Here Is Why Your Brakes Are Making Too Much Noise
ShareOne of the most annoying sounds you can hear from your car is brake noise. Brake noises will annoy not only you, but also other road users around you. Although such noises are common with cold brakes, they sometimes persist even when the brake has warmed up. If you are experiencing such noises, then the problem may be due to:
Brake Dust
Brake dust, which accumulates inside the drum brakes, is a common cause of brake noise. Therefore, it might be a good idea to remove and clean the drums to get rid of the dust.
Don't make the mistake of blowing your brake drums with air; doing that will only get the dust into the air and possibly into your lungs. That would not be a good idea because the microscopic particles may be dangerous to your health, especially if they contain asbestos. Drum brakes should be cleaned with brake washer/cleaner. If you can't handle the cleaning on your own, then you should leave it to your mechanic.
Damaged Rotors' Surfaces
Another possible cause of brake noise is friction between the brake pads and the rotors' surfaces. This friction can also be heightened if the rotors' surfaces are damaged and rough. Therefore, smoothing and flattening the rotors' surfaces may reduce these noises.
You can tell whether a rotor surface is rough by writing on it with a ball point pen. If the writing comes out in a straight line, then the surface is smooth. However, if it is broken up into dots, then it is rough. You can also take the car to a mechanic like Alaskan Auto Center Inc for professional diagnosis using a gauge meant for this purpose. The mechanic will also smooth the surfaces using special tools such as a lathe.
Inherently Noisy Brake Pads
The material used in the brake pad determines the level of noise it generates. For example, pads with high amounts of metallic materials tend to make a lot of noise due to the friction between the pad and the metallic rotors.
High-quality silent pads have high amounts of nonmetallic materials such as carbon and brass. There are also pads coated with a special material that clings to the rotor's surface and dampens the friction noise. Therefore, if your brake pads are noisy even though they are not damaged, then replacing them with quieter versions may be the only solution.
Ill Fitting Calipers
Lastly, you should also have your brake calipers checked if your brakes are noisier than they used to be. Apart from tightening them, you can also dampen the calipers' noises by cleaning and then lubricating them. This reduces the vibrations and leads to noise reduction.
As you can see, there are a number of things that can cause brake noise. It's possible that you may not be able to diagnose all of them on your own. To your mechanic's skill and experience, however, dealing with brake noise isn't complicated at all.