why are new brakes squeaking?

Question

I had my brakes completely redone for my annual test and now they squeak whenever I use them. It's really a bit annoying and I was wondering why they do that if there's anything I can do about it.

Answer 1

Were your brakes silent before this work was performed?

Some brake noise is considered normal. Different driving conditions can affect brake noise, including severe braking, dusty or sandy conditions,even humidity.

Certain high-pitched brake noise happens because the semi-metallic brake pads used on newer cars are harder. A high-pitched squeal often happens on smaller cars and is heard in the first few stops when brakes are cold and damp. Certain brands can be noisier than others, but there's an upside - these harder pads that have more metal generally last longer since they're stronger.

Sometimes your brakes will make noise. If you expect supreme silence, or expect your mechanic to make your brakes totally mute in every circumstance—that just may not be possible.A squeaking brake can stop a vehicle as quickly as a quiet one.

Take the car back and have them use either a paste or grease between the pads and caliper and lubricate the slides and pad contact points. If they know their stuff, they did it already. If not that may help. Also, new brakes take time to Bed In or Break In. You may have to wait for a few days for the silence to begin.

Answer 2

I've had it happen before where my brakes would squeak after just being done. After driving on them for awhile the squeaking subsided. Depending on how loud the squeaking is, there is a good chance that it will fix itself. If you are really worried about it, check your pad levels all around for any uneven wear, and tighten everything down. Applying anti-squeak compound to your brake pads can also reduce this. It acts like an adhesive I think, to keep them from vibrating when engaged.