Brake Squeal

[fire]

My brakes have begun to squeal when I lightly brake,,(I don't notice any squealing if I brake a bit heavier),,,I have 2300 miles on them,,originals,,is it to late to try to "bed" the brakes if thats what its called,,any suggestions,,,thanks.

[Last Canadian Exit]

I have 1,000 miles on mine and I get that if I don't drive it much. Perhaps that is the issue?

[Tony B.96LT4]

I'll assume you have a C6 with the Z51 suspension. The brakes used on this option are harder than the standard suspension package. GM was replacing the pad when this issue first came up but have not done so in a while. A couple of hard stops seems to quite them down. Some members have switched to Hawk brake pads which work just as well and are quite.

[carboman]

As Tony noted GM switched out the old Z51 pads. That took place over 2 years ago and the new pad material they are using does not seem to cause the problem. I'd take a crack at bedding them in properly and see if that helps.

[Last Canadian Exit]

I don't have Z51 brakes, but I get the squeal sometimes too? I guess I should give the seatbelt a good work out and see if that helps.

[fire]

Can someone list the proper way to "bed" the brakes,,I read about it sometime ago but don't really remember the procedure,,,thanks.

[carboman]

Here you go

1.

From a speed of 60mph, gently apply the brakes a couple of times to bring them up to operating temperature. This prevents you from thermally shocking the rotors and pads in the next steps.
2.

Make a series of eight near-stops from 60 to about 10 mph. Do it HARD by pressing the brakes firmly, but do not lock the wheels or engage ABS. At the end of each slowdown, immediately accelerate back to 60mph and then apply the brakes again. DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP! If you stop completely and sit there with your foot on the brake pedal, you will imprint pad material onto the hot rotors, which could lead to vibration, uneven braking, and even ruin the rotors.
3.

The brakes may begin to fade after the 7th or 8th near-stop. This fade will stabilize, but not completely go away until the brakes have fully cooled. A strong smell from the brakes, and even smoke, is normal.
4.

After the 8th near-stop, accelerate back up to speed and cruise for a while, using the brakes as little as possible. The brakes need about 5 minutes to cool down. Try not to become trapped in traffic or come to a complete stop while the brakes are still very hot.
5.

If race pads, such as Hawk DTC-70 or Performance Friction 01 are being used, add four near-stops from 80 to 10mph.
6.

After the break-in cycle, there should be a slight blue tint and a light gray film on the rotor face. The blue tint tells you the rotor has reached break-in temperature and the gray film is pad material starting to transfer onto the rotor face. This is what you are looking for. The best braking occurs when there is an even layer of of pad material deposited across the face of the rotors. This minimizes squealing, increases braking torque, and maximizes pad and rotor life.
7.

After the first break in cycle shown above, the brakes may still not be fully broken in. A second bed-in cycle, AFTER the brakes have cooled down fully from the first cycle, may be necessary before the brakes really start to perform well. This is especially true if you have installed new pads on old rotors. If you've just installed a big brake kit, the pedal travel may not feel as firm as you expected. After the second cycle, the pedal will become noticeably firmer. If necessary, bleed the brakes to improve pedal firmness.

[Last Canadian Exit]

Holy cow. That is detailed! Nice write up. May be easier to just give you the car to do it! Then again, I like my tires as they are. ;)

[carboman]

Holy cow. That is detailed! Nice write up. May be easier to just give you the car to do it! Then again, I like my tires as they are. ;)

Mike,

Your tires looked a little out of round when I last saw you car. I can take care of that and the brake squeal in a jiffy:D

[Last Canadian Exit]

You are always willing to help! ;)

[carboman]

You are always willing to help! ;)

That's just the way I am:D

[fire]

Thanks for the info,,will go to I-95 when I get a chance and try it.

[hcvone]

As Tony said the Hawk HPS street pads work very well, had them on all my C5's