[Chews]

Okay, my front brakes squeak really bad. It goes away when you apply the brakes but as soon as you let off it starts again.

Can anyone recommend some good quiet brake pads?

[rustywrangler]

All brake pads do that when it's time for new ones. Honestly, I go with whatever is the mid grade option at NAPA. It is a good idea to go with new rotors a the same time.

[bamato]

I like the non-metallics. No dust that way. But it's a preference thing. X2 on Rusty's comment, replace the rotors as well.

[goatboy]

The squeak is the wear indicator, doin' exactly what it's designed to do...I agree with the mid grade quality, and either replace the rotors at about thirty bucks apop, or have them turned at about fifteen bucks a pop...for my money, I just buy new, they just slip off and on, no brainer at all, and it's a new part

[chupacabrah]

just me, but i dont turn or replace the rotors unless they show wear, which is usually at least 2 brake changes. i usually get midgrade brakes....or lowgrade. depends on how much money i have at the time

[goatboy]

EVERY brake job gets either a turning or replacement, on my vehicles...minimum is the turning...you cannot tell whether a rotor is bad by eyeballing it. A dial indicator can tell ya what ya need to know, but for fifteen bux, hey, it's worth it... no offense, don't forget that I go overboard with repairs and maintenance, and I've got the budget to do it...finally!!!!

[maddogfx]

Sorry to jump but I read the brake pads to buy and had to chime in. Performance Friction Carbon Metalic Pads (PFC) on the front and Duralast Golds on the back. Autozone has them you won't regret the purchase.

[chupacabrah]

Originally Posted by goatboy

EVERY brake job gets either a turning or replacement, on my vehicles...minimum is the turning...you cannot tell whether a rotor is bad by eyeballing it. A dial indicator can tell ya what ya need to know, but for fifteen bux, hey, it's worth it... no offense, don't forget that I go overboard with repairs and maintenance, and I've got the budget to do it...finally!!!!

yeah i know. no offense taken.

when i have the funds i definitely do it, and i recommend changing rotors to everyone.

but til i have the budget going strong, i just do it if i see wear/warpage, or if the front end kinda wobbles when i hit the brakes.

[goatboy]

Yeah, Chup, don't forget, I'm anal about that kinda stuff, probably more than I need to be, but I hate havin' to go back and redo, ya know? Maybe we'll finally get an answer for the tap size for those zerks!!!! Check out that thread...

[Jeeples]

Originally Posted by goatboy

EVERY brake job gets either a turning or replacement, on my vehicles...minimum is the turning...you cannot tell whether a rotor is bad by eyeballing it. A dial indicator can tell ya what ya need to know, but for fifteen bux, hey, it's worth it... no offense, don't forget that I go overboard with repairs and maintenance, and I've got the budget to do it...finally!!!!

x2

Just because a rotor looks smooth, doesn't mean that it's not warped or that there are grooves in it. At the very least have them turned, if you are unsure of the age of the rotors, then replace them.

Also, the number one cause of brake squeeks is a buildup of brake dust or moving parts that aren't properly lubricated. Just because they squeek doesn't neccessarily mean the pads are bad, the only way to tell what shape they are in is to pull the wheels and slip the calipers off. If there is a decent amount of material left, then get some brake parts cleaner and spray everything down real well, then take some caliper bolt lube and put a good coating on the backs of the pads, the caliper bolts, and the grooves that the ears of the pads rest in on the caliper bracket.

Another thing to take into consideration is that semi-metallic pads are generally squeekier then organic pads, however organic pads have a tendency to not last as long, which is why they are typically quite a bit cheaper. Most mid-grade pads will be a Semi-metallic composition, with organics being a entry level pad, and ceramics being an upgrade of sorts.

On the topic of ceramics, there are several myths that you will hear regarding them. The most common is that they are harsher on rotors, this is simply not true, they are not anymore harder on rotors them semi-metallic pads. Also, many people say they will allow you to stop better, again, there isn't much of a difference in stopping distance between most pads (there are exceptions of course, such as heavy duty or performance compound pads). The biggest advantage to Ceramics is lower dusting and less noise (obviously, since there is no metallic friction component to the pad to cause metal on metal contact with the rotor), which is the main reason why most OEM's use ceramics as the standard pad.

