# Squeaky "brake"



## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

I've had a squeaky brake on my 06 2.8 Ducato based Hymer for over a year. However the squeaking is now happening whilst I'm driving. It's obviously "wheel speed" it's on the offside but I haven't been able to identify if it's front or rear yet. It goes away with the very slightest pressure on the brake pedal. Obviously enough pressure to move the pads but not to provide any stopping power. Annoyingly it's also intermittent, so not the easiest thing to track down.

I had a very quick visual check earlier in the year....no stones in the calipers, so something else.

Thoughts or experiences on this please before I engage the hammer  

Regards Dave.


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## PhilK (Jul 1, 2005)

*Squeaks*

Hi Dave, I am due to pick up my fifth Ducato in 11 years, not one has not had such a squeak. The calipers are very prone to sticking slightly and also, if you brake from high speed, your discs misshape and will rub on you pads.

Add to this the fact that pads need to be hard to last, hard pads squeak.

WD40 will cure it but will render your brakes useless lol 
Phil :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

Blimey, that tip about the WD40's worked a treat but the van's impaled in a wall


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

I'm no mechanic but whenever I have changed pads I have always used copper grease so that they don't stick - worth a try in your case?


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Try one or two repeated "enthusiastic" stops from about 50mph. It could be that your pads have become glazed due to a lack of (heavy) use. We all tend to be a bit gentle and plan ahead with our MH's so seldom put very much effort into the brakes. 

Might work.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Ours also squeak 8O and have done so over our entire 10 week European tour. :? 
I was hoping that it would go away but no such luck!
I am sure that in my case it is just sticking (my mechanic thinks so) as I have the same symptoms as you. Put a little pressure on the pedal and it stops.
It is annoying and in a very quiet street it does sometimes attract attention.
The brakes certainly work well.
I am just about to book our in to get it sorted!


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## gramor (Oct 24, 2010)

As mentioned before a little copper grease on the back of the pads where the pistons pushes against will reduce the likelyhood of vibration which is what you are hearing, one other thing to check are the pads being held snug by the spring clip on the caliper?


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## Rudderman (May 31, 2005)

*Brakes*

I had a 'squeaky' brake/wheel, (rear offside) on my Ducato a couple of years ago and it turned out to be the brake cylinder seize.

I jacked up the wheel to rock it backward and forward by hand and found it binding. The garage fitter showed me the cylinder which had seized solid.


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## ingram (May 12, 2005)

I too have an '06 2.8 but a Peugeot Boxer, ( Fiat by another name ). The brakes have always squeeked since I bought it in 2008. I have removed all pads and checked cleaned and lubricated as required and they still do it; sometimes when brakes are applied, sometimes when they are not. I gave up. Mine has the rear discs but with drum handbrake. Does that squeek as well, I hear you ask? yes!  

Harvey


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## ardgour (Mar 22, 2008)

Oh dear - I started reading this thread with the hope that a solution was at hand. Our 2003 Hymer b644 on a 2.8 ducato has the squeaky brakes and despite 2 different garages attempting to solve it - you guessed  


Chris


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

We quite often have the same problem but when we first got our 07 Fiat there as another issue with the rear brakes. The disc shield was either misaligned or loose and sometimes hit the disc. The resulting noise could bring the whole street out to watch! We had Fiat assist out about three times in a month. They diagnosed a stone dragging on the disc but that seemed unlikely so often.
Hopefully since the shields were repositioned all has been well.
Has anyone else had his problem?


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm going to give Plodd's idea a go. The pads glazing over had occured to me but it seems like something I could try before getting the tools out. 

D.


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

can I just add that "Copaslip", although it has been well used for decades by the motortrade on the backs of pads, is known to be bad when in contact with any of the rubber components of the calipers. The soultion would be to use a proprietary specific lube such as Mintex Mincera.

I overhaul motorcycle calipers as a hobby and have had the above advice from 2 independant motor caliper reconditioners. 

