Brake Squeal Issue

[DonC]

Planning on using the shims and the silicon.
I'll let you know.
If it doesn't work I may just go to a different pad. If I remember correctly the ERA supplied pads are very soft.
DonC

[ERA Chas]

Good thought on the silicone and shims.
Here's a thought on the pads.
Yes, the guys want soft pads on this combo for the street. Mine are Sierra's soft compound and even they need time to get up some temp on the street. They're very good when hot however and don't fade away. Maybe they get tired after 30 track laps but not in hard street use. A harder pad may only make the noise issue worse.
Your current pads may be slightly glazed causing squeal. I rub the pads on a flat surface which has 40 grit sheet on it to scuff them and remove shiney glaze where the resins come up. It has worked very well for me.
Best luck,

[DonC]

Chas:
Already done the 40 grit on flat surface thing when I did the shims. I have the same Sierra soft pads and am very happy with their street performance except for the squeal.
After the silicon go around if the problem still isn't cured I'll be researching different pads.
DonC

[DonC]

Well, that didn’t work.
Put the silicon spots on the pads so they’d be inside the pistons and added CRC orange compound around the periphery of the area outside the silicon.
Did the 40 grit flat sand of the pads and a light 220 grit sand of the disks to break up any glaze that had developed even though visual inspection didn’t show any (4300 total miles on the car)
Put the whole thing back together with only one help call to Bob about the spacers on the passenger’s side caliper and road tested.
Same results. Hard braking is noiseless and very good. Light braking, as in town driving stopping for traffic lights and stop signs, results in significant squeal.
Things I noticed while doing the mods is that the piston edges had actually worn depressions in the Wilwood shims. Not complete circles but top and bottom about a 50-degree arc.
Next try will be to remove the Wilwood shims and try just the CRC compound on the bare pad backing plates. If that doesn’t work I’ll be looking a different pads.
On the plus side, the next time I drop the calipers I’m going to drill the bolt heads for safety wire which I’ve always done with all of my brakes in the past.
Will let you know what happens.
DonC

[Mike Simard]

How about bedding the pads? It's best done after the sanding. Here's some info:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedincontents.htm

[ERA Chas]

Sorry to hear no real success with the problem.
Perplexing problem and you've about exhausted all the usual suspects. Interesting about the piston-to-shim contact. I'll watch mine as well.
Deferring to Bob of course, I agree about trying other pads. Hope you hit on the right ones first try 'cause time and $$ add up.
Excellent idea about wiring the attach bolts, you'll never think about them afterwards. I paint-stripped mine but will wire next time as well.
Please keep posting progress and good luck.

[strictlypersonl]

Don,

I've got some Wilwood Polymatrix pads that have been sitting by my desk for several months, waiting for a testing venue. I also want to test an anti-rattle retainer which may also work to reduce squeal.

Maybe we can make a deal.

E-mail me. eracars@sbcglobal.net

[DonC]

From God's lips to my ears. Email on the way.
DC

[chuckbrandt]

I thought sure I posted my results earlier but evidently they are gone now.

I solved this problem twice, I have the sierra callipers.

I switched to Hawk pads part number HB101.F.800 and the squeal went away.

Then when I was preparing for an open track event in my car I put on the original hard pads. After working them hard on the track for a day they didn't sqeal anymore either!

Go figure, Hope this helps.

Chuck

[ERA Chas]

Thank you Chuck!

Glad to have that part number even a year and a half later!

[mrmax]

Chas, I have been running wilwood bp pads for almost a year now. No noise stop well slight increase in pedal effort. That noise nearly turned me into norman bates. Part number 150-8856k

[ERA Chas]

mrmax

Thank you as well. When the spring comes I can do some more brake testing.

[DonC]

Using the same Hawk pads as Chuck and the squeal is gone. Pads seem to perform very well also.
DonC

[Curt C.]

Sounds like people like the Hawk HP for the street - quiet. Has anyone put the Hawk HP pads on the road course? What about the new Wilwood BP-10 Smart pad? That is what Wilwood recommends for dual purpose.

It is the strangest thing. I normall run E pads all year round and track my car 5-6 times a year. Changed to a new set or E pads and the horrid squeal showed up. Swapped in a set of old D pads and the squeal is still there. I do not mind a little noise but this is terrible. I might try the 240 grit sanpaper thing too.