The original and best cure for squeeling brakes

[Robby_bobby_boo]

I am a new boy but thought I would risk sharing my fix for squeeling brakes, this worked fine a few months ago on my wifes 206 cc which is about a year or so old and used to squeel like a pig.

I got this fix from a lecturer at the AA some years ago and it works fine, he told me that at that time the AA used to strip down their vehicles prior to sending them out on the road and treat the brakes in this way, their reasoning being that members wouldn't be too impressed if a patrol arrived with its brakes squeeling!

Squeeling is caused by vibration ( as is all sound) and the vibration is caused by movement between the pad and the caliper at high frequencies, this movement is due to "irregularities" in the contact surfaces on the pad and the caliper, if you remove these irregularities or damp them then you damp the squeel or remove it, peugeots attempt to damp them seems to be a bit of tape stuck to the back of the pad.... Hmmmm.

You will need
A workshop manual, or some experience in changing brake pads (206's are super simple)
Some latex gloves (coz its very messy)
a Tin of brake cleaner spray
a tube of copper ease / copper slip / copper grease (its all the same)
the correct size allen key to open the clipers (7 mm I think it was)
A dry day.... Hmmm

Jack up the car and remove the wheel, if its stuck to the hub beat the tyre until it pops free, then remember to put some copper grease on the hub where it touches the wheel to stop it sticking again!
use the allen key to open up the caliper and remove the brake pads, clean everything with brake cleaner and an old toothbrush, so its totally dirt and dust free.

Coat the backs of the pads and the slide points with the copper grease and also the contact points in the caliper, copper grease doesnt melt so it wont be a problem to use loads... MAKE SURE YOU DONT GET ANY COPPER GREASE ON THE FACE OF THE PADS if you do, use brake cleaner to wash it off.
reassemble the caliper making sure to grease the bolts with copper grease as these enable the cliper to slide back and forth, once everything is tightened put the wheel back on and put some copper grease on the wheel bolt threads to stop them siezing in the future!

once the wheel is back on and tightened pump the brake pedal to centralise the pads, it may go down to the floor the first time but this is just the pads and caliper getting into the right position, then go and do the other wheel (and the rears if your dedicated) remembering to settle the pads each time by pumping the pedal.

Once the car is back together and on the ground take of the latex gloves put on your best duds and shades, drop the roof and go cruising, the squeel will have gone and you will be able to return the admiring glances without the embarrasment of squeely brakes.

Realistically this is all that the dealerships ought to do but its too much trouble cleaning things properly and coating them up with copper grease, thats why wheel bolts and wheels get siezed on, no one can be bothered to grease them properly!

In my opinion the filing of pads is always going to be a short term fix as it merely changes the pressre point until the pads wears down and probably only works because the "irregularities" are displaced when the pad is removed to file it!

Hope this helps someone somewhere, let me know it it works for you

[Lyndon]

sounds like a good plan

[Nobby]

They did this twice at the dealers on my GTi and the squeak just kept coming back.
Got so hacked off i changed the pads myself.

[Robby_bobby_boo]

They did this twice at the dealers on my GTi and the squeak just kept coming back.
Got so hacked off i changed the pads myself.

So when you changed your pads yourself and did a "Proper job" did this cure the problem??