DIY: How to prevent brake noise after new rotor/pad...

[cn90]

So,

The 2006 S60 2.5T with 106K miles needed new Front Brake.

I installed brand-new Zimmermann rotors and Jurid pads from FCP.
Then while test driving, noise from LF wheel during driving..."rao rao rao" once per revolution...

Noise not affected by braking but better during Right turn bc
during Right turn, the rotor is pushed a tiny bit away from the brake shield.

Only after I removed the floating caliper (7-mm hex socket) and hang it up, Key to position II, trans in Neutral and spun the LF rotor, it was obvious from the brake shield.

Mfg's such as Zimmermann, ATE etc focused on the diameter and flatness of the rotor, but the very INNER diameter of the rotor (close to the brake shield) is usually not perfect, it may be a bit out of round from factory.

So, to avoid aggravation/frustration, the lesson learned from now on when doing brake jobs no matter what car...

1. Once the new rotor is installed, key to position II, trans in Neutral (of course with diagonal wheel chocked and parking brake is on), spin the rotor and listen for noise.

2. If you hear noise, then use a screwdriver and push the very INNER lip of the brake shield a tiny bit (or wherever it touches the rotor). Test again.

3. Then put the trans back to P, remove key and finish the brake job. Use anti-squeal compound and clean the 7-mm sliding pins.

This is a simple trick, but I have to admit in the last 20 years and tons of brake jobs, I had to go back 20% of the time bc of the brake shield rubbing.

Sure, you can push the brake shield w/o removing the wheel, but this is a simple trick (spinning the rotor) during a brake job that avoids subsequent frustration.

PS: noise from brake rotor/pad is different. Usually after a few hundred miles, this kind of noise should resolve after the new pads are worn in.

[dikidera]

Now imagine the situation where I removed the brake shield but a noise remained. It's a creaking noise, sometimes clicking noise(not axle related), I had removed and re-installed the rotors and brakes multiple times a day to finally have it go away, but in certain full turn to the left or right, it returns but only briefly. Every 2-3cm movement of the wheel you would hear a click/creak it was super annoying, then additionally each braking was accompanied by squealing from the brakes.

[jonesg]

I had a creaking sound when turning the wheel, not when rotating the tire.
My wife sat in the car and I lifted it , she turned the wheel, engine off, and I put my hand on the top strut bearing.
I could feel the creaking and actually see it clocking.New bearing from FCP was cheap.
its easier if you have that helper to do the steering while you isolate the source.

[dikidera]

My creaking did not show when the car was jacked up, there had to be weight and the car had to move forward, otherwise it wasn't there. After 3 times of disassembly and assembly and lots of copper paste here and there I managed to silence it for now.