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Little brake squeak at full stop on new rear pads/rotors

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Dale Earnhadrt, May 6, 2015.

  1. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    You know how when you come to a complete stop, at the last moment, the car actually lurches backwards?

    So the car stops all its forward motion and then sets back a little. I'm sure y'all know what I mean.

    I just replaced rear brake pads and rotors and noticed when I come to a complete stop and the car lurches back when it stops, there is a little squeak. It sounds like something is moving around back there. Here's my theory:

    The old rotors were pretty stuck on the hubs...so they didn't move. There's a little wiggle room between the rotors and the wheel studs. When the vehicle stops and changes directions, the rotors move and make a noise. I ran this by my mechanic and he told me when the lug nuts are tightened, it would prevent that movement. Sooooo.....I do not know.

    Any ideas out there?

    I'm going to pull it apart this weekend and take a look (now that I have the manual...thank you M.L.) and torque everything to spec and make sure the piston is oriented correctly.
     
  2. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    When the lug nuts tightened rotor can not move. Did you clean the rust preventing oil from the brake rotors?

    Sometimes new brake pads can make noise. Accelerate to 42MPH and shift to neutral and brake it firmly to stop. Or you can only brake to something like 20MPH and do it couple of times. Braking in neutral only uses your normal brakes so they should wear enough to stop making noise.
     
    #2 valde3, May 6, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 6, 2015
  3. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    The noise is only for a split second as the car settles back upon coming to a complete stop.
     
  4. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    On normal braking Prius doesn’t use friction brakes until almost stopped. It uses regenerative braking instead. On harder braking brakes normally don’t make noise. So that’s why I gave you the suggestion to do the friction brake test.
     
  5. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    Common causes for squeaking brakes after replacement:
    1. Not cleaning new rotors to remove oil and manufacturing residue.
    2. Not creating a non-directional finish on new rotors.
    3. Not lubricating caliper sliding surfaces and pins.
     
  6. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    Did all that
     
  7. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    They're not really squeaking. It's like a thunk after all forward motion of the car stops and the car sets back when coming to a complete stop. It only happens on full stops. It the car does not come to a full stop, there's no noise. It's like a clunk, but a higher pitched clunk
     
  8. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    I'll try that.
     
  9. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    That type of PRIUS brake noise is normal. My 2010 Prius has made that noise since new. It has also been reported by numerous other PRIUSchat members.
     
  10. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    Thank you...I could not remember if it made the noise before the brake job.
     
  11. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    Mine won't shift into neutral while in motion. In order to get into neutral, I have to shift toward reverse. I'm not going to do that when the car is iin motion. It's not a simple slide of the selector to the N spot.
     
  12. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Maybe you need to hold it at neutral position for a second. But trying to put it into reverse and getting it into neutral that way isn’t going to damage anything so that’s fine too.
     
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'm thinking it's something in the suspension, shifting/settling.
     
  14. Dale Earnhadrt

    Dale Earnhadrt Junior Member

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    Well after about two weeks, the clunk went away. My theory is that after a few weeks, the rotors get "glued" to the hubs. My mechanic disagrees and says torquing the lugs locks the rotors. Oh well, the noise is gone.
     
  15. OptimusPriustus

    OptimusPriustus Active Member

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    Old thread but still: your mechanic was right. Definitely.