Noticed a squeak on my brakes the other day.now I have to be honest I noticed it parked it up and did nothing about it for a week. I'm not even sure where it's coming from but I'm sat here thinking about it.

Am I right in thinking the 04-08's are susceptible to calliper stick? I've had my park brake stick but it sounds different this time. It goes away when I tap the pedal.

Anyway give me your horror stories so I can prepare for the worst and check them straight off.

 

Might just be the pad wear scratchers. Pull your wheels and check the pad thickness.

 

My breaks just squeek. My parents had an old explorer, and its breaks squeeked. I had a Focus in HS and its breaks squeeked. My dad had an 85 thunderbird for a long time, and its breaks squeeked.

I think they just squeek. Ive checked them 2 or 3 times since I got the truck and there is plenty of pad left and my rotors aren't gouged any worse than you would expect in almost 100k miles. (pretty sure they are original rotors). Even had the dealership take a look at them when I got the plugs changed and they said there was plenty of pad left.

I just live with it. When I need new pads I will try to find some quieter ones. Until then, I sit back and enjoy sounding like a much larger vehicle when I stop

 

No horror stories here. Fairly straight forward design, with ease of pad replacement.

Front pads are drop in style.

Shims and hold down springs can collect debris and corrode. The semi circular wires are springs that are installed between the pad and caliper. They prevent the pad from vibrating, which is heard as a squeak or squeal.

Rear pads attach to the calipers with spring steel clamps.

If the spring steel no longer maintains a clamp load the pad will vibrate, which is heard as a squeal.

Since the noise goes away once you tap the brakes, to me that suggests a pad is vibrating. There is also the possibility some debris became lodged in the caliper which may then be grinding/vibrating causing the sound.

I don't recall there being any warning tabs, if it was a warning tab it would be louder once the pedal was depressed.

 

Other way around - they chirp when your foot is OFF the brake, they shut up when you hit the brakes.

Regardless, the wheels should be pulled and the pads inspected.

 

Cheers guys, We are still buried in snow in the North of England at the moment so i haven't had chance to have a look as i have nowhere inside to work on it. My best guess is its either a bit of debris or a pad that is loose fitting. I fitted EBC's rather than motorcraft so it could be a tolerance issue.

 

Only time I've had noise while off is when the pad itself was loose causing it to rattle or drag on the rotor. I've only had the brake warning tab squawk at me when applying the brakes. But I am also the fella who has a new set on hand already, and I replace them when I get home.
Which EBCs do you have? Some of their more aggressive compounds will make noise until they have some heat in them. Neighbors kid put green stuff pads on his car and they constantly squealed. I am not familiar with EBC pads but he stated they were a street pad. We bedded them in a few times but after they cooled they would squawk. He ended up replacing them with some Hawk HPs or HPS, no more squeak.