Squeaky Breaks on 2000 Camry

[camry_noob]

What type of brakes would you suggest for a 2000 Toyota Camry with squeaky breaks?

My brakes have been squeaking for some time now. They do this all the time -- even when I'm just driving and not braking. It happens when I turn too. It looks like the brakes are touching the rotor all the time.

I got my brakes replaced in Dec. '10. I've taken my car to the mechanic twice for brake sound. I'm not what type of the brakes I have. Each time it comes back within a week after the mechanic adjusts them.



Thanks.

[BMR]

I've had a lot of good experiences with this stuff:

[fishing freak]

i dont think there is an adjustment for the front brakes,,, use factory toyota brake pads should take care of the problem

[Hajoca]

Does a car wash solve the problem?

[Mike Gerber]

There is no adjustment for disc brakes. Brake noise when not touching the brake pedal that goes away when the brakes are applied is usually caused by the brake pads vibrating inside the calipers. The Disc Brake Quiet that BMR suggested should eliminate that problem. It is a tacky substances that is applied to the backs of the pads. The pads have to be removed form the caliper to do this. After this stuff is applied to the back of the pads, the pads are then reinsterted back in to the calipers exactly where they came from. It causes the pads to stick to the calipers and therefore not vibrate and cause the noise. You may want to ask if the mechanic tried this.

Mike

[SilverSoarer]

NAPA sells this product called Sil Glyde for lubrication of brake parts (similar to the CRC product above).

[JohnGD]

It depends on the brake pad material. Akebono ProAct ceramic would be a good choice. It's an OEM pad, but Toyota also carries the IMO worthless NBK depending on the lowest bidder for the batch.

As mentioned, if the anchor pins aren't properly lubed then they can cause noise too. The problem is some mechanics spray petro based brake cleaner on the rubber and into the pin bores. Then the anchor pins can become hard to move or stick. The real solution then is to change out the dust boots and lube with a quality brake lube (I now use Permatex Ceramic Extreme, but SilGlyde brake lube is another common one).

The caliper piston should be checked and see if a rebuild is necessary (piston seal can harden/swell and cause similar problems as the anchor pins). The brake fluid shoudl also be flushed every 2 years, use a low moisture activity fluid like Valvoline synthetic or Castrol GT LMA.

[BMR]

Like JohnGD said, some pads squeal more than others. Long ago I tried a set of NAPA store brand pads. They squealed HORRIBLY when applied at any speed, any pressure. I tried everything to make it go away, unsuccessfully. They were so bad I took them off and returned them, replacing them with OEM pads. They'll let out a light squeal occasionally, but rarely. Next set I think I'm gonna try the Akebonos.

[camry_noob]

Wow. I was going to buy some NAPA ceramic brakes but after your statements (and checking some reviews), I will purchase some Akebono Premium Ceramic Disc Brakes (ACT562 or 476, not sure what the difference is).

By the way, this will be my first time ever replacing car brakes. From reading multiple instructions and watching multiple videos, I believe I can do it.

Do you have any advice regarding replacing brakes in general?

[tacosteelersman]

Grease, neversieze or oil on the rotors will cause squeeks also. Spray the rotors faces front and back and spray the pads contact points also with brake clean to disolve the residue.

[Mike Gerber]

"Do you have any advice regarding replacing brakes in general?"

Take apart and reinstall one side at a time so you will have the other side to refer if you have a questions about what goes back where.

Mike

[fenixus]

as above, your best shot is Akebono ProACT brake pad brand, it's the best of OEM batches at Toyota dealership (they offer variety, so you never know what you get until you look at printer manufacturer codes).

for aqueaking, you have to apply grease like Permatex Ceramic Extreme on the calipers arms and piston edge (very little will do) where they touch the pads.

you can also put some grease (little again) in spots where pads edge meets the bracket.

use brake parts cleaner on rotor's sides to make it clean of any kind of grease or dirt. you should use it on pads contact surface too (before applying grease to bracket contact points).

[touringcamry]

Originally Posted by fenixus

.

use brake parts cleaner on rotor's sides to make it clean of any kind of grease or dirt. you should use it on pads contact surface too (before applying grease to bracket contact points).

To clarify, the backing plate side of the pad is to be greased or glued depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Nothing is to be applied to the friction material side of the brake pads; brake cleaner is ok though.

I'm not sure how important it is for cars, but for bicycle it is advised to not even touch the rotor with finger because skin oils can affect brake operation but the brake pads are also about the size of a penny or nickel. Cleaning off the rotors with brake cleaner doesn't hurt.

Brake cleaner is nasty stuff, make sure to have lots of ventilation and you are away from open flames.

[holmesnmanny]

These are the things that I use and I never hear my brakes make noise as result.

The first thing that will make noise is the hardware. If they are not secured tight, when you brake the vibration will make the hardware that vibrates make a high pitch sound. When you put ur pads on the, just grab the hardware securing your pad to the caliper and try to gently shake it. It should be tight. If not, it will make a noise. Just pick up a new set of front brake hardware from an auto parts store and use what you need and save the rest for the next brake service. Take off whatever is either really old or just re-bend whatever needs to be fit tight again.

Secondly, you can spray brake quiet on the parts of the pad shims that contacts the piston. The inside pad will need some where the piston contacts while the outside pad shim will need it around the two parts of the caliper that contacts the pad. Let this sit for like 30 minutes or so. Or, you can use brake grease. I actually use brake grease more often and when I do I put just a tad on the inside of the shim to the pad. If you do this, make sure that the shim is on tight so that when you apply the brakes the shim doesn't slide off. The idea is to create a sort of a cushion so that when you push the brakes it doesn't vibrate as much.

Thirdly, make sure that you do not overtorque your lug nuts when you put your wheels back on or the rotors will warp and when they get hot while driving and go into their warped state the pad will grind against it at an angle, creating a real bad sound, like your scratching fingernails against a chalkboard.

Oh, and also, make sure all the main securing bolts on the caliper and the torque plate are on tight. If they are even somewhat loose things will make sounds.

For the OP, I'd guess your rotors are warped. He's probably turning them and possibly overtightening the lug nuts which causes it to do it again. Just replace the rotors and make sure he torques your wheels at the proper ft/lbs using a torque wrench, assuming it's a grinding sound. If it's squealing it's probably the hardware which keeps getting loose because it's old. Have the entire set of brake hardware replaced.