Brake Noise -- Why Do My Brakes Squeak ?

Brake noise is an unfortunate noise which many of us are familiar with. It generally begins when our brakes start to wear down as a signal, warning us that the brakes will most likely need to be replaced in the near future . The way this works is that on the brake pads is a special metal clip that only begins to make contact with your rotors once the brakes have been worn down to a specific level . It's usually when you have about one fourth of an inch or so left on your brake pads . Once this clip makes contact, it makes a noise that is pretty easily recognizable to let you know that you'll need to either take your car into your mechanic, or else change the brake pads yourself.

But why does this noise sound horrible , like metal scraping against metal? That is because it actually is metal grinding on metal. The metal clip on the brake pad makes contact with the metal of the rotor and the sound screeches from the wheel as the sound of grinding metal . This is often very disconcerting for people, especially if it's this is the first time you've heard that noise before . Many people make the mistake of thinking that their brakes have already completely worn down and that the noise they hear is the sound of the metal of the brake system scraping against the metal rotor.

While this is a possibility , the more likely reason for the noise is that the brake system's early warning mechanism is at last starting to make contact with the rotor when you brake and is letting you know that you need to change your brakes in the near future . If you're concerned about it, one way of discerning what the noise is is by paying attention to it when you're not hitting your brakes. If there is still a noise of grinding metal even when you're not hitting the brakes , that's because the metal clip wears down at a slower rate than the brake pads, and it's still slightly engaging the rotor even when you aren't hitting the brakes. So if that's the case with what you're experiencing, then most likely the noise you are hearing from your brakes is from the early warning clip that is telling you to change your brake pads.

Many people ask the question, how much time do I have from the time the noise begins till the time I have to change the brake pads ? Unfortunately, that's impossible to tell for sure . It really depends on your driving patterns, the weight of the vehicle, and the brand of the brake pads you're using . To be safe, it's recommended that you replace your pads as quickly as you can once you start hearing the noise. Replacing your brake pads is a fairly simple process, as far as car repairs go, and only a handful of tools are necessary . You can buy new brake pads inexpensively at just about any auto part's shop . If you have done repairs on vehicles in the past , and if you like to do repairs on your own vehicle, why not consider saving some money by replacnig your own brake pads. However, if you do not feel comfortable servicing your own vehicle , especially in an area like the brakes, which can cause a hazardous or fatal situation if not replaced properly, then definitely leave it to the professionals to do .


------

Squeaky brakes make a very distressing sound. Along with belt squeal, these terrible noises can make your vehicle sound as though it's on the verge of exploding . It's best to get the issues taken care of quickly.