My 2008 Cayman's brakes squeak quite bad when they are warm and under medium braking pressure. This is usually after around 15-30 min of driving and only happens at medium braking pressure, not when I brake hard or lightly. This 'medium' braking pressure is the range I use when coming to a stop at a light or stop sign, so is the most used braking force.
I have taken a look at the brakes and the pads look pretty new, being over 1 cm thick. As for the disk it looks in very good condition, with a very slight lip, maybe dipping in about 1 mm. The car is almost at 80,000 km (50,000 miles) and has never been tracked.
Any ideas what the solution to this squeaking is?
Brake harder more often. Light braking causes glaze on brake pads. Hard braking gets rid of it. Glaze causes noise.
If that doesn't help - you may need to add some anti-squeal between the caliper piston and the back of the brake pad. To me - this is a last resort since it adds a bit of "mush" to the pedal feel.
Would you suggest I go out on a short trip where I go slam on the brakes a few times?
What has worked for me in the past, is just as deilenberger has suggested, is firm, steady application of the brakes from a moderate speed, best done in an empty large parking lot. But what I will add to that, is to do something similar, but in reverse. Of course, you won’t be able to reach the same speeds in reverse, but do it at whatever speed the size of the lot will accommodate. Wheels straight, steady even pressure on the pedal, with cool down periods between trials. It’s my belief/assumption that the pads and rotors will get a ‘set’ to them over time, establishing micro grooves, glazing and wear patterns, and performing this in reverse changes those dynamics. Like in the ‘old’ days when you would want to save money on brake jobs and replace the pads only, but take the rotors to the shop to have them ‘turned’. Once you installed the new pads, it was almost like a complete new brake job, with new fresh surfaces mating together. At the least, it won’t hurt to try, and it has worked for me in the past for minor squeaks and squeals.
