Squeaky brakes

[silver bullet z]

i have a 1977 280z, the problem is that the brakes keep squeaking. i took it to 2 shops and they said they cant do anything about it, that Datsuns Z's are known for squeaky brakes. Is there anyone that had the problem and what was the solution is. Would love to have a solution, thier driving me crazy.

[beandip]

There is a spray you can buy at the parts store. Generally it is caused from a glaze on the surface of the pads and or shoes. It is worth a try in any event . I haven't had the problem my self but know others that have on different cars. Now having said that . There are ''shims'' at least this is what they look like , that fit on the disk pads that are for this. Could be they were left off. Gary

[Arne]

I assume it is the fronts that squeak? It is a common problem, but not totally hopeless.

Brake squeak is typically the pads vibrating in the caliper, not the friction material on the rotor surface. What you need to do is either cushion the vibration, or lubricate it so that the pads slide rather than vibrate.

Most of the "brake quiet" stuff you see in the parts stores works on the "cushioning" theory. In several years of doing brakes for a living, I never had much luck with this method, and so I don't recommend it.

But lubricating the pads carefully with special grease can fix it. In fact, I just did this to my red 240Z today. The previous owner had the brakes done shortly before I bought it, and they squeaked loudly under certain conditions. But not any more.

The process is simple. First, you need the grease. Look for a special grease for brake calipers. One such product is Sta-Lube Synthetic Brake Caliper Grease. Buy the smallest container you can find, a little goes a long way.

What you want to do is remove the pads from the caliper. On the back side you will be able to see the contact pattern where the piston pushes. Wipe a very thin coat of the grease over that worn circular area. Then look at the side edges of the pad backing plates, you will probably see evidence of movement in a couple of spots there as well - lightly smear a tiny bit of grease on those spots also.

Put the pads back in the caliper. As you install the pins and springs put a small amount of grease on any place that will have metal to metal contact. Especially in the small cups that press up against the pins.

That process should fix it. After a while, it may come back as the grease gets displaced over time. But in my experience you shouldn't have to do this more often than once per year at most.

Assuming you are using high quality brake parts, of course.