Squealing can often be glazing on the pads mainly caused by riding the brakes for too long.

a strip down and a full clean up would be well worth the time provided you have the equipment to do it safely.


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## lesanne (May 1, 2008)

When did you last have new pads ? were they ,cheapos or manufacturers reckomendations, other than that ,100% cure ,,leave it on the drive like a lot of people i know.


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Hi,

I have, in the past, removed the disks and re installed them as there had been insufficient "run out" to knock the pads back. It's quite a quick job just to reseat the disk and check the run out with a simple pointer held against the disk when spun.


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## Blodger (May 19, 2006)

As a mechanic these are my views-
EITHER the disc pads ON THE FRONT are not totally clearing the discs because of sticky calliper pistons or the brake discs have overheated and become slightly buckled - noticable in severe cases by a brake pedal that goes up and down slightly under heavy braking. 

OR ON THE REAR if the brake shoes are not totally clearing the drums because of either sticky brake cylinders (the part that presses the shoes against the drums) or maladjusted hand brake. Often it is quite difficult to achieve a perfect handbrake without having some small amount of drag (called binding) still present with the handbrake completely off. Slight binding is acceptable to MOT testers but if it is excessive can cause an MOT failure. 
Slight binding with OLD brake shoes can cause squealing because they become hard and glazed. Replacing the shoes for new ones has always in my experience stopped the squeak even with slight binding of the brakes. Attempts at deglazing brake shoes by rubbing them with emery paper in my experience rarely works and if it does is often short lived.
Hope this helps


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## BillCreer (Jan 23, 2010)

Blodger said:


> As a mechanic these are my views-
> EITHER the disc pads ON THE FRONT are not totally clearing the discs because of sticky calliper pistons or the brake discs have overheated and become slightly buckled - noticable in severe cases by a brake pedal that goes up and down slightly under heavy braking.


Hi Blodger,

I've never associated warped disks (slightly buckled) with brake squealing.


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## b2tus (Sep 7, 2009)

Had the same problem with our 2006 Peugeot based 2.2HDi last year whilst touring France. Got a village garage near Honfleur to check it out. They adjusted everything on the rear drum brakes. All was fine for about 100kms and then the noise was back and getting louder. Persevered until the end of the trip.

Got home and a mechanic pal had a look and eventually found that one of the rear cylinder pistons was corroded slightly and not releasing the shoes fully. A new pair of pistons from Europarts (about £60 IIRC) and bingo, the noise went and has never returned.


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## ingram (May 12, 2005)

The rear brakes on my Boxer and from what he wrote, also on the OP's Fiat are discs, not drums.

My Boxer ( and probably the OP's Fiat also ) has drums for the handbrake though but they don't have any hydraulic cylinders.

Harvey


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## Blodger (May 19, 2006)

BillCreer said:


> Blodger said:
> 
> 
> > As a mechanic these are my views-
> ...


Hi Bill
When the brake disc is warped the disc face moves side to side in relation to the pads when it is turning, just like a buckled cycle wheel appears to do when you look down on it when going along. As the face of the disc moves side to side it contacts the face of the pad and can cause a squeak when going along at low speeds (when you are NOT braking) - this side to side motion also pushes the pads backwards against the brake pedal when you DO brake and this is what you can feel at the pedal in severe cases. As soon as you brake the pads make constant contact with the disc and the squeak stops.
Squeaks or squeals when you are trying to stop in my experience are usually caused by the following -
1. Pads vibrating in the calliper. Some manufacturers have anti squeal shims between the pad and the piston to stop this. Common practice by garages is to put put a thick heat tolerant grease called CopperSlip at the back of the pad to prevent the squeal. Vibrating pads can also be caused by weak retaining springs or ill fitting non-genuine pads.
2. Resonating or singing discs. Some brake discs appear to develop an ability to sing after a certain amount of wear when the brake pads come into contact with them, a bit like when you run a wet finger around the top of a wine glass.
3. Some brakes seem to squeal by design under heavy friction and there isn't a great deal you can do about it. Cheap replacement discs and pads do not help of course.


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