Hi everybody,

please help with this situation:

It's a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan. I just bought it a week ago. 3 days ago squeaking started. The sound comes from the rear driver side wheel. It's only audible after I drive 3-4 miles at least, so that brakes heat up a little. When I press the brake pedal the sound dissapears, and reappears again shortly after I release the pedal. That makes me think that it is a sticking caliper (kind of like piston is sticking in it's bore). However, when I jacked up the car and spined the wheel it spined easily, almost like a bicylce wheel (BTW the rear passenger wheel spins much less freely, just makes 1 turn and stops and the front wheels also spin less freely - like 1 turn and they stop). So that makes me think that it can't be a sticking caliper, otherwise the wheel woudn't spin so easily. Rotors seem good, they are thick and fine, no visible deep scratches or else. Caliper was changed 6 month ago (at least that part of caliper where piston is located - it's shiny, and the other part is more dirty/rusty). Pads are almost new (85 percent left). I brought the van to the autoshop, and they checked the brakes and found nothing. They even drived it a bit, but of course no sound was present on cold (needs to be driven at least 3-4 miles for sound to appear). Do you think the cheap pads are causing that sound?
Another possibility is parking brake - maybe it is too tense and I need to loosen it a bit? Though I have no idea is it electronic or does it even has cables?
Some guy at the brake shop suggested that it could be a proportioning valve? Could that be an issue? Does this car has side-to-side or front-to-rear proportioning valve? (the other rear wheel is not squeaking).

I don't know what to think and what to do. It's frustrating that a mechanics can't found anything and the noise is killing me - when I drive it alerts all the cars in 100feet radius, everybody is looking around for that lous squeaking.

 

Welcome to DF

According to chrysler some brake squeak is acceptable. If you search for TSB 05-09-96. I was going to recommend to ck the brakes, but you have alreading done that. You could also try another brand of brake pads for your van. That may not be covered by the selling dealer or car lot.

 

Hello master tech,

thanks for your reply. Do you mean some break squeak is acceptible even when brake pedal is not pressed?

 

I am going to bet you one of the brake pad is STUCK on the bracket due to Corossion develop between the Pad and Bracket.
you'll have to take off the wheel and check ur brake Pad.
If you are going to DIY this, Make sure you remove the Braket, remove the hardware shim, and CLEAN the braket real good. Or make sure ur mechanic does that if you are going to a shop.

 

If you are hearing squeaking sound when driving, most of the time its a waring clip. But you stated the brake pads are good. Steak59 maybe on to something, with either sticking caliper piston or the brake rotor is just rubbing on a bracket. The side you have the squeak problem with, is also the same side the caliper was replaced?

 

Yes it's the same side. It's strange that in the caliper only part where the piston is located is replaced (it's shiny new) and the other part (I guess bracket?) is left old one (a little rusty and dirty). On what part are sliding pins located?

Can you please give me a link for a DIY for this car? I'll try tomorrow to take pads off, clean them and clean sliding pins and reassemble again. I can buy thermo-paste. but I don't know how to squeeze in the piston to take off pads.

 

a large C clamp will do (can get one for about 11dollars)
use one of the old pads on the piston to give you something to press against.

remove the sprng clips and use a file and wire brush to clear the rust from the slide points

silicone brake lube the ears of the pads too where they ride in the calipers.
and wouldnt hurt to apply a thin layer of disc brake quiet to the backside of the pads

 

heres a good step by step to doing brakes

http://www.partsource.ca/doityoursel...rum-Brakes.asp

and heres the brake quiet

http://www.permatex.com/products/aut...rake_Quiet.htm

 

Thanks a lot hemi4spd!!!

 

Just a thought, but I had brake pads squeaking before and I got some stuff from a friend that BMW makes that you coat the outside of the pads, the metal side and my squeaks went away. Not sure what it was called, but it worked.