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Brakes Squeal like an old School Bus

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BlueRidge1

Jedi Warrior
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Hi guys

I finally got to put to put about 25 miles on the Healey last Saturday after getting my radiator recored. All the brake parts are new or rebuilt and after driving it for 20 or so miles the brakes have developed an awful squeal.They also have faded quite a bit and will need to be adjusted. I do have some metal shims that came with the pads but they would not fit between the pads and rotors when I tried to install them. I was thinking now that the pads are seated they may go in. Will these shims help? Are they an anti squeal device? Should I put some of the anti Squeal paste that sometimes comes with the new pads on the back of the pads? The metal shims have an arrow cut out in them. What does this arrow indicate?

Thanks Bob
 
Will these shims help? Probably
Are they an anti squeal device? Yes
Should I put some of the anti Squeal paste that sometimes comes with the new pads on the back of the pads? Yes
The metal shims have an arrow cut out in them. What does this arrow indicate? Direction to install. Check instructions if you still have them.

And/Or, bevel the leading end of the pads. They sometimes react to the rotor like finger nails on a black board, thus the squeel.
 
Thanks Jim,
Hey, I see you are in Charlotte. I am just up the road a bit near Hickory. I was in Charlotte last Friday to pick my radiator up that I had recored in Rock Hill.

Bob
 
Hey, Bob,
My first ever ride in an LBC was in college. Friend had a BN1, little rough, but fun.
 
The shims are the anti-squeal device. They have to be in there to work. They are VERY important.
 
Sorry, I have to disagree on the anti-squeal paste. The shims need to float free in order to work properly and stop the squeaks. When the shims become fused to the back of the pad, i.e. if fixed on with anti squeal paste, the pads don't always but can still squeak in many cases.

I struggled with this very same issue, in multiple configurations, over 5 years until I settled on the bright idea to just do it like they did at the factory, and for the last 20 years I've had 0 squeaks, eventhough my current pads are now 15 years old and hard.

I'm getting new pads by the way... Greenstuff?
 
Hi Bob,

I had the opposite results with front brake pad squeal as Healeynut.
I had the original metal shims installed but after 6 months of use with new pads, they started to squeal. I ordered some new metal shims from Moss but the new shims were noticeably smaller in one dimension that my original shims with the little arrows cut in. I had to reinstall the original shims.
.... My fix for squeals was to spray on the paste to the back of the pads, then reinstall the original shims/paste/pads back into the car. No more squeals for over a year. The pads and shims can move freely on the pins with the paste installed. Just don't over do the amount of the paste that you spray on and clean any over spray of the paste off of the working surfaces of the pads.
Glad to hear you finally got your car on the road !

:driving:

Ed
 
Well if you have brake squeal then you need to get some Moss Anti brake squeal "STRIPS" shims will work for a limited time. --FWIW--Keoke
 
Keoke said:
Well if you have brake squeal then you need to get some Moss Anti brake squeal "STRIPS" shims will work for a limited time. --FWIW--Keoke
Click to expand...

I think the auto stores (Auto Zone) sells the same type shims "STRIPS, under the HELP brand.
 
Hi guys,

I put the shims in place and it has reduced the squeal but not eliminated it completly. If I go with the paste or stick on strips do I apply it between the back of the pad and shim or between the shim and the piston, or both places? Thanks

Bob
 
Well

may as well throw in my few penny worth in.

I use a smear of copper grease between the piston and the anti squeel shims.

Works fine.

Had a major problem with squeel accompanied by a nocking - discs (Rotors)were warped.- badly instead of a few thous run out it was millimeters.

Also had a bad day and put one pad in the wrong way round on the rebuild, caught it in time though, with no damage to the new disc.
 
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