Alternative Break Pads

[Big Ry]

I know this subject has been done to death a hundred times now, however due to the fking break squeal from my SP10 i'm now asking if anyone out there has used non-OEM pads and as a result has stopped the squeal ?

Works carried out a complete break strip and clean two weeks ago which appeared to sort it, but after 600 miles the squeal is back just as before.

Now before anyone starts telling me to drive/brake "spiritedly" and complete the Pagid process, i've done this and to be honest it makes no difference. Also, I think it's ridiculous to have to do this after 600 miles after a complete clean down.

I'm not willing to accept that this is what performance cars do as that's not the case. A friend has a 991 Turbo S, that's about as performance as any road car gets yet it's as silent as the grave, as are colleagues AMG's. I won't say it's just Astons as it's obviously not, but they clearly seem to suffer worse than most.

I'm at the point that unless I can seriously reduce or stop it the car will be going. That will be a huge shame as I love then thing, but I don't like sounding like a bus at every junction or traffic light, it's ridiculous.

So is there anyone out there who can recommend (with experience) an alternative (or squeal solution) ?

Thanks all

[divetheworld]

I had this and ended up replacing pads early on the back (main culprit afaik). It cured it for a few thousand miles but it still returns but only slightly and a big brake day will get rid. I have no doubt it will return.
I have been shown this ( http://bgprod.co.uk/products/speciality/bg-stop-sq...) and when it does come back, i'll be giving it a try.

[simonpa]

Whilst this sort of thing may help with squeal, I would think that if you ever had an accident and the powers that be found out you had applied any thing that 'infused into the pad surface', then all support would be off.

[Big Ry]

simonpa said:

Whilst this sort of thing may help with squeal, I would think that if you ever had an accident and the powers that be found out you had applied any thing that 'infused into the pad surface', then all support would be off.

I here you, that's why I'd rather have a totally alternative pad.

I'm serious though that if I can't stop this I'll be walking away from my second Aston in 18 months, and this time very much doubt I'd ever return.....which would really be a shame. Some people can't see why i'm so het up over it, but as a DD this just isn't acceptable.

The likes or Mercedes and Porsche etc would never ever say that this sort of thing is 'normal' which is what Works have told me.

[BravoV8V]

Porterfield R4-S pads worked well on my old V8V. I can't remember them squealing.


Incidentally, did Works apply the blue anti-squeal goo to the back of the pads?

[Big Ry]

BravoV8V said:

Porterfield R4-S pads worked well on my old V8V. I can't remember them squealing.


Incidentally, did Works apply the blue anti-squeal goo to the back of the pads?

I asked whether Works applied the copper grease stuff (you can tell I clearly know about this stuff), and they said they don't use that anymore as it's been replaced by something similar (which they did use). I will mail Works now and ask though.

Forgive my ignorance here, but I assume it is the pad which is the culprit and nothing to do with the discs ?

[blueg33]

Really sorry, but it's Brake pad

a break pad is probably a cushion

(I try not to be a spelling Nazi because my typing is rusbbish, but the break thing really gets to me)

[matrignano]

I've recently tried EBC Yellows and they are crap.

Used to have the standard Pagid RS4s and, if a lot of copper grease was applied on the back of them, they were fine on the squealing front.
Much better than the EBCs

[Big Ry]

blueg33 said:

Really sorry, but it's Brake pad

a break pad is probably a cushion

(I try not to be a spelling Nazi because my typing is rusbbish, but the break thing really gets to me)

You're indeed right, but once I realised I'd done it other people had started to respond to the thread and I'm not sure that you can change a thread name.

I consider myself suitably chastised though

[blueg33]

Big Ry said:

blueg33 said:

Really sorry, but it's Brake pad

a break pad is probably a cushion

(I try not to be a spelling Nazi because my typing is rusbbish, but the break thing really gets to me)

You're indeed right, but once I realised I'd done it other people had started to respond to the thread and I'm not sure that you can change a thread name.

I consider myself suitably chastised though

No point in changing the thread. I don't even mean to chastise as such, it just sets my teeth on edge

apologies again, the failing is actually mine for having itchy teeth

[Ken Figenus]

This is such a shame - a mate has this issue too and is tearing his hair out with it and angry at being fobbed off by the dealer and all the hassle involved with taking the car in time after time.

Its not normal and its not acceptable and AM should empower the dealers to sort the 'bus brakes' out. Bloody ridiculous when spending three figures on a car with absolutely conventional brakes.

[Big Ry]

matrignano said:

I've recently tried EBC Yellows and they are crap.

Used to have the standard Pagid RS4s and, if a lot of copper grease was applied on the back of them, they were fine on the squealing front.
Much better than the EBCs

It just seems crazy that there isn't a firm solution for this issue.......it's hardly an uncommon one.

I really don't understand this stuff (as I'm sure you've all worked out by now ). Does the squeal come from the friction between the pad surface and the disk, or is it caused by vibration at the back of the pad (or similar) ? I keep reading points made about both (like applying copper grease to the back) so i'm a bit unsure.

[Sump]

I tried the following :

New pads
New shims
BG Brake Squeal stuff on the material
That red anti squeal goop
Copper
Febi brake lube
Chamfer

In the end this cured it

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GREASE-for-BRAKE-PADS-PR...

I used my compressor blow out any dust and crap, healthy douse of ceramic grease everywhere and no squeal since.

I get the very odd tiny tiny squeal now and then but never constant bus sqeueals I used to have.

