Brake Squeek

[Pete]

My 2006 ST has developed a light squeaking sound when I apply the rear brake. It only has 2100 miles on it. I checked the brake pads and they are fine.

The squeak seems to be caused by free play in the rear brake caliper. I can move the caliper up and down ever so slightly with my hand and I'm able to recreate the sound.

The front caliper has a slight amount of free play in it too, but it makes no noise.

How much free play is the brake caliper supposed to have?

What is the best way to get rid of the squeaking sound?

 

[Pete]

My 2006 ST has developed a light squeaking sound when I apply the rear brake. It only has 2100 miles on it. I checked the brake pads and they are fine.

The squeak seems to be caused by free play in the rear brake caliper. I can move the caliper up and down ever so slightly with my hand and I'm able to recreate the sound.

The front caliper has a slight amount of free play in it too, but it makes no noise.

How much free play is the brake caliper supposed to have?

What is the best way to get rid of the squeaking sound?

I think I solved it. I wiped off the rotors and tightened down on the caliper mounting bolt. There is still some slight up and down movement of the caliper. I'd be interested to hear other opinions about the squeak and if anyone else has had the same experience.

Also, does anyone know the torque value for the caliper mounting bolt? I just got the ST about 3 weeks ago, and I'm just getting around to ordering a service manual.

 

[MMOB]

I think I solved it. I wiped off the rotors and tightened down on the caliper mounting bolt. There is still some slight up and down movement of the caliper. I'd be interested to hear other opinions about the squeak and if anyone else has had the same experience.

Also, does anyone know the torque value for the caliper mounting bolt? I just got the ST about 3 weeks ago, and I'm just getting around to ordering a service manual.

The rear caliper stopper bolt torque spec is 51 ft-lbs. It is supposed to be tight, and the bolt comes from the factory with Honda thread lock applied.

If it was loose, take it out, clean the threads with a wire brush and apply blue loc-tite. Your personal safety is at risk here so do torque it and do use thread lock.

It is hard to comment on the squeak; I can't tell where you are pushing, exactly which parts are moving and where the squeak is comming from.

If the brake disc is contaminated, use a spray brake cleaner/degreaser (purchased at the the auto supply store) to clean it. If the disc is really contaminated, odds are the pads are also.

The two halves of the rear caliper mate with the caliper mounting bracket via two large slider pins protected by rubber boots. The slider pins are supposed to be lubed with silicone grease. The slider pins allow the both sides of the caliper to adjust to the pad size as it wears. The caliper bracket mounts to the rear axle and is constrained by the stopper bolt. The rear axle is normally lightly lubbed with bearing grease. The stopper bolt is not lubed.

The backs of the brake pads have anti-squeal plates so they normally don't make any noise.

 

[Pete]

The rear caliper stopper bolt torque spec is 51 ft-lbs. It is supposed to be tight, and the bolt comes from the factory with Honda thread lock applied.

If it was loose, take it out, clean the threads with a wire brush and apply blue loc-tite. Your personal safety is at risk here so do torque it and do use thread lock.

I can't say that it was really loose, but I was able to crank the bolt down a small amount using a good amount of force. It is very tight now. Still interested in knowing how much up and down free play the caliper normally has.

 

[MMOB]

Without the thread lock bond, there is some chance the stopper bolt could work loose over time. When the stopper bolt works out enough, the caliper assembly will pivot on the rear axle towards the front, pinching the brake lines at the swing arm. The hydraulic pressure in the pinched lines will lock up the rear brake. Not a good thing.

From your post, it sure sounds like you broke the thread lock on that bolt.

 

[JReviere]

Most brake squeek is from vibration of the pads. I've been successful in quelling the noise by removing the pads, applying a thin coat of RTV to the metal backing to serve as a slight springy cushion between the pad and the piston/pad and caliper...

Affirmative on use of thread locking compound.

JR
394
03ST13A
LakeLivingston, TX