Brakes Squeaking

[RangerJ]

I live in north Texas and recently purchased a 2019 Ford Ranger with 2400 miles on it. The dealership listed it as new. I've noticed the brakes squeak quite a bit every time I use them. Is that a common problem? I know it's different depending on region, but my previous vehicles didn't have this issue.

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[Porpoise Hork]

I live in north Texas and recently purchased a 2019 Ford Ranger with 2400 miles on it. The dealership listed it as new. I've noticed the brakes squeak quite a bit every time I use them. Is that a common problem? I know it's different depending on region, but my previous vehicles didn't have this issue.

Are you talking about common brake pad squeal or a squeak when pressing the pedal?

 

[RangerJ]

2400 miles isnt new.
was it a demo for the dealer by chance?
I hope you paid accordingly.

breaks squeaking can be for alot of reasons.
good thing we can see plenty of the rotor through the wheel openings.
have a look for deep grooves, rust, or perhaps a stone stuck in the pads.

find the problem early enough you can prevent further wear.

I'm in before Phil on this, he's the resident brake bedding guru....but if the rotors look good, then perform the bedding process and see if you got rid of any glazing of the pads.

there's likely a thread on the process here somewhere. I'm too lazy to find it, but if you google Ranger5g Brake bedding, I guarantee it'll come up, along with a smiling picture of Phil, the brake bedding King. No he doesn't know Carol Baskin but I bet she has his number.

The dealership said it was the loaner vehicle for when customers came in for warranty repairs. There were still loaner contracts in the glove compartment when I got the truck. Strangely, on the paperwork from the dealership, they list it as "new" with "0 miles". Only mildly shady. For the record, I purchased it from a dealership that has multiple locations across north Texas, not from behind the Walgreens dumpster at 3AM (or from Carol Baskin).

Thanks for the bedding suggestion, I'd never heard of that before. Googled and found the thread. I'll give it a go!

 

[RangerJ]

Are you talking about common brake pad squeal or a squeak when pressing the pedal?

It mainly happens when I first start the truck, leave my driveway, and press the brakes. Happens pretty much every time I start it and hit the brakes for the first time. Doesn't matter if it's first thing in the morning or if it's 10 minutes after I just turned it off. I did find it's more common when I'm on an incline / decline than on flat ground. Makes a high pitched squeak sound. I know moisture can cause it, but it hasn't rained in weeks in Dallas and it's been about 95 degrees every day.

 

[DHMag]

I'd imagine the pads are glazed from riding the brake pedal while driving. Follow the bedding process and report back

 

[Porpoise Hork]

It mainly happens when I first start the truck, leave my driveway, and press the brakes. Happens pretty much every time I start it and hit the brakes for the first time. Doesn't matter if it's first thing in the morning or if it's 10 minutes after I just turned it off. I did find it's more common when I'm on an incline / decline than on flat ground. Makes a high pitched squeak sound. I know moisture can cause it, but it hasn't rained in weeks in Dallas and it's been about 95 degrees every day.

9/10 Times this type squeal is caused by one or more brake pads vibrating against the rotor under light brake pressure. Chances are there's an anti-rattle clip that is loose/missing or otherwise out of position. Other possible but less likely causes could be a largish metal fragment in the brake pad material or glazed pads/rotors as @DHMag stated. Other possible causes are one or more calipers is binding or not sliding on the pins properly causing incomplete or improper pad mating to the rotor.

You can try to take it to the dealer, but since Brakes are considered a wear item and this would not be covered under warranty, it is something you will have to handle. It is something you can do if you have serviced automotive brakes before and have the required tools. If not then you will have to either pay to have it inspected or ignore it as it will likely eventually go away as the pads wear down.

To fix this you would need to inspect the brakes to verify all the anti-rattle clips are properly installed. If all the clips are installed and secure. If they are then visually inspect both inboard and outboard sides of each rotor for heat glazing discoloration. The rotors will have a very smooth appearance, with a blueish hue to the steel. If you see this then the rotors and pads are glazed and need to be resurfaced. You can do this with a high speed rotary tool and an emery cloth pad attachment. Pull the calipers and mounts off, start the tool up and apply light pressure to the rotor while spinning it. (works best with two people) Spin the rotor at least 3-4 times until the entire surface has a light swirl pattern across the entire rotor surface. You do not want to gouge into the rotor. Just enough so the surface if no longer shiny smooth. Repeat this on the inboard side of the rotor as well on the opposite side so both fronts are lightly deglazed. Now the mating surface of the pads need a very light scuffing to clean them up. Make sure not to mix the sides up as they will have started to wear differently from each other. Once complete reassemble the brakes and go perform a proper brake bedding-in procedure. Make sure you have anti-seize compound to apply to the caliper slider pins so they will not bind.

If the rotors are not discolored or have a polished smooth appearance, you still may need to pull the calipers off to inspect the pads to see if they are wearing evenly. The mating surface of each pad should show signs of wear. If any of the pads are only wearing on a portion of the pad, this indicates binding hardware. That could be a stuck caliper piston, or caliper not sliding across the mounting hardware properly. If you see significant or uneven wear on a single pad, re-assemble the brakes and take the truck in for warranty as it means there is an issue with the brake system that is likely covered under warranty.

Lastly if you inspect everything and none of the above is present, then the problem could still be caused by a vibrating brake pad or overly large metal fragment in the brake pad material. This sort of issue typically sorts itself out in time as the pads wear.

 

[berlow94]

I hope you got a deal on that truck...
Dealer’s get a kickback from Ford if they use it as a customer loaner vehicle. They are compensated for any mileage and wear & tear that’s put on the vehicle during that time. It is unethical for a dealer to sell one of those vehicles as new and charge full retail. (Might even be specifically outlined in their dealer contract with Ford)

 

[t4thfavor]

Go under the truck and check the bottom of the brake shields on both sides for mystery oil. My brakes are constantly squeaking and eating themselves in under 1000 miles. The dealer has turned the rotors 4x replaced them once, and the pulsing and squeaking has only gotten worse. It started for me when my drivers side axle was spewing gear oil, and after they fixed the seal, it's never gotten any better.

 

[RangerJ]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! Tried the brake bedding and I think it helped. I haven't heard the brakes squeaking in a couple days now.

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