Wheel & Brake Problem

[banditgrrr]

I just purchased a 2002 AV a few weeks ago from a dealer. It had 33,000 miles and it looks like they put on new brakes because I have plenty of pad left. Any time I apply the brakes, I get a really bad squeaking noise. I just took it to a brake shop and they told me they have no idea what it is. They said the pads and rotors look fine. The only thing I can think of is they didn't put the "anti-squeak" lube on the back of the pads when they put them on. Other than that, I'm clueless. Any suggestions? Also, what size Torx is used to remove the calipers?

I also have a "clunk" type noise at the front drivers side wheel any time I make a sharp left turn. I have 20" rims and am wondering if this may cause problems. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[02-Z66]

from the past problems the AV has been known to experience it's probably not the 20's. it could be the body mounts causing the clunking noise. as far as the brakes i would think it's the anti-squeal that was left from the pads.

 

[DougD]

Anti-squeal "gunk" is really an insulator. The noise comes from pads being loose in the caliper. The gunk provides insulation to prevent the metal-on-metal scraping that causes the noise. Tightening the pads in the caliper can significantly reduce or eliminate the noise. If you look at a pad (on GM designs, it's only ever been the outboard pad I've had to deal with) you'll see ears/tabs/edges that fold over the caliper. By banging them down with a hammer, checking fit, redoing as needed, you can get the pad to fit incredibly well. I haven't used anti-squeal gunk now for around 4 years on a variety of 7-8 vehicles.

 

[banditgrrr]

I just wanted to provide an update.

I stopped at AutoZone on the way home and picked up some of the brake lube. I figured it was worth spending the $4.00 to see if it worked before investing in ceramic pads. Since I've only owned my AV for about 3 weeks, it was a little bit of a chore getting the first wheel done. I used a T55 Torx to remove the calipers. After spreading the blue lube on the backs of all 8 pads, I put the wheels back on and drove around the block. My neighbors must have been laughing watching me drive in circles and hitting the brakes. I guess it was a little overboard when after I parked my AV, I opened the door and did a VICTORY dance! The squealing is gone! At least for now. We'll see what happens over the next few days.

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

Bandit