Botched Brake Job

I replaced all the rotors and brake pads on my 07 Tundra and when I took it for a test drive I immediately noticed loud squeaking when letting off the brake and when I come to a full stop, regardless of speed, it feels like the front brakes are seizing or shaking real bad. No issues slowing down or turning, just when I come to a full stop does it make a grinding noise and shake.

When pressing in the front calipers I didn't use that special tool, just used clamps and the old brake pads to press them back in. So not sure if I might have damaged the calipers by doing that?

For the exception of using that caliper tool, I followed this video step for step: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-x_GF9eA94

Any ideas on what I could do to stop the squeaking and the shuddering when coming to a full stop?

 

Take it apart and double check stuff is tight and correctly assembled. No reason for it to be doing that unless maybe there was a coating on the discs to keep them from rusting and you didn’t clean it off.

 

I've never used a "special tool" and I've never had issues. Did you pull the wheels and look at the rotors for any signs of abrasion?

 

Backing plate get bent?

 

did you put the right pads in the right spot? not all brake pads come identical for both sides of the rotor, most of the time there is one that needs to be on the piston side (doesn't quite apply to the front of the truck since they're 4 piston calipers)

 

Name of brand for brakes and rotors?

 

And did you properly "burn in" the pads and rotors?

 

I did take it apart again today, looking it over. Everything is tight and in place and I did spray the rotors with brake cleaner.

I didn't notice any abrasions on the rotors.

The backing plate doesn't seem to be bent.

I'll double check that the pads are on the correct sides tomorrow when I have daylight.

The rotor and pads are Detroit Axle brand.

And I don't think I know what "burning in" the pads and rotors means exactly. How do I do that?

 

Bedding in/breaking in brake pads and rotors is a process of performing a series of heavy braking but not complete stops. This leaves a thin layer of brake pad material on the rotor and creates a better stopping surface.

 

accelerate to 30-35 mph, brake very hard, but only down to about 5 mph- accelerate up to 35 and repeat about 4-5 times

 

Find a new subdivision being built. Best place to do it.

 

on my 2010 the backing plate (seam, where the backing plate makes up a seal with the rotor, was rubbing on my rear rotors and causing an awful racket.
There are pictures on this forum to help show you were.

That is what i'd try first. Mine made a hell of noise when i replaced my rears and this fixed it.

(best answer is to take a angle grinder or dremel and remove the lip on the new rotors. (frustrating to have to do this i know)
I'll try to find the link to the post for you.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/brake-help-requested.73623/#post-1912080

post #11 shows the rubbing area

 

The rattling and squeaking was so bad I didn't think it would be this simple but I guess it was. Drove around yesterday to break them in and now everything seems to be right! Thanks for everyone's advice

 

awesome! Pads hadn't been burned in yet so they might've just had some coating left on them

 

You ought to be spraying everything down with break cleaner before you mount them up. They coat the discs so they don’t rust and you don’t want that crap on your pads.

 

I called the company on the coated rotors i installed on the wife's car. They said "DO NOT Spray/remove coating prior to install".
therefore, i'd call the company that makes the rotors and ask.

(metal un-coated rotors will come with oil to keep them rust-free, if you install withou removing the coating the pads with get oiled and they will forever squeak, so i agree with you). But i'd still call the manufacture to verify.

 

Hey you’re right I ought to specify that. If you buy specially coated rotors don’t remove the special coating.