Mum had new pads & discs a little while ago, but now when you are just about to come to a stop under braking, and when starting off, the brake pads groan/graunch a bit. Mum is worried, but I'm not sure what it could be. Just pads not sat right? Power of braking is as normal.

What car is it?

Personally it's probably worth taking the car out and doing some fairly hard 70 to 10 almost stops.

What car is it?

Personally it's probably worth taking the car out and doing some fairly hard 70 to 10 almost stops.

iirc its a Nissan Micra, and i agree with the cheeze

OK - Yeah, it is Mum's new shape Micra. Should have said but I thought this was a general issue not specific.

I gave it a couple of 30mph to stopped, but each time just as it was doing that that final bit of stopping from 0.1mph to zero, it would graunch, and then do it when starting again. Because it is an auto, I was able to make it go along permanently groaning, just by keeping a certain weight on the brake pedal, maintaining a speed of about half a mph, real slow.

I think that's just normal with some pad materials then mate.

You could try greasing the back plates, assuming the pads aren't self-adhesive backed. That said, it's just normal with some specific friction compounds. Maybe you're old enough to remember FX-4 "London taxis" doing it every stop?

You could try greasing the back plates, assuming the pads aren't self-adhesive backed. That said, it's just normal with some specific friction compounds. Maybe you're old enough to remember FX-4 "London taxis" doing it every stop?

The newer FX4 -I hope -the origonals all had drums all round -throw out anchor and hope -the designer thought drums would be sufficient and that discs would mean passengers getting thrown around ,till he had a run home in one I drove -asked for opinions ,andwas told that it needed DECENT BRAKES - with possibly a weight sensor to limit the action on empty/those with single occupants.

The newer FX4 -I hope -the origonals all had drums all round -throw out anchor and hope -the designer thought drums would be sufficient and that discs would mean passengers getting thrown around ,till he had a run home in one I drove -asked for opinions ,andwas told that it needed DECENT BRAKES - with possibly a weight sensor to limit the action on empty/those with single occupants.

Early 1970s I meant; no idea what brakes the taxis had, but you could buy new cars with drums all round up to at least the mid 1970s remember.

Early 1970s I meant; no idea what brakes the taxis had, but you could buy new cars with drums all round up to at least the mid 1970s remember.

From memory thiswas in 199x's -I visited LTI in my day job in this time to find them experimenting with air rear suspension -commented it might be a good idea -got no response till I mentioned that wheelchair pasengers ,after a while imobile , could be heavy ,and any decrease in slope would be welcome .One other person did ask if I knew what it was like to drive a taxi in a side wind -he thought I might say no -he was surprised to find I did know -and it was not a nice experience, especially with a wheel chair passenger on board.

Ah right; I meant the "real FX-4", not the retro-mis-styled LTI "plastic fantasticab".

Ah right; I meant the "real FX-4", not the retro-mis-styled LTI "plastic fantasticab".

OK,Ken, not doubting you ,but LTI always had metal bodies ( and they were heavy ) -as I saud ,interesting place to visit.Think it was metrocab ( up ,Ithink ,in Tamworth -Reliant place ?) that did the plastic taxi . :wonder:

Here is a video I took on my phone. The car is an auto so I am making it do this just on the brakes, on a downhill bit of back lane. I can make it graunch constantly with just enough brake to keep it moving forward at a snails pace. Here's a link.

Be interested to hear what people think. There is no movement in the braking system when coming to a stop and the brakes still feel real sharp when going along normally.

I think that's just normal with some pad materials then mate.

I agree. Another brand of brake pad would probably not make the same noise.

Interestingly, my Roomy has rear disc brakes, which creak loudly at the moment the handbrake is released on a sharp decline.