chirping noise that goes away when i press the brakes.

[novadmc]

as the title says - i've noticed what i can only describe as a rhythmic chirping noise (sounds like a cricket) when the car is moving that's frequency changes as the car increases or decreases speed. Appears to come from the front left wheel.

When the brakes are applied at any speed, the chirping stops. it typically returns a few seconds later after releasing the breaks if the car is still moving.

i'm assuming its just the pads slightly rubbing against the rotors. anything else that it could be/i should inspect. when jacking the front end up and spinning the wheel by hand, i don't feel any grinding nor does it feel like a possible wheel bearing issue. Just want to get sanity checked before i start start looking into it blindly.

[David T]

as the title says - i've noticed what i can only describe as a rhythmic chirping noise (sounds like a cricket) when the car is moving that's frequency changes as the car increases or decreases speed. Appears to come from the front left wheel.

When the brakes are applied at any speed, the chirping stops. it typically returns a few seconds later after releasing the breaks if the car is still moving.

i'm assuming its just the pads slightly rubbing against the rotors. anything else that it could be/i should inspect. when jacking the front end up and spinning the wheel by hand, i don't feel any grinding nor does it feel like a possible wheel bearing issue. Just want to get sanity checked before i start start looking into it blindly.

Normal, especially if you don't regularly use the car. PJ Grady has a spring kit that can reduce the noise.

[RamblinDMC]

I had a similar issue and it turned out to be cheap brake pads. I replaced them with some nicer ceramic ones and the noise went away. The springs help too. Home Depot has a spring assortment that has usable ones in it.

[novadmc]

thanks! at least its not something to worry about and im not going crazy.
this afternoon i pulled both front tires off, cleaned the brakes and rotors with some brake clean and then re-greased the sides of the pads, the pins, retaining clips and retentions springs. prior to this, everything was bone dry with no lubrication on the contact points. ill take the car for a drive tomorrow and see if that helps the squeak at all.

on the bright side, ive got plenty of pad and rotor life left and took notes on what i want to replace for my eventual suspension upgrades.
i should do the same to the rears. maybe tomorrow or later in the month...

[opethmike]

Have you considered not pressing the brakes?

[David T]

If you are trying to fix it yourself there are a couple of other things you can try. Get an electric drill and a scotch-brite 3" rollock pad and do a circular pattern around the rotors on both sides. There is what is called "threading" where the rotors develop a pattern and the pads will follow it up and down like a needle on a a record. They thread up and drop down making a clicking noise. Next, lightly sand the pads to provide a fresh surface. Clean the metal backs and apply an anti-squeal goo sparingly. Sand the edges of the metal pads so they can move freely in the caliper. Last, install new springs. If the springs are not strong enough they won't work and if they are tiny, the heat softens them up and they lose strength. Best to get the right ones, not from Home Depot. Some pads come with an anti-squeal shim. Stay away from ceramics, they don't grip well when cold r wet and chew up the rotors.

[novadmc]

Have you considered not pressing the brakes?

have you considered mailing me a garbage plate?

[Jonathan]

thanks! at least its not something to worry about and im not going crazy.
this afternoon i pulled both front tires off, cleaned the brakes and rotors with some brake clean and then re-greased the sides of the pads, the pins, retaining clips and retentions springs. prior to this, everything was bone dry with no lubrication on the contact points. ill take the car for a drive tomorrow and see if that helps the squeak at all.

on the bright side, ive got plenty of pad and rotor life left and took notes on what i want to replace for my eventual suspension upgrades.
i should do the same to the rears. maybe tomorrow or later in the month...

Are all the pieces of the anti-rattle clip kit in there how they're supposed to be, including the shims?

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?61...p-installation

[David T]

What you probably have is not really "ceramic". If it was you would have no grip when cold or wet and it would have chewed up your rotors. Many manufacturers use that term but it is not "ceramic". They use it on the box so they can charge more for the pads. Examine the pads. You should find 2 letters on it somewhere indicating it's true grip. Look for EE or FF or something similar. That will tell you what you really have. As for springs, they come in all diameters, lengths and coil diameters. If you get one that has a coil diameter that is too small, it will just lose it's tension when it gets too hot. If it is not properly heat treated it can lose it's tension too. That is why I said to get the springs from a Delorean vendor, they have the size that works.

[DMC5180]

I had this chirp issue for many years and squealing front breaks when coming to a stop.

I finally fixed both issues with the anti-rattle spring and anti-squeal shim kit. Aka: Front brake hardware kit. I installed the kit this spring and they have been quite ever since. The original spring style is NLA. The aftermarket hardware kit uses a different style spring than the original version but seems to work. I got the kits 1 per side from DMCMW.