I have a breaking issue in my 06 sierra..It has a loud squeeek to it when i press hard on the breaks and even when i am just slowing down from 10mph to 0..... It sounds terrible when I come to a stop light and everyone looks at me.... I replaced the front rotors and pads and even grinded down the pads so they would fit better in the calipers...had a mechanic look at the rear drums and said they were fine....
I have no idea why they are squeeking so bad....its starting to get a little annoying.... any help would be great.
What kind of brake pads do you have in there???
This unfortunately can happen more than you or I want it to. A certain amount of high-pitched brake noise is considered "normal" these days because of the harder semi-metallic disc brake pads that are used on cars ad trucks now. In my experience, the smaller cars seem to have the most trouble with this. Squeals heard the first few stops in the morning when the brakes are cold and somewhat damp from dew, and squeals that are heard the last few feet while coming to a stop are usually nothing to worry about.
Semi-metallic brakes are made of bits of metal shavings in place of the asbestos material that has been banned by the U.S. government. These semi-metallic brakes have great stopping power and have a long wear life, but can cause a high-pitched squeal that drives car owners crazy and frustrates mechanics who can't get it to go away to please their customers.
Some brands of semi-metallic pads are inherently noisier than others because of the ingredients used in the manufacture of the friction material. Think of it this way, the longer life pads or pads that claim to have more stopping power usually contain more metallic material. Yes, they will last longer and could enhance braking but the chance of causing a squeal noise is very high. The squealing noise that might be caused from use of these pads does not affect braking performance and does not indicate a brake problem.
Brake squeal is caused by vibration between the brake pads, rotors, and brake calipers. Having the brake rotors refinished or trued (machining a small layer of the metal away from the disc brake rotor to make it smooth and "true" again) and a thin layer of a silicone compound placed on the back of the brake pads are a great way to reduce the squeal if the semi-metalic pads are the culprit of the noise and not due to a worn out disc brake pad.
The brake rotor is the round metal object that the brake pads squeeze together like the white part of an Oreo cookie. The rotor is metal and has a smooth slick finish, and the brake pads are made of metal shavings and also have a smooth somewhat slick finish. The more metallic material found in the pad the greater the chance for noise, and vise-versa.
The other type of brake pad is called organic. There is no metallic material used in this kind of brake pad. Organic style brake pads can only be used on vehicles that are specifically designed to use them. Improper use of organic pads on a vehicle designed to use semi-metallic can severely reduce stopping ability. Organic pads are softer than semi metallic and usually do not have a squeal problem. Unfortunately due to shorter life expectancy, inability to stop larger vehicles, and the addition of substances like asbestos in their construction, they are not very widely used.
Most GM cars are equipped with a small thin piece of metal attached to the brake pad to act as a warning indicator when the pad material is getting low and the brake pads should be replaced. This inexpensive warning device can be deceiving though, because this warning noise is present when the brakes are not depressed. When the brakes are applied, the warning noise goes away because the indicator has now been forced against the brake rotor and is not able to vibrate which causes this whistling noise.
If you hear brake noises other than a squeal, it could mean your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. If your brake pedal feels different than normal or if you've noticed any change in the way your vehicle brakes (pulls to one side when braking or requires more pressure on the brake pedal), or loss of brake fluid have the brake system inspected at once.
First of all, noisy brakes should always be inspected to make sure there isn't a problem with the braking system. If the pads have worn down to the point where metal-to-metal contact is occurring, your vehicle may not be able to stop safely, and you may damage the brake rotors or drums to the point where they have to be replaced. Sometimes a few harder-than-normal stops can "de-glaze" the brake pads and help reduce the squealing noise for a while.
There are many aftermarket brake pads that claim to be "quiet" or have been "designed" front wheel drive vehicles that you can choose from. Personally, I have had the best luck replacing the disc brakes on my wife's Montana with original equipment pads from the dealership rather than using aftermarket brands. It is usually more expensive to purchase these pads from the dealership, but the quality is much better and after trying many squealing aftermarket brake pads, I have learned my lesson and pay the extra money.
As for my GMC Jimmy, i am using Ceramic Brake pads.
Ceramic brake pads offer great braking performance, wear well over time and are very lightweight -- all of which are important for high-performance driving. So again, what's the problem with ceramic brake pads? They're very expensive.
Ceramic brake pads are made from ceramic fibers, filler material, bonding agents and they may even have small amounts of copper fibers within them as well. Because they're mostly ceramic, these brake parts dissipate heat well, which keeps stopping power's strong, even after repeated hard stops. They also don't break down very much with repeated use, that means they produce less dust than other types of brake pads and the dust that they do produce is lighter in color and doesn't stick to the wheels. However, because they're so expensive, ceramic brake pads aren't for every type of vehicle.
Sports cars that are routinely driven hard as part of club racing, for example; Fast cars can benefit from ceramic brake pads, however almost every other vehicle performs just fine with other brake pad materials. For most drivers, the extra performance of ceramic brake pads isn't worth the extra cost unless you do lots of stop and go and have a heavy Vehicle like my dad's Yukon. (one day be mine, if he does not kill it)
Hope this helps and just turn up the radio untill your new brake pads and rotor break there self in.
