Brake and Tyre Noise

[bluefin321]

The non vw dealer i purchased my multivan from 5 months ago replaced the tyres, brake pads and rotors as part of the deal. The tyres are Trazano brand which i've never heard of, and are very noisy which i can live with until they're replaced, however there seems to be quite a bit of noise from the front brakes. As i apply the brakes and slow right down there is a grinding sort of sound which is similar to the sound worn pads/rotors make, however the brakes are almost new.

i did run in the pads when i picked up the van, so not sure what's going on. I haven't had a chance to take the wheels off for a closer inspection yet, however when i get around to it, is there anything in particular i should be looking for?

Is it worthwhile going through the run in procedure again?

[Transporter]

Why don't people post more details when posting the questions?
How old is your van? Was it new? If not how many km done? Is it manual, auto 4motion, what year?

[Umai Naa!!]

There's probably a big lip on the rotors that the dealership as not bothered to deal with (Ie. replace the rotors), which probably means your pads have worn to the point that the backing material is touching the lip.

[bluefin321]

2007 2.5TDI FWD Auto 65k kms

[bluefin321]

There's probably a big lip on the rotors that the dealership as not bothered to deal with (Ie. replace the rotors), which probably means your pads have worn to the point that the backing material is touching the lip.

Rotors and pads were both replaced. Could the new rotors develop a lip in 5 months?

[Umai Naa!!]

Unlikely.

Perhaps there's a stone caught up somewhere?

[Transporter]

What brand of pads they used? There are some brands that I would never use, because they're just very noisy when braking and customers would complain.

[bluefin321]

Unlikely.

Perhaps there's a stone caught up somewhere?

Rotors were definitely replaced. I was at the dealership two days in a row, and on the second day shiny new rotors were in place. I asked the dealership at the very least to machine the existing rotors, and he just went ahead and replaced them.

I'll try to find some time tomorrow to pull the wheels off and have a poke around.

[bluefin321]

Double post

[bluefin321]

What brand of pads they used? There are some brands that I would never use, because they're just very noisy when braking and customers would complain.

I think from memory they were TRW, not at home to check right now.

[bluefin321]

I still haven't had a chance to get the wheels off and inspect the front brakes, but i had a quick look with the wheels on. Can i lift the caliper and get the pads out by just removing the slider pins or do the 21mm bolts need to come out? They look like they'll be a bugger to undo. BTW, what type/size of head do the slider pins have? i stuck my finger in and they feel like a hex head?

The pads are TRW LMS116 (GDB1555), and i noticed the anti-squeal shims are missing, so i'll have to pickup a set from VW, hopefully not to expensive.

[bluefin321]

VW don't sell the anti-rattle/squeal shims separately. Does anyone have a spare set (fronts) lying around or know where i can source them?

[Cousin]

Bluefin, I had a similar brake feel to what you're describing in my T4
It was a 2004 Transporter TDI manual
I know, completely different to your van, but it did feel like there were no pads left
Never seemed to affect braking performance so I just put up with it
And I did notice one time when the rotors and pads were changed it felt a little smoother, but did revert to grinding sensation fairly quickly
Still felt like that when I sold it and the new buyer was rapt, so I guess just an idiosyncrasy
And at one point I did have some squealy pads in
Mech said he put some 'gunk' on them which seemed to solve the problem, surprisingly for good
Different pads installed the next time too, nice and quiet



M

[bluefin321]

I've got some of the anti-squeal spray (red can) which i'll apply to the rear of the pads and i'll lube the pistons while i'm in there.

No joy sourcing the shims.

[wai]

Most new cars are fitted with brake pads that have some asbestos in them. This is done to minimise brake noise, and to reduce the wear on the discs. Replacement pads however cannot contain any asbestos. They are generally metal filled and do cause excessive disc wear and noise.

The first application after an overnight park would be harsh and noisy, particularly bad if it was humid. This was because of the rust that would develop on the pads. The trick was to apply the brakes whild driving off until the noise stopped (generally a second or so) and from then on, the brakes would be quiet.

Also, because of the metal filled pads, there can be excessive disc wear. There are some makes where you replace both disc and pads at the same time.

You can go for aftermarket rotors that will give you better disc wear and no loss in braking. You can also shamfer the leading edge of the pads to quieten brakes, however that only lasts so long.

On tyre noise, this will be blamed on scalloping and wheel alignment, even when you have a solid axle (as in my Caddy Maxi Life). Not much you can do other than replace the tyres, but stay away from asymmetrical tyres. It is the different rolling resistance on the two sides of the tread and lower tyre pressures that see the tread squirm and cause the scalloping or feathering of the tread blocks.