Braking Noise at low speed

Hi All, the vans developed a low base squeak / grinding noise when braking gently from slow speeds .
It doesn’t happen when braking from 30 mph plus but seems to be intermittent when braking in slow traffic etc .
The pads and rotors on the front where the noise is coming from are all good.
What should I be checking for ...anybody know or had similar experience... otherwise I will need a garage to take a look.... safety first !

 

Does it make a noise just when braking or when turning? It may be possible you have a sticking caliper if you have discs, check if you have a warm/hot wheel rim when stopped after a short run

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Have just used it after leaving standing for a while ?
That can happen as the disc's get rusty and make a noise until they polish up again .

 

I’m using it every other day / daily so it’s not rusty rotors

 

Just when braking, the rotors are clean the wheel bearings are good

 

Got some grit stuck in a pad?.. you might only notice that when being gentle

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It could just be a low frequency version of the typical brake squeal, in which case the cure is the usual shims with slots, or brake piston cutout alignment (depends on ATE or Girling branded calipers) to ensure uneven pressure, or copper greasing or just taking apart, cleaning the backs of pads, cleaning the calipers and reassembling , as the brakes sound like they are working perfectly well.

It could just be that the pads and discs are now perfectly worn to each other and grip a little too well and then release rather than sliding at low speed. So the whole caliper starts vibrating .

It could be a worn ball joint changing the stiffness of the suspension to the twisting of the whole assembly which happens normally when you brake , allowing it to resonate.

Many buses yelp or squeal at low speed when braking. Its not nice, especially for dogs at the roadside as you brake.. but it doesnt stop the brakes from working.

If it worries you , get them to do an MOT style brake efficiency test. It will almost certainly show no problem. Your bus will still come to a stop about twice as quickly as it reached that speed from a standing start.

 

Great advice ...really appreciate it.

 

Or it could be cruddy modern brake pads that are full of metal bits to stop them wearing so quick.