Do we need to dismantle our brakes to clean them every so often? Im getting some brake squeal which really was not there when new. I am now thinking of dismantling them putting some grease there and cleaning them. Is this a maintenance thing on our brakes?

 

are your pads worn? does it only squeal when you apply the brakes?

 

I blow the dust out of the discs and calipers before washing the wheels. Lot's of dust comes out!

 

Pads are not yet worn, 30k kms on them, and yes they squeal only whenyou apply the brakes.

 

You're probably not braking hard enough during normal drives. Try bedding them and report back.

 

Yes, after every drive.

 

Hose them a lot once a week. If I don't hose them once a week, they tend to make noises. Also, I don't have the brake applied so that the calipers aren't in contact with the rotors.

The grease should last between pad changes.

 

Actually cab, whenever i clean the wheels, there is a lot of dirt in the wheels. Maybe i will try to hose the wheels down and use a strong spray of water on the hubs and pads to wash off brake dust and dirt. Will do this first and report back. THAnks cab

 

Shoot water throughout the the caliper, rotors, etc. Our rotors are slotted and drilled. Make sure you get water through the holes too. Drive it a few blocks afterwards to dry everything and avoid rotor surface rusting.

I also noticed that you have new pads. I never had issues with squeals from new pads, though I do the bedding as soon as I replace the pads.

 

I thought that the common cause for break squeal is an issue with the rotors. If new pads are put on, and the rotors are slightly worn you will get a squeal. I don't think hosing them off will make a difference.

 

A lot of causes for brake squeal (type of pads used, dust, rusted hardware, dirt, etc.). Cleaning the dust is the quickest and cheapest way to diagnose the issue (and I don't like to blow the dust as I might inhale that crap; water, I think, is safer). No need to take things apart when a 5 minute no-brainer first-step task 'could' solve the problem.

I have worn rotors with new pads. I installed new pads, drove the car to the recommended bedding process, and no squeal.

For reference, I have had squeals ever since my car was new to me. The squeal starts if I don't wash the car once a week.