sometimes they are a minor annoyance, sometimes it’s very embarrassing.
We’re talking about noisy brakes.
Most modern brakes are disc brakes. These cast-iron discs are squeezed between two brake pads that provide the level of friction necessary to bring the wheels to a stop. It’s important to know that you should never expect to have complete silence from your breaks at all times. In fact, if you have high-performance carbon-metallic brake pads installed, they are actually prone to making noise. Original brake pads will make less noise, but pay attention to older brakes that may be noisy due to needing to be replaced.
Common Causes of Brake Noise Include:
Worn Pads
Brake pads undergo a tremendous amount of stress every time you apply your brakes. If you’re like most people, this stress is happening many times, every single day. Over time, the pad will naturally wear down and need to be replaced.
Brake pads come with a built-in wear indicator. In fact, there are different kinds of indicators. A mechanical indicator makes noise to signal that it is time to replace the pads. If you wait too long, you are risking further damage to your vehicle and yourself.
As brakes heat up, they become noisy and less effective. Brake pad-related noise is often caused by the metal in the pad. To minimize noise from your brake pads, use pads that contain more organic brake material (Kevlar, resin, rubber, fiber, etc).
Whatever type of brake pad you choose can easy and affordable fix. However, if you allow the pads to wear down for too long, you risk damaging the rotor, which is not so cheap to replace.
Pad Vibration
If the brake pads are vibrating against the rotor, that may be what is causing the noise. This may happen just before your vehicle comes to a complete stop. There are a few ways to counter this problem. Brake damper pads might do the trick, or you could try an anti-squeal compound that comes in a spray or liquid-application form.
Brake Rotor Rust
A layer of surface rust can occur very quickly, since the rotors are exposed to the elements. Many modern wheels are designed in such a way that the vehicle’s rotors are easily visible. While rotor rust can be an eyesore, it doesn’t pose much of a problem.
As mentioned, you can expect some occasional sounds from your brakes. However, if you feel it’s something beyond the norm, it’s wise to have your brakes checked out by a professional brake specialist.
At Phoenix Rim Repair, we not only service rims, color-coating wheels, and wheel repair, we know other great professionals in the auto industry. Great looking wheels are one thing, but having a safe vehicle with working brakes and parts is the complete package. We can typically provide recommendations for certain services not in our range of expertise.
What are you waiting for? Fill out an easy quote form and we’ll contact you quickly with a full quote.
Photo by Daniel Minárik on Unsplash
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