Oooooo, brakes offending my ears...

[giraffeinbath]

Why is it that when I jump in the van in the morning the first couple of hard brakes sound like metal on metal, then after that they are fine?

Its at the front so nothing to do with the hand brake, doesn't always do it every time you start, but does most days.

Any ideas? Don't have time to take it all apart at the weekend so any suggestions what's going on would be welcome.

 

[Justin & Muttley]

When you jump in your bus the brake components are cold and a fraction smaller than they'd be if hot and expanded - once you've used the brake a couple of times these components get hot, expand, and so cannot vibrate against one another causing the sqeak!

My tip: get the front pads out and smear some copper grease between the piston and the back of the pads where they meet - this should sort your problem...

 

[giraffeinbath]

It's not a heat thing I don't think, it's literally just the first two brakes as I turn the van around in the road and head off for work (I have to keep it parked pointing uphill in the cul de sac around the corner as the hand brake doesn't work very well pointing down, but that's another matter) so I can't imagine this actually produces any heat at all..

Once it's made that initial metallic graunching sound it's fine.

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Ahhhh - so it happens when you're braking in reverse? That's a different story...

 

[giraffeinbath]

No going forwards......

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Got me stumped Dude - I'll let someone else have a pop at this one! :lol:

 

[Araon]

Right if I've got this right you park on a hill over night but you have to point the van skywards as you have a slight prob with the brakes failing otherwise....

Forget the squeek fella and get all your brakes sorted first chances are it will clear your prob...

Cos your parking on a hill the weight of the van will cause the brakes to settle and when you jump in your shifting that again till they get to there operating position..

If you refurb your brakes clean all the crap out and as J&M said copper ease the surfaces of the non brake contact elements replace springs and all the retaining pins etc (the kits are cheap) it will work wonders, oil your handbrake cables etc.... and you'll be able to park forwards again.

The heat element will undoubtedly be an element as it doesnt take a lot to warm big hunks of steel with friction...

Oh and dont forget to bleed the system, infact whilst your their swap out the bleed nipples....

A little time a little money and satisfaction garaunteed...

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

Have you got front drums or has it been changed to disks?