Brakes - BMW Forum

RIBEMR26 · 12-13-2004, 12:22 PM

I had my brakes done at Midas when I first got my car (before I was doing these things on my own). They didn't sqeek at first, but are now squeeking like a bitch. I told the guy and he said that he wasn't sure if they put in Metallic pads, and that often metallic pads squeek in BMW's and Volvo's...can anyone verify this, or is this guy full of shit???

97alpineM3 · 12-13-2004, 12:30 PM

If you have the tools... take the pad off.. and look at it.. if it looks like little pieces of metal.. then you have metal ones.. I've never heard of that rumor... or seen it. You might just need new pads...

Good Luck,

Les

funtoos · 12-13-2004, 12:43 PM

i would say just replace your pads with ceramic ones... i've had very good experience with them... they don't squeak and more importantly they don't DUST and make your rims all black...

Furious · 12-13-2004, 12:43 PM

next time dont go to midas.

.

its very very possible they put in metalmasters , i think midas uses very common products, (lower end too)

RIBEMR26 · 12-13-2004, 12:49 PM

Well, the thing is when you buy the pads you never have to buy another pair from them, just pay labor to install them. I was hoping I could buy some better pads (if anyone wants to suggest some good performance pads) and have them install them for free as a trade type of deal....

I do attempt to do most of this stuff myself now...however, if someone else will do it for free, why the f**k not..right?

RIBEMR26 · 12-13-2004, 01:50 PM

Does anyone know where I can find Hawk HPS, or EBC Green stuff pads??? I want to research both and geth one of the two I think???

Furious · 12-13-2004, 07:33 PM

talk to autotechnica , he actually has quite a few sets, and sells them at a good price. also he can be trusted because hes of course staff here.

BlantonG13 · 12-13-2004, 07:33 PM

I got Greenstuff from Tirerack.com...they work REALLY well on my 318i. I would definitely suggest them. Tirerack ships them quick as hell too...

RIBEMR26 · 12-14-2004, 10:49 AM

I orderd the Hawk HPS's from bimmerworld...(sorry autotechnica, didn't see the post in time)....lets see if I can get this dude at Midas to install them for free...

Autotechnica · 12-14-2004, 10:54 AM

HAWK HPS's are great pads, you'll be happy with the performance. I don't think that'll solve any squeeking or dusting issues though. Hawk pads are made for driving schools, so they are geared more towards performance. They are also SCCA approved. Anyways, the ferro-carbon compound is quite hard. Your rotors will take a bit more of a beating.

I've been using HP+ and HPS, they both squeek and dust like a bitch. You'll be happier with something like EBC if you want dustless. They are expensive though.

Bry

RIBEMR26 · 12-14-2004, 11:46 AM

Autotechnica:

Thanks for the reply....where can I get EBC pads and how much are they??? I couldn't find them anywhere....

In all the stuff I read about Hawk's in the search, no one really mentioned the squeeking factor....

Autotechnica · 12-14-2004, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RIBEMR26@Dec 14 2004, 11:46 AM
Autotechnica:

Thanks for the reply....where can I get EBC pads and how much are they??? I couldn't find them anywhere....

In all the stuff I read about Hawk's in the search, no one really mentioned the squeeking factor....

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Not sure how much the EBC's are. I'm a HAWK distributor, so personally I've never really used anything else but HAWK and Ferrodo. The squeek doesn't bother me much, I have a lot of other annoying loud noises from my car.

HPS's are quiet when new, after you break them in they start to squeek. I don't know what's tolerable to you, but they do squeek. Especially when they start to warm up. For the price I would just live with the occasional squeeks. EBC's are way too expensive to justify. I've heard they are around $380-$400CDN for the set. Which translates into about roughly $280US a set.

BTW, how much did you pay for the HAWKS?

Bry

RIBEMR26 · 12-14-2004, 01:46 PM

Something like $125 for all 4 shipped. Not bad I thought....for what seem to be good pads (from what I am reading).

So this kind of leads back to my original question...is there a certain type of pad (ie. metallic) that tend to squeek in Bimmers??? Or is it a brand thing??? EBC can't be the ONLY pads out there that don't squeek, because I don't hear my buddy's M3 squeeking every time he pulls up to a light....

Autotechnica · 12-14-2004, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RIBEMR26@Dec 14 2004, 01:46 PM
Something like $125 for all 4 shipped. Not bad I thought....for what seem to be good pads (from what I am reading).

So this kind of leads back to my original question...is there a certain type of pad (ie. metallic) that tend to squeek in Bimmers???* Or is it a brand thing???* EBC can't be the ONLY pads out there that don't squeek, because I don't hear my buddy's M3 squeeking every time he pulls up to a light....

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Quite a few things make pads squeek. If the rotor surface has grooves in it, you have to make sure they don't exceed a certain height, otherwise you'll either need to replace the rotor or have it resurfaced. This usually causes a lot of the squeeking. Definitely, squeeking is usually attributed to the type of compound used in the brake pad. Soft organic brake pads such as Pagid or PBR Deluxe usually have little to no squeek. However, because of the softer compound, there's bound to be a lot of dust. The only problem with using soft compound pads like these are that they are rubbish! Brake hard from 80mph and you'll get brake fade like no tomorrow. Find a happy medium and comprimise. I think the HAWK HPS is a great comprimise. Also, if your pads are shot, there is a metal warning bar that will make the squeeking much louder. Probably sounds a lot like a bus trying to stop.

Avoid using cross drilled or slotted rotors, as they make pad and rotor surfaces uneven causing even more squeek and dust. Stick with the HAWKS

Also, make sure you grease the hooks of the pads which contact the caliper when you reinstall the pads. A lot of people forget to do this and I've heard it causes squeeking as well.

Look for scorch or burn marks on the rotors. Check the rotor depth to make sure they are still good. Burn marks are usually a good sign that your rotors need replacing. You'll get crazy squeeks if you see those burn marks. Check for rust or an excessive amount of dirt or grease on the rotor. If it looks dirty and a bit rough, take some gritty sand paper to it and make it smooth as possible.

Finally, make sure your calipers are not seized. If they are contacting the brake pads while you are not pressing down on the brake pedal, that will definitely cause some problems and unwanted squeeks. A good test is to touch your wheels and see if one is particularly hotter than the rest.

Here's a pic of my rotors. You can see that CD rotors cause terrible grooves. I'm using HAWK HPS and they squeek terribly.

Bry

RIBEMR26 · 12-14-2004, 04:05 PM

Autotechnica:

Thanks so much for taking the time to explain that...

BTW - I found EBC pads direct from the company online...the price of them isn't horrible...about $145 for all 4...however the shipping cost about $50...which brings the whole thing up damn near $200...

n