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Fri Aug 08, 2025 9:52 am

I am looking for some advice with an ongoing issue. My front left wheel is squeaking when I release the brakes as the car is moving. This does not happen if the car is stopped. I think it is related to the brake caliper possibly squeaking, but I am not entirely sure. The caliper is a girling style and only about 2 years old. About a month ago, I disassembled that side and cleaned with brake cleaner and regreased the contact points and slide pins. The sound MAY have gone away for a couple days but it is definitely back. The sound is a high pitched squeak.

I am considering replacing the caliper to save the time rebuilding it, maybe a bit wasteful.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:11 am

How old are the flex hoses? Have you checked for play in the wheel bearings? Do you torque the lug bolts? The caliper is likely not the problem if it’s only 2 years old.

Some brake pads are just noisy. What pads did you install? Do you have the old pads? Have you tried flipping the pads or swapping side to side? Noises can be difficult to determine.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:26 am

MarkWard wrote: How old are the flex hoses? Have you checked for play in the wheel bearings? Do you torque the lug bolts? The caliper is likely not the problem if it’s only 2 years old.

Some brake pads are just noisy. What pads did you install? Do you have the old pads? Have you tried flipping the pads or swapping side to side? Noises can be difficult to determine.

The flex hoses are a month old. The wheel bearings are a year old. I torque the lug bolts to spec in the proper pattern.

I can't remember the brake pad brand but I bought them from Gowesty about a year ago. The website says they are semi-metallic. I haven't messed with them much.

https://gowesty.com/products/performance-brake-pad...6699911333

Fri Aug 08, 2025 11:17 am

New discs at the same time? First step is to jack the front so the suspension is drooped. Grab the tire at 12 and 6. Push and pull at the same time. Do you feel any play? Compare the left to the right. No play good.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 11:33 am

Do you have the anti squeal plates between the brake pads and the calipers?

Fri Aug 08, 2025 1:58 pm

MarkWard wrote: New discs at the same time? First step is to jack the front so the suspension is drooped. Grab the tire at 12 and 6. Push and pull at the same time. Do you feel any play? Compare the left to the right. No play good.

The disks were also new. I can check for play in the bearing in the next few days hopefully. I put new bearings in at the same time that I did the discs and I tried to adjust them properly, but who knows.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 4:45 pm

take a brass hammer and whack the caliper back and forth several times and change pads. some Chinesium pads just want to talk.

and to maybe pin this down more for us arm chair mechanics... define the noise. is it a rhythmic scrape like Shhh-shhh-shhh, a continuous squeal like EEEEeeeeeee, a rat-like Squeek Squeek Squeek? where's Don Martin when we need his noise descriptors??

Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:13 pm

4Gears4Tires wrote: Do you have the anti squeal plates between the brake pads and the calipers?

This. Plus anti-squeal paste. Caliper grease works. All pad surfaces which touch the caliper.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:54 pm

DanHoug wrote: take a brass hammer and whack the caliper back and forth several times and change pads. some Chinesium pads just want to talk.

and to maybe pin this down more for us arm chair mechanics... define the noise. is it a rhythmic scrape like Shhh-shhh-shhh, a continuous squeal like EEEEeeeeeee, a rat-like Squeek Squeek Squeek? where's Don Martin when we need his noise descriptors??

https://youtube.com/shorts/DJdeGBIoJ2g?si=YURupb3vmRURcb1u

Here’s a small clip. It’s only happens when releasing the brake.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 8:35 pm

Chootrain470 wrote: DanHoug wrote: take a brass hammer and whack the caliper back and forth several times and change pads. some Chinesium pads just want to talk.

and to maybe pin this down more for us arm chair mechanics... define the noise. is it a rhythmic scrape like Shhh-shhh-shhh, a continuous squeal like EEEEeeeeeee, a rat-like Squeek Squeek Squeek? where's Don Martin when we need his noise descriptors??

https://youtube.com/shorts/DJdeGBIoJ2g?si=YURupb3vmRURcb1u

Here’s a small clip. It’s only happens when releasing the brake.

Maybe something to do with the booster. If you shut the engine off and pump to pedal hard several times, does the noise go away? If so at what point.

It might also be something blocking the compensation port in the master, if this is true I would think the brakes would release slower than they should.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 8:53 pm

that sound is from inside the van!! lube your brake pivot points.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:27 pm

Wildthings wrote: Chootrain470 wrote: DanHoug wrote: take a brass hammer and whack the caliper back and forth several times and change pads. some Chinesium pads just want to talk.

and to maybe pin this down more for us arm chair mechanics... define the noise. is it a rhythmic scrape like Shhh-shhh-shhh, a continuous squeal like EEEEeeeeeee, a rat-like Squeek Squeek Squeek? where's Don Martin when we need his noise descriptors??

https://youtube.com/shorts/DJdeGBIoJ2g?si=YURupb3vmRURcb1u

Here’s a small clip. It’s only happens when releasing the brake.

Maybe something to do with the booster. If you shut the engine off and pump to pedal hard several times, does the noise go away? If so at what point.

The noise doesn’t happen at all if I pump the pedal with the car off. The pedal just gets stiff as normal with no squeak.

It might also be something blocking the compensation port in the master, if this is true I would think the brakes would release slower than they should.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:31 pm

DanHoug wrote: that sound is from inside the van!! lube your brake pivot points.

Can you elaborate? I have brake lube on the back of the pads and where they contact the calipers. I also recently lined up the brake pedal, but the sound is definitely coming from the front left wheel. Strangely enough, the sound went away today after getting a car wash and spraying the area. I’m sure it’ll be back soon though. It makes me wonder if it’s related to brake dust.

Fri Aug 08, 2025 10:32 pm

4Gears4Tires wrote: Do you have the anti squeal plates between the brake pads and the calipers?

I’m not sure what those are? So I guess no.

Sat Aug 09, 2025 5:26 am

Chootrain470 wrote: DanHoug wrote: that sound is from inside the van!! lube your brake pivot points.

Can you elaborate? I have brake lube on the back of the pads and where they contact the calipers. I also recently lined up the brake pedal, but the sound is definitely coming from the front left wheel. Strangely enough, the sound went away today after getting a car wash and spraying the area. I’m sure it’ll be back soon though. It makes me wonder if it’s related to brake dust.

since you've pinpointed the sound to the left front wheel, my suggestion it is from the pedal cluster does not apply! here's some great photos from Alistair on the cluster pivots that i thought might be squeaking.

https://shufti.blog/2010/11/08/vanagon-clutch-and-brake-pedal-assembly/

but if the squeak goes away when sprayed with water, try banging things around when it is dry (wear a mask). might be dirt/dust/pads.