I finally tried the grease gun trick for squeaky brake pads

Had a customer with rear disc brakes that would squeal like crazy even though the pads had plenty of life. Instead of replacing them like he wanted, I pulled the pads and hit the contact points with a dab of synthetic caliper grease. Squeal went away completely and he saved about $150 parts and labor. Anyone else ever talk a customer out of unnecessary work with a simple lube job?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_derek1mo ago

$150 parts and labor for a squeak? Man, you basically saved that guy from paying for a brake job he didn't need, which is pretty funny considering how many shops would have just smiled and taken his money. I've done the exact same thing with a customer's Ford Explorer last month, they came in ready to drop cash on new rotors and everything (even though the rotors were fine). A little grease on the pad ears and the squeal was gone in ten minutes, they looked at me like I was a wizard or something when really I just didn't want to clean up the mess from a full brake swap. I guess some people think loud brakes always mean something is broken, but nah, sometimes it's just dry metal parts rubbing together and being dramatic about it.

wade_hall1mo ago

lol dude I did this on my buddy's truck a few months ago. He was convinced his front brakes were shot cuz they sounded like a dying cat. Pulled the pads and there was zero grease on the backing plates where they ride the caliper bracket. Cleaned em up, smeared some synthetic caliper grease on there and it was dead silent. He couldn't believe that was all it needed. The way some folks panic over brake noise you'd think the wheels were about to fall off.