[steveatesh]

I've recently fired red Stuff pads to the rear of my Vantage as the originals were worn down.
First drive they squealed like horrendous squeaky thing in full squeal. However, more I've used the car better they have become and at the moment there is only a slight squeal just as the car stops in ordinary town braking.

I'm hoping that goes entirely.

The squeal is, apparently, due to the pads vibrating very quickly, hence shims and copper grease etc is supposed to take up the slack and stop it. Nothing to do with the Discs.

My original pads did not squeal at all, I'm hoping the Red Stuff corrects itself totally the near future.

[Big Ry]

Ken Figenus said:

This is such a shame - a mate has this issue too and is tearing his hair out with it and angry at being fobbed off by the dealer and all the hassle involved with taking the car in time after time.

Its not normal and its not acceptable and AM should empower the dealers to sort the 'bus brakes' out. Bloody ridiculous when spending three figures on a car with absolutely conventional brakes.

I checked with Works as to exactly what they did and they've said that they stripped all four corners, cleaned everything and applied Tunap. Works have stated that it shouldn't be doing it so if they need to revisit it they will. I'm going to monitor it for another couple of weeks and see how we go as I don't want to look like a moaning git for no reason. I love the car but as we all know it doesn't take much to fall out of love either, I just really hope this can be fixed before then.

[Impasse]

matrignano said:

I've recently tried EBC Yellows and they are crap.

Used to have the standard Pagid RS4s and, if a lot of copper grease was applied on the back of them, they were fine on the squealing front.
Much better than the EBCs

I've got Yellows in my old shed. They took a long time - a lonnnng time - to bed in and while going through that process they squealed, no howled, to an unacceptable level, so much so that I'd modulate my braking to get round the noise.
After about a thousand miles they shut up completely and have really firmed up the pedal feel. I'm not convinced by their ultimate trackday capabilities, but on a road car they're fine.

[Gday2]

G'Day,

I recently installed EBC Red Stuff front and rear, the first 500 Km were embarrassing noisy. I did several bed in cycles as per EBC recommendation after about 300 Km. Very seldom squealing at walking speed from around Km 500 to 650. Absolutely no sound since then (1700 Km driven since install).
I do admit it is dreadful closing in at a red light and making the squealing sound like a freight train, I was close to replacing the pads but I am stubborn so I went through almost agony but was finally rewarded with a firmer pedal feel and great breaking performance that gets better the hotter the pads get.
So I started to love the Red Stuff and recommend them, at the same time be warned it can be destressing to bed them in properly.
On the other side I have to tell that I installed them on my Jaguar as well and had no problem there, absolute silence from Km 0 onwards.

Cheers

Christian

[old phart]

Replaced mine with EBC Reds. The squeal greeted my left foot for about a week. Since then nothing. But it was embarrassingly loud the first few days. Was waiting to get bills in the mail for shattered windows and such. Have to smile a bit when you think of it from the view point of the other side. "Wow, look at that gorgeous Aston! SQUEAL!!!!!!! Oh my God!"

[Paul Drawmer]

This is not AM specific; but sometimes persistent, reoccurring brake squeal from the rear callipers can be caused by a sticking piston. If the car has a mostly gentle life, the rear brakes may get hardly used due to a brake pressure limiter doing its job and reducing the rear line pressure.

If the car is usually driven so that braking is always gentle due to the driver being smooth, looking well ahead and lifting early rather than 'running in' and then braking firmly; then the rear brakes just don't get used.

The result is that a piston can just get slightly corroded and want to stick in one position. When the brakes are applied the pad is only brushed against the disk and will squeal. When firmer pressure is applied, the piston stick is overcome and the brakes work normally. On release, there is more residual drag until normal knock back.

Symptoms will be a squeal that is only pressure dependent. Will occur at most legal speeds down to almost stop, and the pitch of the squeal doesn't vary with speed.

Cure is either rebuild the offending calliper to free off the piston, or replace (probably easier since the piston refurb is quite time consuming and no guarantee that it won't re-corrode and stick again).

[V8V Pete]

Paul Drawmer said:

This is not AM specific; but sometimes persistent, reoccurring brake squeal from the rear callipers can be caused by a sticking piston. If the car has a mostly gentle life, the rear brakes may get hardly used due to a brake pressure limiter doing its job and reducing the rear line pressure.

If the car is usually driven so that braking is always gentle due to the driver being smooth, looking well ahead and lifting early rather than 'running in' and then braking firmly; then the rear brakes just don't get used.

The result is that a piston can just get slightly corroded and want to stick in one position. When the brakes are applied the pad is only brushed against the disk and will squeal. When firmer pressure is applied, the piston stick is overcome and the brakes work normally. On release, there is more residual drag until normal knock back.

Symptoms will be a squeal that is only pressure dependent. Will occur at most legal speeds down to almost stop, and the pitch of the squeal doesn't vary with speed.

Cure is either rebuild the offending calliper to free off the piston, or replace (probably easier since the piston refurb is quite time consuming and no guarantee that it won't re-corrode and stick again).

This is surely a clue to the problem. I say this because some owners seems to have the problem and find it very hard to resolve whereas others have never had it. Personally, I've have had my MY2009 V8V for nearly 2 years and 10,000 miles and never had any squealing. Presumably "corroded / sticky pistons" would be more likely in low mileage occasional use cars and those that have been stood unused at a dealers for a while. Do either of these scenarios apply to your car Big Ry?