My car: Fabia Estate 1.9 TDI 2003

My brakes squeal a bit and have started making a rubbing sound now too. I've inspected the pads and they seem to be fine. Can anyone suggest any solution? Pictures attached.

Are the brakes still keen or have you noticed a degrade?

They seem to work fine, and no noticeable change

It looks like the LH brake has not been working as well as the RH, they look as though they both could do with a clean up, I suggest unscrewing the Slide bolts, one at a time, clean them up and use a little white grease and re-install, when finished take the car out and use some heavy braking to bed and clean up the LH brake disc.

DB.

With the wheel off is it very hard to move the brake disc?

I would drive a mile or so then stop and see if the brakes feel hot. Might be a seized calliper.

Strip an clean the lot, the last two pics seem to have a lip on the outer edge and marks that would suggest the pads have imprinted previously (lack of use/stood for a while?). Also the backs of the pads seem to be lacking copper slip.

As Avalon says above..

..also, are the rear faces of the discs in good condition? No corrosion.

Strip an clean the lot, the last two pics seem to have a lip on the outer edge and marks that would suggest the pads have imprinted previously (lack of use/stood for a while?). Also the backs of the pads seem to be lacking copper slip.

Strip as in remove the brake pads and the discs? And clean with what?

Brake cleaner

Also add a little copper grease on the rear of the pads. This should stop them from squeeling as much.

Also check to see how thick the discs are on the surface (not the rusted outer edge). Some times they'll wear below the limit but with new pads on it'll be hard to tell.

Edited 27 February, 201313 yr by wilsonian

Remove the pads, measure the discs, that lip I mentioned looks large in the photo but corrosion can exaggerate the wear, also it doesn't look like you're getting the full contact patch on the last two pics. Clean the lot with brake cleaner, you'll probably have to wind the piston back slightly. Apply copper slip to the rear of the pads and refit.

If the disc's are on the thin side remember to replace discs and pads, also if the fluid is circa 2 years old change it.

Brake cleaner

And use a large screwdriver/large file to get rid of a lot of that rusty curd, though personally I'd save the white grease for door hinges etc, for these guide pins you should use something that does not mind high temperatures, even silicon grease as it can handle the heat and will not annoy the rubber dampers as other greases will.

I think either Aldo or Lidl have a caliper that is pretty handy for messuring the thickness of discs etc - only £9 IIRC.

I think either Aldo or Lidl have a caliper that is pretty handy for messuring the thickness of discs etc - only £9 IIRC.

I use a couple of thick washers and zero the calliper to them, that allows you to measure right down to the swept surface instead of the calliper jaws bottoming on the unswept rusty ridge. Obvious use one thick washer either side of the disc on the swept area only.