Akebono Brake Squeal
09-04-2012, 03:04 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Akebono Brake Squeal
Hello All
I just did the brakes on my 2003 SL500 this weekend, and I have horrible squeal, particularly from the left front wheel. This squeal turns into a rubbing/clicking sound at high speeds. I used Akebono EUR847 on the fronts and EUR986 on the rears with new stock MB rotors on all 4 wheels. Also MB brake paste and wear sensors (my car takes only 2 - both RH side pad sets).
I followed the procedure in this link
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230...83-brakes.html
with the following additions/exceptions:
1. I disconnected the SBC plug on the pump block under the hood. I also cracked the brake fluid reservoir cap and placed some paper towels around it. The towels were dry after the procedure, and I didn't crack any bleeders on the calipers, so no fluid was lost.
2. I used MB brake paste on the back of the new Akebono pads. I used 1 pack of paste per wheel (i.e. 2 pads).
3. All of the rotors were seized to the hubs. I used lots of PB Blaster and a 3 lb. sledge to get them off. I hammered the rotors "on" and rotated them after each blow, and eventually they came off. I don't think I damaged the hubs, and the car does not shake or vibrate. I used Permatex anti-sieze lube on the backs of the rotors where they contact the hub before reinstalling so that I can (hopefully) get them back off the next time.
4. The rear pads did not have metal backing plates. The front (dual piston calipers) had backing plates. I did not grease the side that contacts the pistons with the MB paste - only the back of the pads got paste.
5. After the wheels were on, I plugged back in the SBC and closed the fluid reservoir (no fluid leaked onto the towels from compressing the pistons). Then, I opened the door, put the key into the ignition, and turned it to position 1. I pumped the brake pedal about 7-8 times to move the pistons and seat the pads on the rotors. The SBC pump ran a bit with each pump n the brake pedal, but not for long - nothing abnormal. I then started the car and took it around the block to see if it would stop.
All seemed well. I had no warnings pop up on the dash, and the car stops fine. The ceramic brakes feel a little softer than the stock pads, but I figured this may be from the anti-corrosion coating on the rotors coupled with new ceramic pads.
The next day, I started the car and it squealed in reverse. I figured this was from new pads and would probably go away eventually. When I put the car in drive, I got the same squeal, and as I increased in speed, it turned to a rubbing/clicking noise. I drove out to my errands, and the noise/squeal did not get better. The car stops fine, no vibrations or weird feel, and no warning lights.
I am aware that Akebono says the pads will bed themselves in about 500 miles (give or take), but this squeal seems excessive. So, I decided to go against recommendation and bed the pads with 5-6 60mph-10mph slowdowns after the pads were warm. I also put about 100 miles on the car that day. This helped a bit, but I still have a really annoying squeal that turns into a rubbing/clicking noise from the front left, and it is loud enough to notice when I am driving over a bridge or around buildings.
Will this eventually go away, or did I screw something up? Again, the car stops well and does not vibrate/pull/wobble. I have read that this can happen with ceramic pads, but the feedback from many places on this forum indicates that most people don't have these problems with these pads. Any help/ideas are appreciated. I would prefer not to be embarassed about the sound my otherwise awesome ride makes in the grocery store parking lot.
Thanks,
j
I just did the brakes on my 2003 SL500 this weekend, and I have horrible squeal, particularly from the left front wheel. This squeal turns into a rubbing/clicking sound at high speeds. I used Akebono EUR847 on the fronts and EUR986 on the rears with new stock MB rotors on all 4 wheels. Also MB brake paste and wear sensors (my car takes only 2 - both RH side pad sets).
I followed the procedure in this link
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r230...83-brakes.html
with the following additions/exceptions:
1. I disconnected the SBC plug on the pump block under the hood. I also cracked the brake fluid reservoir cap and placed some paper towels around it. The towels were dry after the procedure, and I didn't crack any bleeders on the calipers, so no fluid was lost.
2. I used MB brake paste on the back of the new Akebono pads. I used 1 pack of paste per wheel (i.e. 2 pads).
3. All of the rotors were seized to the hubs. I used lots of PB Blaster and a 3 lb. sledge to get them off. I hammered the rotors "on" and rotated them after each blow, and eventually they came off. I don't think I damaged the hubs, and the car does not shake or vibrate. I used Permatex anti-sieze lube on the backs of the rotors where they contact the hub before reinstalling so that I can (hopefully) get them back off the next time.
4. The rear pads did not have metal backing plates. The front (dual piston calipers) had backing plates. I did not grease the side that contacts the pistons with the MB paste - only the back of the pads got paste.
5. After the wheels were on, I plugged back in the SBC and closed the fluid reservoir (no fluid leaked onto the towels from compressing the pistons). Then, I opened the door, put the key into the ignition, and turned it to position 1. I pumped the brake pedal about 7-8 times to move the pistons and seat the pads on the rotors. The SBC pump ran a bit with each pump n the brake pedal, but not for long - nothing abnormal. I then started the car and took it around the block to see if it would stop.
All seemed well. I had no warnings pop up on the dash, and the car stops fine. The ceramic brakes feel a little softer than the stock pads, but I figured this may be from the anti-corrosion coating on the rotors coupled with new ceramic pads.
The next day, I started the car and it squealed in reverse. I figured this was from new pads and would probably go away eventually. When I put the car in drive, I got the same squeal, and as I increased in speed, it turned to a rubbing/clicking noise. I drove out to my errands, and the noise/squeal did not get better. The car stops fine, no vibrations or weird feel, and no warning lights.
I am aware that Akebono says the pads will bed themselves in about 500 miles (give or take), but this squeal seems excessive. So, I decided to go against recommendation and bed the pads with 5-6 60mph-10mph slowdowns after the pads were warm. I also put about 100 miles on the car that day. This helped a bit, but I still have a really annoying squeal that turns into a rubbing/clicking noise from the front left, and it is loud enough to notice when I am driving over a bridge or around buildings.
Will this eventually go away, or did I screw something up? Again, the car stops well and does not vibrate/pull/wobble. I have read that this can happen with ceramic pads, but the feedback from many places on this forum indicates that most people don't have these problems with these pads. Any help/ideas are appreciated. I would prefer not to be embarassed about the sound my otherwise awesome ride makes in the grocery store parking lot.
Thanks,
j
09-05-2012, 08:16 AM
#2
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depends on the weather
Pads do need to be bedded in and that does take a few miles for some pads.
Another thing I noticed was your comment about the anti-corrosion coating on the rotors ... that was supposed to be removed prior to installation. I doubt it would hurt anything but could cause the pads to take longer to bed in.
I would also look at the dust shield for possible interference .. .they're pretty easy to bend
Another thing I noticed was your comment about the anti-corrosion coating on the rotors ... that was supposed to be removed prior to installation. I doubt it would hurt anything but could cause the pads to take longer to bed in.
I would also look at the dust shield for possible interference .. .they're pretty easy to bend
Last edited by Luke@tirerack; 09-05-2012 at 08:23 AM.
09-11-2012, 07:41 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
I pulled the wheels back off and checked the dust shield. It was not rubbing against the rotor. I took the pads out and sanded them lightly with 150 grit sandpaper and re-pasted everything (backs of pads, shims, and pins). The squeal disappeared. It may have been the coating I did not remove, or maybe the rub was on the pins (I did not paste them before - only the backs of the pads).
Thanks for your help.
j
Thanks for your help.
j
