Troubleshooting Tech Tips

Noise – squeals and groans

The brake system is made up of many components. It is more than just the disc brake pads and brake shoes. The friction material of the disc brake pads and brake shoes are the end point that stops the vehicle. Hence, when the brake pedal is depressed, there are many components working together, such as the brake caliper, brake master cylinder, brake booster, etc. As a result, the cause of the sounds produced when braking may not be caused by the disc brake pads. These noises are sometimes produced by the friction vibration of the piston, caliper, suspension, wheels, etc. Furthermore, the existence of various conditions such as the condition of brake disc rotor, caliper, temperature of rotor, material of disc brake pads, speed of the vehicle, may also cause the sounds to be produced.

There are some points that the drivers can take note when they face such noise issues.

1. Ensure the original shim provided by the car manufacturer is installed together with the brake pads
2. Replace the brake disc rotor or grind the brake disc rotor
3. Maintenance of the brake caliper

Brake Wear Rate

In some cases, drivers may notice that the brake pads or brake shoes are wearing down at an unusual rate, having a shockingly short lifespan. Drivers should not determine the quality of the brake pads’ friction material immediately at that point of time. The brake pad is not solely responsible for the unusual wear rate. There are other factors that cause the shortened lifespan.

Some possible factors are listed below in the followings:

1. The brake caliper may sometimes be jammed. This might be caused by the brake seal kit, which has lost in elasticity, or in other words, hardened. This will affect the retraction of the piston, causing the piston to be unable to return to its original position. As a result, the brake pad might be in contact with the rotor even when the brake pedal is released. This will definitely cause the brake pad to wear off very quickly, shortening its durability greatly. In some situations, there might be sounds coming from the brakes due to the close contact of the brake pad and rotor.
2. The caliper pin, or mounting bolts, can also affect the lifespan of the brake pads. The caliper pins may turn rusty over time, which will cause the brake pad not to retract to its proper distance from the rotor, resulting in the close contact of the brake pad and the rotor. The grease on the pin may harden over time, which will also have the same impact of rusty caliper pins. At times, at such conditions, the lining of the brake pads will wear off within 1 month.
3. Overloading the vehicle with load heavier than the vehicle can support may cause the brake pad durability to be shortened. This is because the brake pads will have to withstand the weight for braking that is more than what the brake pads are designed to cater.
4. Driving the vehicle in mountainous roads with overloaded goods.
5. Hard braking and vigorous driving affect the durability of the brake pads, even for small passenger cars with only engine displacement of 1000cc.
6. Habits of speed driving with sudden stops will one way or another affect the durability of the brake pads.