Choosing the right pad depends on your driving habits, you intended uses, and of course you wallet. As stated before, organics are cheap, but they typically don't have the same life span as a set of mid-grade or better pads. The plus is that they are quiet and usually a few bucks cheaper. With semi-metallics, you actually run the least amount of risk of rotor warpage due to the theory that the metallic compound in the friction material will actually draw heat away from the rotor and into the pad itself, the only downside to this is that this is one of the causes of brake fade and you can get a spongy pedal feel under heavy or constant braking conditions. As stated earlier, semi-metallics are usually a bit noisier after several months of use. With ceramics you typically get less noise, less brake dust, and a bit longer pad life. However ceramics typically cost a bit more then most semi-metallics, and often around 3 times as much as a set of organic pads. However under severe braking conditions they don't draw much heat away from the rotors, which can cause warping. Although, they do dissapate heat quicker from the friction compound, which leads to a much more confident pedal feel under heavy or prolonged periods of braking.

As you can see, there is quite a bit more to brake pads then most people think, and choosing the right pad for your lifestyle (for lack of a better word), will pay off in the long run, rather then just throwing on a set of cheapies and being done with it. I would suggest you go to several different parts stores and ask for one of the more seasoned counter guys to go over your pad options and some of his experiences based on your particular application.



<------Likes to write novels, hope you all learned something

[Burnerman]

I put on a set of Bendix Titanuims on the old frt rotors and have no noise at all. The rear shoes are NAPA Tru Stop cheapies that were $15 after the $5 core return. I'm only running 31's but I can lock all fours if I hit it hard. Oh Goatboy they make a tool for Zerk fittings. It's like a 4 way tool. A wrench for the zerk, an ez out,and 2 taps I think. Check out a tractor supply or I'll see what I can come up with for ya. I've got some Zerk fittings and the tool.

[goatboy]

Thanks, Burnerman, I'll trot on down to Valley Tractor in town tomorrow, harass them until they cough it up...and if you come up with some more info, yeah, pass it on, I might not sober up until they've closed shop...

[4.7stroker]

I just put a dial indicator on the rotors and if they are good I break the glaze using 80 grit and a random orbiral sander.
I have been using this technique for 20 yrs without a problem.
Contrary to popular belief discs rarely warp, the pulsing felt is due to either a difference of friction material deposited on the disk, this is cured by refreshing the surface with the sander. Or overheated areas of the disk being harder than other not over heated areas causing the problem in which case the only cure is to replace the disk.

Many will disagree about warping of brake disks that is fine they just need to do some more reaserch.

Here is one link that covers in detail what Iam refering to.
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml

Dwayne

[Cobra Jeep]

I guess I can put my $0.02 worth. I am running WJ front brakes, not stock YJ. But brakes are still brakes. At first I was running the stock WJ semi metallic pad. After a couple months my first set of rotors warped, these were the stock (factory) rotors from the WJ. Had them turned and put them back on. I then got the squeekin noise you speak of. When driveing it would squeek, when I hit the brakes it would go away. The pads were only a couple months old, and still looked new. So it is not always worn pad that make it squeek. I would check yours first, just do as Jeeples says. If the pads still have life left in them, then clean everything and lube the slideing parts. Also clean the back of the pads (you have to remove them from the caliper) and spray them with anti squeek spray that every parts store should have. That should cure the squeek.

I do not personaly like the performance friction carbon metallics myself. We put them on my brothers dodge 2500 and they made the brakes WORSE. You needed lots more pedal pressure to stop the truck, plus they wore just as fast if not quicker as the other pads we have tried (havent tried ceramincs yet)

But I did end up fixing my front brakes. I got some bendix ceramic pads for it and some good drilled/slotted rotors. Several months and no warpage, and the bakes were a good improvement over the stock WJ semi metallics. The ceramics grab a lot better.

[Chews]

Thanks, there are so many options out there it is hard to choose. I'll get the dial indicator out and check the rotors while I'm at it.