John’s Auto Care advises that you should not hear any noises when you apply the brakes other than the RPMs in your engine slowing down. If your brakes squeal when you use them, head straight to our auto service shop in Roseville for a brake inspection. One reason why your brakes will squeal all the time is that they are overheating. We will talk more about this below.
Broken Anti-Rattle Clips
Your brake system has many different parts that work together to slow down and stop your automobile. The brake system has anti-rattle clips that keep the brake pads in place so they don’t shimmy when you apply the brakes. If one of the clips has broken, your brakes will squeal on that wheel. If all of the clips have broken, your brakes will squeal on all four wheels because the brake pads are shimmying.
Missing Pad Insulation
Another thing that prevents the brake pads from making squealing sounds when you apply the brakes is brake pad insulation. This insulation is installed when your brake system is assembled at the factory. Every time you change the brake pads, new insulation must be installed. If your brakes are squealing after a brake pad change, it’s likely that the auto technician did not install new pad insulation.
Overheating Brakes
As we mentioned above, one reason why your brakes will squeal is that they are overheating. This puts you in a very dangerous situation because overheating brakes often fail. The reason why the brakes are squealing is that the brake pads and rotors have glazed. This means their surfaces have gotten so hot that they have smoothed out. These smooth surfaces make your brakes squeal when the pads touch the rotors.
Worn Brake Pads
Your brake pads may also be equipped with a sensor that is designed to make the brakes squeal when the pad surface is too low. Generally, you should have your brake pads replaced when the surfaces reach 1/4-of-an-inch. If the pads have a low-surface indicator embedded in them, the brakes will squeal when you use them or when you are driving fast.
Worn Rotor Surfaces
Finally, if the rotor surfaces have worn out, which is common around 60,000 miles, the brakes will squeal. It’s a good idea to have the rotor surfaces recut every 60,000 miles to ensure that they generate friction with the pads and stop your automobile.
Call John’s Auto Care in Roseville, CA, today if your brake system is squealing. We will determine what is wrong and fix the problem.
