RE: Downright annoying brakes and warped rotors

["James A. Desveaux" <desveaux@ucla.edu>]

Alex:

I assume it's your front rotors that are warping and squealing like stuck pigs.

I don't think your problem rests with the metallic brake pads, unless you're
using something especially weird and out of the ordinary.  In any case,
though metallic pads will cause wear on your rotors sooner, they won't
necessarily cause squealing.  OFten they're quieter than organic pads.

I suspect that your calipers are hanging up, and you've got the same problem
you've had all along.  Either the calipers are sticking and not fully
releasing because of, say, corrosion, or your master cylinder is not fully
releasing, causing your calipers to partially engage all the time.  An easy
check is to drive the car some distance (reasonably) that involves some
braking (but not excessive braking), and then place your hand over each
wheel.  If you notice one or more wheels generating more heat than the
others, that could be your problem.

I'm assuming, of course, that you don't drive with your foot on the brake
all the time, or that the car isn't a track car.

- Jim