I've been chasing this brake squeal for weeks now. Once I'm on the road and have used the brakes a few times, they start shrieking every time I use them. It's driving me batshit!

I've lost track of the times I've pulled the pads, cleaned them, filed the edges, covered the backsides in anti-squeal, blasted the calipers with compressed air, cleaned the face of the rotors and then put it all back together again.
Each time after that, the brakes are quiet for a few days and then they're back to squealing again.

It's an 86 NA with Crappy Tire Bosch pads. The calipers are mounted tightly. Any suggestions before I start pulling my hair out?

One thing I've gotta add - might be related. When driving over bumpy/shitty roads, I get a rattle from the wheels. It sounds *just* like the brake pads are rattling around on the pins. The rest of the suspension is snug (checked it again this afternoon.) How do I 'stabilize' the pads? And could this be related to the squealing?

 

check and make sure that the whole caliper and everythings secure and go get yourself a good set of pads.... i would recommend Hawk HP

 

Lol dude!!!I went throught the same bullsh-t!!!My caliper went bad replaced it,got new pads and rotors put it togethor and damn squeeeeeellllllll out the ***,replaced pads 3 times,put anti squel **** all over it,machined rotors--replaced other caliper,even replaced the p valve for the brakes--nothing worked--my **** was loud just *** soon as they got hot.I said f it and got some new rotors (bendix) and semi metalic pads slaped those on and shazam!!!! have not had a noise yet-------dude change your rotors---i found out the hard way there are some pos out there!!!!

 

New hp pads and rotors? So the new exhaust goes back on hold... Crap. But I gotta get rid of the squeal b4 I ******' snap and start running over bunnies and retirees trying to muffle the shriek.

Thanx much 4 the guidance!

 

a company called CSR makes a anti squeal spray
that goes on back of pads,it works great

just an idea think its called brake quiet.

 

phew........i though my car was the only one that did this, but have no fear, the cross drilled and slotted rotors are on the way!

 

I put anti-squeal on like it was icing on Pavarotti's birthday cake. It never lasted.

 

I put on new rotors and Hawk HPS pads and they squal like hell since.. oh well it's the joys of proformance...

 

Cross drilled rotors are not going to fix your problem trust me I put them on my 90' GXL along with carbon kevlar pads and they were loud as hell. Try finding out if they make Raybestos QS pads (quite stop) if you can't get them then try EBC green stuff pads. Both of them put out low amounts of dust and are (don't qoute me ) not supposed to squeal at all. But hey sloted or cross-drilled rotors will help get rid of brake fade.

 

You have to get the anti squeel brake clips. They fit on the back of the brake pad, and the pistons push on the backing, spray the anti squeel pieces of metal with anti squeel spray. It's not that muck work, they should clip right onto the back, instead of having just pads...

 

you can get the brake clips a mazdatrix if your local parts store don't carry them.

 

I have new Powerslot rotors, new front calipers with Hawk HPS pads and have never heard a peep out of them.

 

Are you putting a small amout of brake grease where the pads ride. Try cleaning the hardware and edges of the pad before applyng grease. Look on the upper and lower part of the pads and you may notice where the pads are rubbing against the slides.

 

The clips are all on (I think - or maybe I'm thinking of the rear pads...) Although I haven't coated them with anti-squeal (didn't know.)

Partsource is trying to get quotes on 'Satisfied' (don't look at me - I didn't name the company, but I think I'll pass on theirs - sounds too much like SELD-M-BREAK from the Simpson's monorail ep) and Raybestos semi-metallic pads. And I'll try to find other pads this week.

 

Okay, I got Wagner semi-metallics from Partsource. Nice, thick pads. No more squeal. But that ******* rattle is still there over bumps, and I get that 'pop' more often when I brake. Y'know, the thunk that you can feel through the pedal?

I used anti-squeal on the backs of the pads. I don't have shims for the front. Would OEM shims get rid of the mf'ing rattling? People on the sidewalk on my street are watching to see if my 7 falls apart.

And are there any suggestions for getting rid of the thunk? The pads definitely seem to be playing a part.

 

Lots of little springy things/clips/shims... up front. If your bushings/balljoints/bearings are good, then I would think that you are missing something in the front brake caliper assembly. And, your rotors are secured with the screw, right?

http://mazdatrix.com/j-1brake.htm

And the FSM is available here(howtos/manuals) with pictures of the clips and stuff.
http://www.fc3s.org/

Rotor lube
http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/b...eakrelief.html

 

Thanx 4 the Mazdatrix link - I'll pick up the hardware kit and see what that does.

I've already downloaded the FSM from www.iluvmyrx7.com, but I haven't looked up the front brakes yet.

And the brake squeal's gone, 'member?

 

Its probably the pads you are using. Some pads tend to squeal more than others. Usually its the higher performance pads that tend to squeal. My Hawk HP+ pads squeal with X-drilled rotors. Nothing I can do about it, except clean my brake system often, and spray the anti-squeal stuff. I don't mind it too much personally, as Scott said "oh the joys of performance."

 

do you have aftermarket rims? My friends del sol, had the same problem, and the wheels were hitting the clips, and bending them making them scrub the rotor.

 

Heheh, Ever since the the 3rd gen conversion and Hawk HPS, my brakes squeel like mad too. but its all good P E R FO M A N C E comes first in my book!

 

Nope, factory GXL rims. I think they're the best looking ones, anyway.

 

ive had this same problem that when i hit a bump or something like that, i would hear a rattle like my pads are jiggling around maybe. today i finally figured out what it was, if its the same problem for you or not i dont know but it could be. i was changed my pads and rotors and i realized that the bottom locknut that holds the caliper on, on the other side where it goes in is a little rubber gromet that stablizes it from moving around and mine was missing and i noticed that it would shake and make that sound when moving it with my hand...maybe this will help and be the same for you

 

And I just spent $48 on that hardware kit, Where were you last week?

j/k!

So you're saying that the whole caliper was rattling without this grommet? Or that the bolt/locknut was rattling? Anyway, I'll check it out when I put the kit in tonight.

 

without that bushing/gromet, the whole caliper is shaking up and down ..thats all i needed and no more rattling when hitting bumps. thats what it sounds like could be your problem

 

Get the shims, it keeps the brakes quiet and rattle free. Use Disc Quiet on the shims and the pads, it's a glue like substance to keep things in place and good contact with the caliper pistons.

Next, don't mess with cheap pads like Raybestos, Wagner... Hawk HPS is the best. You may even be okay without the shims with HPS since it's supposed to have the shims built-in. Tirerack has them for cheap. They are quieter than OEM pads.