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I have about 1200 miles on my car, and last week I started to notice that the brakes will squeak when Im just about to come to a stop at very low speed. It doesnt happen all the time, but once in a while and its very loud. Sounds like the squeaking brake sound they use on t.v. shows.

I thought the pads may be glazed, so I took the car on the freeway and firmly applyed the brakes from about 80 to 30 mph, but it didnt help.



Any suggestions?
 

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Probably need to get used to it, I'm afraid. Common on most metallic pads, and is related to the mass of the pad, which explains why it can start and stop on it's own. I have had some success, with past cars, using an anti-squeak compound that you put between the pad and the caliper, to help absorb the vibration and noise, but if it does work, it doesn't last very long. You also get the stuff all over the calipers as pressure eventually causes the paste to work itself out. They also made a rubber type isolator, but that fried during semi-aggressive driving.

I then tried EBC Carbon Kevlar pads (www.greatbrakes.com) on my Viper. The EBC 'green' pads work outstanding in eliminating 100% of brake squeek and they substantially reduce the amount of brake dust on the rims... substantially. Unfortunately, everything comes with a price, and for the EBC's it's braking distance. When cold, the EBC green pads are substantially worse than stock pads, as tested on my Viper. When hot, they are better, but still not at metallic pad levels of performance.

If you look at the race type pads EBC offers (EBC red, blue and yellow), you'll notice they are all metallic pads, which means squeek and dust, but great stopping power and pad life, especially at higher temps. The Kevlar pads (greens) wear quickly, but are relatively inexpensive compared to some of the top name metallic pads.

All in all, the EBC green stuff pads are O.K. for the street, but I stopped using them on my Viper due to the reduced stopping power (regardless of what claims EBC may make). I do know of many people who use them on their daily drivers, accepting the stopping difference in exchange for the squeek and dust elimination. I am not sure they make a pad for Maserati, but they could. EBC pads are more popular in Europe, and are found on many motorcycles.

Good luck.
 

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Squeaky Brakes

I had really bad squeaky brakes on my 03 coupe. Alternate pad material will help but I made the squeal go away with some very hard driving (find a local canyon road and drive the hell out of the car).

I drove such that I was starting to get brake fade, they got so hot. However, it knocked the glaze off of them and they didn't squeak again for 5K miles. When the squeal happened again, I just went out and drove hard again. I am starting to use the squeal as my personal message that I am not driving the car hard enough.

A local track day also did the trick once.

Keep in mind that you don't want to go above your ability. I have been racing SCCA since 1986. Go get trained before you start playing with this car because even with MSP, it will bite.
 
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