Squealing brakes aren't just an annoyance - often times they can be a sign of a problem with your brake system. Any issue with your brakes should be a cause for concern, especially considering that they are essential to your safety on the road. You rely on your brakes to slow or stop when you need to, and if a problem occurs, you may find yourself with less effective brakes or failing brakes.
So, what can cause your brakes to squeal? If you're driving in the morning, and you notice that your first few brakes are squealing, this may not be anything to worry about if the squealing goes away in a few minutes. This can happen because of moisture accumulating on the brake pads overnight.
However, if you're hearing the brake squealing throughout your entire drive and it doesn't go away, this points to needing a brake component repair or replacement. Here are the potential causes for your brake noises:
- You need new brake pads. Brake pads wear down over time with regular use of your vehicle, and a severely worn down brake pad can start to cause squealing or grinding noises because the rotor and the caliper are making metal to metal contact with each other due to the lack of padding left.
- Your rotors are warped. Since your brake system is always working under a lot of heat and pressure, the brake rotors can actually warp over time. When this happens, your brake pads don't make even contact with the warped rotors, which can cause brake noises.
- There's something stuck in your brake caliper. We've seen it before - a rock can get lodge in the brake caliper, which can cause a strange noise every time you brake.
These are just some of the reasons why you may have noises brakes, and typically the issue is relatively easy to identify and fix. As soon as you notice a problem, it's important to get your vehicle into Ervine's & Grand Rapids Hybrid for brake repair. You never want to find yourself dealing with failing brakes on the road, and you can trust that our professionals will ensure that your brake system is restored back to its best.