Squeeking Brakes

[LinuxFan]

I cannot tell if it is coming from left, right or front.

Any ideas how to silence this squeel?

I checked the brakes this weekend and cleaned them with brake clean (k?) and still no luck. It starts when I first get in the car and does go away after a while.

But as you can imagine, the most embarrassing is when you leave the parking lot, and everyone sees and hear you.

thanks

[silvermate]

are you sure its not the back brake pad?

i had that same problem 2 weeks ago, after i just changed my front pads a month prior, so i went in again just like you did and cleaned them all up.......just to realize that it was my rear brakes, that were worn down to nothing.

changed those out (really worn) and the squeeking ended.

[99lsguy]

If the pads do check out okay.........

then you may have to remove the anti-squeal shims (2 per pad) and put a little brake grease on them. The manual says to cover both (insides) of the shims.

I'll try to get a pdf for you later today - I'm a little slow to getting around

[LinuxFan]

Thanks 99ls

I checked both the fronts and the rear and they are fine, have a lot of meat on there. So I will go the add-grease route next and hopefully this helps.

In actuality, I was kind of hoping they would go bad so I can get some of those ceramic pads -- but I drive so well (toot-toot :-D) that they don't get worn.

I will let you know how it works out after the weekend.

[SRK]

but I drive so well (toot-toot :-D) that they don't get worn.

There is a clue in that statement. Many times I have cured customer cars of squealing brakes by getting the car up to speed and using the brakes very firmly. That helps to seat the pads in the caliper and on the rotor, and that can quiet them for some miles.

Alternatively, remove the pads, and clean the caliper mouths where they sit. Sometimes I run a file along the metal edge of the pad backing plate where it rests on the caliper. This improves the contact and reduces squeal. Some also chamfer the leading and trailing edge of the pad material.

Shims add to pedal mushiness. I like to install pads without them - gives a firmer pedal. If shims are needed, then one only, and a bit of never-seeze between the pad backing plate and the shim. Nowhere else, and very little at that. If that fails, then the pad material is incorrect.

The factory pads tend not to squeal - the factory tries to avoid that. They are also soft which reduces squeal, but shortens life. Everything is a compromise.

[SKperformance]

It may be small amounts of moisture causing rust on your new pads if they are mettalic, once they get burned off it goes quiet

do you park you car outside?

[99lsguy]

Linux,

I hear ya on the "easy driving"........

When I got my 99 last June, one of the first things I did was go to dealer and get some OEM pads. Well, when I took them off (thinking they were worn), the original pads weren't even half worn. Its been 14 months now, and they still look the same :D . I may just put the new pads on this fall because I'm tired of keeping them on the shelf!

Good luck with it..........let us know

[LinuxFan]

Still no luck on this one...

I checked the brakes and cleaned and oiled them significantly, yet I still get that squeek when I apply the brake.

The brakes are like new and seem to be semi-metalic. The rotors have no grooves in them, it is smooth on all sides of all four and I still get that stupid squeel. One more try and if that does not help, I will be changing them.

Thanks for all your help on this one thus far.

[VMF]

what kind of grease do you use? i changed pads 2 times, first time original dealer and then ceramic pads and the squeaakin is still there! i'm lost and *BLEEP*ed! its pretty embarrasing to drive around in LS that squeaks like a pig!!! you can hear it at any speed when i press the brake, i have to press brakes really hard to stop the squeaking which is not very pleasant for the passengers and the car. any ideas guys?

[TexasLexus94]

I changed out my front pads and rotors a month ago after a lot of squealing.. Brake pedal became smooth as silk. Boy, was I cocky.

Yesterday, we had a cold front finally arrive-so I decided to drive with my windows down. You guessed it-Squealing from the right front. So I've decided to drive year round with the windows up. I've given up trying to figure why the brakes squeal. Guess people will figure it's the city bus pulling up beside them. Pitiful...

[LinuxFan]

I am trying some brake grease from the autoparts store.I tried AutoZone, now I am trying Murrays brake grease to see if that does the trick.

It seems I also need to understand how (why?) it squeaks. I am familiar with other cars but not the LS, so if anyone care to enlighten me/us, it would be nice.

Then I can begin to tackle the issue with grease, coupled with knowledge. Well, it seems I am better off sticking with these since there is still a lot of meat on all 4 shoes and it might still squeak like mentioned above.

Hey, what will happen if I remove the thin metal strips that is between the brake pad and the calliper?

Which to remove if I don't want to be alerted when the brake is low? I imagine I would just have them checked everytime I change my oil.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.:-D

[99lsguy]

Hey, what will happen if I remove the thin metal strips that is between the brake pad and the calliper?

Which to remove if I don't want to be alerted when the brake is low? I imagine I would just have them checked everytime I change my oil.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.:-D

Linux,

Those are the "Anti-Squeal Shims"............which, I guess, aren't doing their job. ;) Those are replaceable - and perhaps they are actually causing the problem. YOu might see how much they cost to replace with a new set (I imagine $20 or so). I do know you need to clean them as well - when you replace you pads....

If the shims are cheap, I'd just get some new ones............the old ones have done their job!!

[95LS400Bob]

This may not apply but I thought I would throw it out there. Seems the Lexus has had brake squeal from the front since we got it (about a month ago). When I did the suspension work I noticed the rotors looked like they had just been turned and the pads were nice and thick. So I never bothered looking at the brakes.

Wife complained about the brake squealing again today, so I removed the pads and had a look. They were installed backwards. By that I mean there is a large chamfer cut in the pads and that is supposed to be installed (looking the pad) downward. It's a relief area. You might want to check your pads to be sure they are installed correctly.

The original anti squeal backers were not there but the pads (probably aftermarket) did have a backing pad on them. The pads were also very glazy looking. I sanded the pads down with some sand paper on a flat surface to get a fresh surface again. Then I put some of the anti squeal stuff on the pads and reinstalled them the correct way.

Test drive revealed squeal was gone. So far so good. I'll keep you posted.

I got the information by downloading all the manuals at http://techinfo.lexus.com/.

$10 for a day and you can download the manual info and service bulletins. I have a 91 Toyota pickup also so I had a field day on manuals and info for $10. Was well worth it in my opinion.

[92Lex]

Dont know if this will help but I was told that the majority of brake squeal can be overcomed if you grease up the caliper slides real good.

[LinuxFan]

Well -- I am very happy to report that this is all gone.

I finally got a chance to go over the brakes and grease the pads up real nicely and went for a test drive and it was all fixed.

The rear were the horrible. I had to use a flat-head screw driver to pry the metal shims from the pad. It is as though they had began to rust on the brake pad. Anyway, I removed them and placed that brake grease on the back of the pad, then place one shim on and add more grease then add the next shim.

I did that for both brakes on the rear and on the front and now I am squeek-free. Oh what a nice feeling that is.:-D

The front will need changing soon -- I learned so I plan for that next spring. Oh yeah! I am squeel free. Thanks everyone.

[99lsguy]

Well done Linux!!!!