I replaced the front rotors (Brembos) and brake pads (OEM) on my wife's GS300 and now I get a mid-to-faint high pitch squeeking when the cars going about 10 mph. It stops as soon as I touch the brakes. As soon as I let off, it comes back (if I'm going slow enough). I don't hear it at speeds > 20 mph. I don't know if that's because the wind and road noise drown it out, or if it stops.

The fact that it quits when I hit the brakes makes me think they're not releasing like they should, but I'm just guessing. Please help, it incredibly annoying.

Nate

 

Did you put "anti-squeel" on the shims?

 

did you settle the brakes?
google up a setting procedure, Brembo should have even put it in there...
but a lot of times you can get them squealing like that, and beyond that...
I wouldn't know, unless the pads and rotors are to thick, and just barely make contact. You could take the pads out, hit em with a sander, knock em back a 1/16th of an inch or so, and then set the pads with the above mentioned prcedure. (which is usually a few stops from 15 mph, then a few stops from say 30 , and then a few stops from 50 or so, with cooling time in between, and then you can get on it!!)

 

there were no shims on the existing pads which looked just like the one's I put on so I assumed they were OEM also. i replaced the pads because they were low and the rotors were warped. they never made any kind of racket. Should I go buy some shims?

there was plenty of room when I installed them. had to pump the brakes a few times initially to make up the space

 

It is normal for pads to always be in slight contact with rotors (well, keeping in mind that all rotors have some runout, the pad will be in contact with the "high spot" of the rotor every revolution). There's nothing that "pulls" the pads away from the rotor when you release the brakes. You must be thinking drum brakes, where the shoes are spring loaded to actually come just off the drum when they're properly adjusted.

Yes you should, and as mentioned before, use anti-squeel compound on them, and your problem should be gone.

 

There are a couple things that come to mind:
If shims weren't installed, it *may* cause squeeling.
Also, if you have new rotors and new pads, you might want hit both the pads and rotors with sandpaper. The rotors are shipped with a thin coating to protect them. That could cause some squeeling even when the pedal isn't depressed.
Most pads also come with a coating applied to them. However, in most cases it burns off.

The cheapest/easiest first step would be to take the wheels off and rub the rotors with 80-grit sand paper. Lightly sand the pads as well. A random-orbit sander will make short work of the rotors, but you don't really want to use that on the pads as you can remove too much material or make them uneven. You just want to remove that coating.
Then spray the whole works with brake cleaner and put everything back together.

If that doesn't work, try buying some shims and apply anti-squeel compound to both sides. You might even be able to just apply some compound to the back of the pads where the piston make contact.

 

i'm sure this is brakes 101, but i'm confused how shims could keep help keep the noise down (granted I have spring-loaded clips where the pad fits into the caliper to keep the pad from moving around)

if i'm gonna tear the whole thing apart again, i'll probably go ahead the buy the shims and hit the rotors with sandpaper - i just don't understand why it would stop when i hit the brakes - wouldn't logic say it would get worse?

 

the last set of pads i had were fixed by haveblues suggestions.
the was something on the edges of all 4 pads, and as they wore it left material that would drag against the rotor and annoy the F*(< out of me. taking the pads out and sanding the edges (the second time ) stopped it from repeating.

sometimes they will squeek if i stop slow...if i let off the brake a stop slow again it stops and doesnt do it again.

 

i spoke with the dealer about the brake shims. the parts guys said that there should have been shims on the brakes when i replaced them. apparently whoever did the brakes last didn't bother to transfer them from one pad to the next. i'll pick some up tonight and put 'em on tomorrow. here's hoping. thanks for the help

 

If that does not work, i had that exact problem and it was a little wire that helps you tell when your pads are running low that was dragging on the rotor. Just a thought

 

Make sure that you get some anti-squeal compond to put on those shims, as well.