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Singing Brake Pads

Seriously Ray:

Like John said :
"I have the thin spongy material on the back of the pads and no shims-"

This is what you gonna have to do with your brake pads.
 
Hi Gang,

Yesterday, for some odd reason, my car radio's mids and tweeters got stopped working for unknown reasons when on my singing brake test run. Today, I found a loose connection under the console and the Beach Boys began singing again. However, during todays brake test drive, the pads were quiet. Do you think there is a connection?

Either way, I am happy since now both work as initially expected.

Thanks all,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
Hi Gang,

Yesterday, for some odd reason, my car radio's mids and tweeters got stopped working for unknown reasons when on my singing brake test run. Today, I found a loose connection under the console and the Beach Boys began singing again. However, during todays brake test drive, the pads were quiet. Do you think there is a connection?

Either way, I am happy since now both work as initially expected.

Thanks all,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

Now how does Ray think he is gonna hear them singin brakes if the Beach Boys be singin??-:angel2:
 
First, John, I am not saying the radio was the cause of my singing brakes. The radio came into the picture on the last brake test failure when I turn on the radio on my way back home and it started crackling before the mids and tweeters just stopped working. This was the final gotcha of the day and I just left the car in the garage until the next day. On Sunday, I pulled the console and it turned out that the one of the components installed under the console had loosened...never happened before.

Steve, I had purchased the sintered metallic pads as I have many times before and, since my Healey is not a daily driver, usually replace the pads when 2/3rds warn. To prepare for the change, I chocked and jacked the front end and removed the tires, pulled the retaining clips and retaining pins, and removed both pads from each wheels. I then lightly sanded both sides of each disk and also lightly sanded the pads. The installation was straight forward and I combined a Healey Shim with each pad from the box before inserting into the caliper. The all installations followed the same procedures with the following differences:

Installation 1. Pads were lightly sanded (not chamfered) with the box-original pads installed with standard Healey shims (box pads had what looked like black metal shims pasted to the piston side). Results - Singing Brakes

Installation 2. Box-pads and disks very lightly sanded and pads installed without standard Healey shims. Results - Singing Brakes,

Installation 3. Box-pads and disks very lightly sanded, pads chamfered and installed without standard Healey shims. Result- Singing Brakes.

Installation 4. Box-pads and disks very lightly sanded and stripped of original attached shims, pads chamfer examined to assure and pads with Standard Healey Shims installed. Result-Singing Brakes.

After the 4th test the radio went on the return trip and no further work ... due to frustration.

The next day, the multiple components of the radio were diagnosed to identify problem. The radio was repaired and a test drive was taken to identify any remaining issues. After a number of normal driving stops, I realized that the brake squeal, that had initially made itself present, no longer was present (as proven over a number of subsequent stops). Additionally, the radio mids and tweeters worked without any issues and I again drove home to the melodic sounds of the Beach Boys.

Hope this helps others, however, I am still not confident that the procedure I finally arrived at is correct and would not recommend it being followed by others. The pads that I had always ordered from Moss have changed and I wonder why a corrected procedure was not provided to eliminate this frustration. If Moss is pushing the premium ceramic pads and ignoring the sintered metallic, then eliminate the sintered metallic from the price list as this frustrating experience has not enhanced my confidence in acquiring additional parts.

All the best,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
So Ray,

Is it fair to say you replaced your bad vibrations with:

114425859.jpg
 
Ray,
Reading this is frustrating because for the life of me I can't tell if the post is about squealing brakes (never heard them called 'singing') or issues with the radio or some kind of weird interaction between the radio and the brake pads.

Sorry for being humorless, but the Beach Boys' good vibrations aren't getting me any closer to understanding the brake problem and its solution. Just my 2 cents. :smile:
 
Hi Steve,

The Radio issue was a side show that had no connection to the squealing brakes ... just a coincidental happening. I called the squealing brakes singing brakes as a mistaken correction and didn't notice until it was posted. Since the singing brakes term seemed to be more positive and comments became to also use it, I thought it was a kick to keep.

To further clarify, stop reading the summation after installation 4. Although the Installation 4 brakes test did produce brake squeal, nothing more was done and the next day's run produced no further brake squeal. I am not confident I have resolve my brake squeal issue, however, it is raining like **** now and will not drive my Healey again until this Friday.

Thanks Steve,
Ray (64BJ8P1)
 
Hi Steve,

The Radio issue was a side show that had no connection to the squealing brakes ... just a coincidental happening. I called the squealing brakes singing brakes as a mistaken correction and didn't notice until it was posted. Since the singing brakes term seemed to be more positive and comments became to also use it, I thought it was a kick to keep.

To further clarify, stop reading the summation after installation 4. Although the Installation 4 brakes test did produce brake squeal, nothing more was done and the next day's run produced no further brake squeal. I am not confident I have resolve my brake squeal issue, however, it is raining like **** now and will not drive my Healey again until this Friday.

Thanks Steve,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

Ray,
Thanks for the clarification! Now I get it!:cool:
 
bought a set of soft pads for the bj7 and they squealed so loud could not stand it. have never bedded in brake pads in 38 years if have owned and worked on healelys. put the squealing pads on friend's bj7 and his pads on my car and problem went away. tries shims and goop but nothing worked. first time I had pads from china and thought that was the problem, but no squeal on friends car. go figure.
 
Ray,


Sorry for being humorless, but the Beach Boys' good vibrations aren't getting me any closer to understanding the brake problem and its solution. Just my 2 cents. :smile:

"Don't Worry Baby" "I Get Around." And even if I have to spend "All Summer Long" "In My Room" "God Only Knows" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" if "Our Car Club" will make everything turn out alright. And you'll have "Fun, Fun, Fun"
 
"Don't Worry Baby" "I Get Around." And even if I have to spend "All Summer Long" "In My Room" "God Only Knows" "Wouldn't It Be Nice" if "Our Car Club" will make everything turn out alright. And you'll have "Fun, Fun, Fun"
..."till your daddy takes the T-bird awayyyy"
 
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