Dixcel Pad Replacement, Horrible Noises

[goskers]

Hello,

Changes my brake pads out a couple of weeks ago. Went with the Dixcel Z Type. I have a bit over 30k miles on the car. I didn't notice anything irregular on the rotors. First time changing pads on this vehicle. I did go through a bedding process.

I now have some very interesting, disturbing, annoying noises going on. As I am driving, there is some rubbing happening on each rotation. Sounds like if there was a warped rotor but also seems as if it is coming from all corners. This is also inconsistent.

When I apply the brakes, there is some serious squealing as if this was a race pad. I have looked back over all of the basics and do not see that anything is wrong. I have not felt any issues of concern in regards to braking power or performance.

Any thoughts as the next step is to take it somewhere and or to order new rotors and pads and assume that some of this is warpage.

Kind Regards.

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[MooMoo]

Hello,

Changes my brake pads out a couple of weeks ago. Went with the Dixcel Z Type. I have a bit over 30k miles on the car. I didn't notice anything irregular on the rotors. First time changing pads on this vehicle. I did go through a bedding process.

I now have some very interesting, disturbing, annoying noises going on. As I am driving, there is some rubbing happening on each rotation. Sounds like if there was a warped rotor but also seems as if it is coming from all corners. This is also inconsistent.

When I apply the brakes, there is some serious squealing as if this was a race pad. I have looked back over all of the basics and do not see that anything is wrong. I have not felt any issues of concern in regards to braking power or performance.

Any thoughts as the next step is to take it somewhere and or to order new rotors and pads and assume that some of this is warpage.

Kind Regards.

Could be a rock stuck in the heat shield, specially if you hear it at any speed and if you hit the brakes at low speeds and does not quite it down. Gotta shake the heat shield to get it out

 

[goskers]

Could be a rock stuck in the heat shield, specially if you hear it at any speed and if you hit the brakes at low speeds and does not quite it down. Gotta shake the heat shield to get it out

I wish that were the case as that seems quite common on these cars but alas it is not.

Normally, I would change rotors the same time as pads as I think this is good practice in general. The rotors though are made of gold so I did not do that this time. I have take the car over to a local shop so they can take a peek. I hope I overlooked something but I just don't know what that may have been.

 

[MooMoo]

I wish that were the case as that seems quite common on these cars but alas it is not.

Normally, I would change rotors the same time as pads as I think this is good practice in general. The rotors though are made of gold so I did not do that this time. I have take the car over to a local shop so they can take a peek. I hope I overlooked something but I just don't know what that may have been.

That would be crazy to change rotors at the same time as pads, definitely not necessary.

If its not a stone why not just remove the wheel and double check your work (or maybe you already have done this). Is it front or back?

After a track day I have some noise coming from each rotation too and eventually quiets down. However it quietes down immediately at speed or very slow if I gently touch the brake.

edit - seems like you already checked your work. hmmm weird if it really is coming from all 4 corners, I doubt it is but I been there, hard to know which corner its coming from

 

[goskers]

That would be crazy to change rotors at the same time as pads, definitely not necessary.

If its not a stone why not just remove the wheel and double check your work (or maybe you already have done this). Is it front or back?

After a track day I have some noise coming from each rotation too and eventually quiets down. However it quietes down immediately at speed or very slow if I gently touch the brake.

edit - seems like you already checked your work. hmmm weird if it really is coming from all 4 corners, I doubt it is but I been there, hard to know which corner its coming from

Yeah, I've looked again and didn't see anything obvious. First time I've done a pad change on a monoblock type of caliper. Seemed fairly straight forward. A little lube on the back of the pads. I do not have any shims. Ran the parking brake out on the rears and recalibrated after reinstallation.
I haven't come across any additional tricks required to 'center' pads to the rotor or anything else which could cause some dragging or uneven contact.

 

[goskers]

Next piece of the story in case it ever helps anyone down the road.

Took my vehicle into a local shop to have it looked at. I wanted another party to inspect just in case I did something incorrectly on installation of different pads. They recommended that we have the rotors turned. Historically, new or turned rotors at the same time as pad replacements has led to no/less noise. They went ahead and had the rotors turned.

Got the car back, bedded the pads in again on the newly faced rotors. Squeaking is back without the worse metal on metal sound from the rears as before. So, improved but certainly not resolved.

Only other options I have would be to try a different pad again to see if that changes the condition. That said, there is a still an intermittent noise of a pad making contact with the rotor while NOT braking. The mechanic said that the pads might be too tall and therefore couldn't retract fully. I don't believe this as you wouldn't be able to fit them into the calipers if that was the case.

If anyone has any other thoughts on this or best practice I would love to hear. I have only done brakes a few times and each time it seems like there is increased noise as a result.

 

[MooMoo]

Next piece of the story in case it ever helps anyone down the road.

Took my vehicle into a local shop to have it looked at. I wanted another party to inspect just in case I did something incorrectly on installation of different pads. They recommended that we have the rotors turned. Historically, new or turned rotors at the same time as pad replacements has led to no/less noise. They went ahead and had the rotors turned.

Got the car back, bedded the pads in again on the newly faced rotors. Squeaking is back without the worse metal on metal sound from the rears as before. So, improved but certainly not resolved.

Only other options I have would be to try a different pad again to see if that changes the condition. That said, there is a still an intermittent noise of a pad making contact with the rotor while NOT braking. The mechanic said that the pads might be too tall and therefore couldn't retract fully. I don't believe this as you wouldn't be able to fit them into the calipers if that was the case.

If anyone has any other thoughts on this or best practice I would love to hear. I have only done brakes a few times and each time it seems like there is increased noise as a result.

Trying new pads be good but before that I would sand the pads and give that a try, just some sanding paper on a flat surface and run the pad on it a few times so try to get the surface flat. Might not do it but worth doing it before spending money.

Turning the rotors takes away the "could be deposits" out of the equation which is good.

 

[goskers]

I will scuff the pads this weekend as I have a wheel change before my next event this weekend.

Just to be very clear, I do not see this as indictment on Dixcel or these pads in any way.

 

[MooMoo]

could be a small manufacturing anomaly. Also could resolve itself as you use em too

 

[simpleisbest]

With 30k on the original rotors, you need to clean/re-hone the rotors to remove pad deposits which can prevent new pads of different compounds from bedding properly. Typically you can use brake clean spray and a hone tool to easily get the job done.

 

[MooMoo]

With 30k on the original rotors, you need to clean/re-hone the rotors to remove pad deposits which can prevent new pads of different compounds from bedding properly. Typically you can use brake clean spray and a hone tool to easily get the job done.

he had them turned

 

[simpleisbest]

he had them turned

Maybe for the rears, but the fronts are floating type that you are not supposed to turn with a brake lathe iirc

 

[goskers]

Maybe for the rears, but the fronts are floating type that you are not supposed to turn with a brake lathe iirc

First, haven't seen a hone like this to use on a rotor. I would have assumed that turning alone would be the recommended practice to try and ensure a consistent, flat face with minimized runout.

I also didn't know that the fronts should not be faced. Guessing that the place where I took it didn't either. I am certainly not please with the experience with this shop as I went in asking for one thing and came out with something very different. I wasn't completely up their you know what controlling the situation so I guess I partially deserve it.

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