Can anyone tell me why make brakes occasionally make a high pitch sqeaking noise when I press the pedal down? Thanks.

 

moisture and rust?

 

Glazing of rotors and pads, metalic pads, pad contamination, what grrenn91runner said. I could be many things?

 

Brake pads are made to squeal loudly when they get worn down and need replacing. If they aren't worn down, it is just brake dust or dirt that has accumulated on the rotors.

 

I'll clean the rotors, replace the pads, and see what happens. Thanks for the replies.

 

also call this irony, but... very often times semi metallic pad that are expensive and high quality, make noise.....

 

Right, but that's when your not using them. You hear the wear indiacator aginst the rotor in that case the noise would go away when he stepped on the brake pedal.

 

Exactly. Brake pads squeak loudly when they need replacing when you AREN'T using them. If they are squeaking when you ARE using them, you got rust, moisture, dust, etc or just those metallic pads that like to squeak.

On my wife's Sienna, her brakes squeak after about 2 weeks of use cause they get dusty/dirty. I wash her car about that often, blast the brakes w/ the hose, squeak goes away for 2 weeks or so.

Good luck.

 

If the pads are not worn out one other possibility is the pads are loose and vibrating. That's prevented by using anti-squeal compound (sometimes called brake grease) on the back side of the pads when installing. See step 6c here:http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...8-4wds1212.pdf

 

If it's the rear brakes, you have a leaky axle seal or wheel cylinder.

 

Thanks for all the replies. The brakes make the high pitch noise when I press them. If I apply more pressure the noise goes away. I'll try cleaning them up.

Also, if I brake to a near stop, and then quickly let off the brakes, my front end makes this loud clunk noise. I'm not sure where it is coming from - it could be brakes, shocks, struts, torsion bars, I have no idea. Thanks for any help!

 

the otehr situation sounds like your UCA is loose... there are adjustments for it using 2 bolts that control via adding shims the camber readings... this has happened on my truck several times... eventually i found that the bolts were somewhat stripped, new ones are $4 each but take 2 motnhs to get becasue they come from japan, none of the dealerships in the US has them in stock, i made them check the registry.....

i ended up going to ace hardware and getting some and then using a locknut on the otehr end... havent had any problems since.....