Brake squeal is uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing. It’s loud, too. If you don’t want to make your neighbors think there’s a 5-car pileup in the driveway every time you back out of the garage, read on.
Many manufacturers recommend applying some type of brake lubricant before backing up; try lubricating the brakes after parking but before reversing.
Reasons why do brakes squeak when backing up
There are several reasons why your car might squeal when backing up:
Worn Brake Pads:
Your brake pads may be worn down excessively. As they wear down, they become thinner and less able to absorb the heat generated by braking which leads to overheating and high temperatures that cause brake material dust to become extremely abrasive. The dust often ends up embedded in the soft brake material, making it rough, which causes noise when your brakes are applied. This also reduces your stopping power.
If this is the case with your car, you should have them changed as soon as possible – or at least inspected by a mechanic to make sure they’re actually worn out enough to require replacement.
Warped brake rotors:
Your brake rotor rotors may be warped, corroded, or rusted. This means there’s uneven surface wear on the rotor itself; since one side of the rotor isn’t being used evenly with the other, it heats up differently and makes noise when you apply pressure while backing up because both pads aren’t equal distance from the rotors.
Worn Brake Drums:
There’s a chance that your brake drums are worn. This is another reason why you should have your brakes inspected as soon as possible if they start to make noise when backing up.
Loose wheel bearing:
You may have a loose wheel bearing on one of the axles. If it’s not fixed immediately it will continue to get worse until eventually, the wheel falls off while you’re driving down the road. It can also damage other components in your car such as tie rods.
Tire out of balance:
Your car’s tires may be out of balance and it’s even possible that one tire is underinflated, which can cause noise when your brakes are applied. When you’re examining your tire tread depth at a quick glance, this sounds like an unlikely problem. However, if you take a closer look at the surface of your brake rotors after applying the brakes it’s much easier to see any problems such as unbalanced or unevenly worn tires.
Dust Deposits on wheel’s barrel:
It could be dust deposits on the inside surface of your wheels’ barrel. Over time, dust and dirt accumulate here and when you put your car in reverse they can fall onto your brake rotor, which might cause squeaking at certain spots around the rotors.
The solution to any of these problems is simple: replace or rotate your tires; have your brake pads changed; take it to a mechanic if necessary for wheel bearing replacement or drum work/replacement on rear wheels, and get new brake rotors.
