Posted by Krug on January 25, 2003 at 03:09:21:
I have a 1968 Corvette I bought new which currently needs total rebuilding. In the late 60's (long ago) I surmised that the aggravating disc brake squeal occurring from the front brakes of my 'vette' must be related to the fact that the brake pad had become isolated from the piston caliper unit. I found the brake pad steel backing plate had rusted slightly resulting in an insulating effect between the caliper piston unit and the brake pad itself. This could be termed as an 'ungrounded condition', or a loss of pure metal to metal contact. A layer of paint on a backing plate could also cause isolation. Such a condition allows the pad to 'ring' like a bell, but at a very high frequency. My new 2002 Savage front disc already squeals with only 300 miles on the bike. Since I'm just familiarizing myself with the Savage, I haven't taken anything apart yet (except the seat---and I just found the tool kit), I can only assume the above condition might possibly apply to the Savage front brake. The problem with my 'vette' was corrected by removing the rust layer and applying a very thin layer of grease to the backing plate. The squeal was gone for the next 5000 miles. Bleeding the front brake to eliminate any air behind the piston is another checkpoint to consider. Tapping on the caliper with a screwdriver HANDLE while bleeding the unit will help dislodge any trapped air. For now I too can only ask myself the question---is the Savage brake pad isolating itself from the piston caliper ? I have ordered a Savage shop manual so soon I'll have a nuts and bolts guide to follow, that is if this frigid weather in N.J. would leave.