So just recently I replaced the rear brake pads on my 2007 Mazda 3 with basic Duralast pads from Autozone. I've had them for about 600 miles now, and they sound AWFUL at slow speeds. It sounds like metal on metal. I've taken the wheels off and everything appears to be where it should be (and I didn't put the old pads back on or something stupid). Any thoughts on what it might be?
Only thing I can add is that I did the brakes on my wife's 2010 3 sedan, and at low speeds and when backing up, the car sounds like a dying whale. I've taken them apart twice now, inspected everything, lubed everything that needed to be lubed, and it still does it. I also used aftermarket brakes (Wagner ThermoQuiets) which were supposed to be the stock-style compound.
Maybe these cars hate aftermarket brakes? I have no clue.
Huh, my 5 does the same thing, but I chalked it up to the super aggressive Power Slot brakes. What are we all missing multiple times? Did you guys replace the retainer clips?
In reply to Javelin:
I've been researching this issue for months. Every single Mazda forum is completely useless, and they chalk it up to "that's what these cars do". BS!!!
The forums all say to grease the sliders. I have half of a can of anti-seize on the damn sliders in the back, I chamfered the pads, I cleaned and used every clip that came off the calipers, and I even used anti-squeal spray on the back of the pads, even though the ThermoQuiets have a built-in resin anti-squeal compound on the backs of the pads. It still does it, and I don't get it.
Almost every single vehicle I've ever owned including my Trans Am has had rear disc brakes, and exactly none of them except her 3 have done this after replacing the pads.
Mine is due for brakes soon, and if it's going to sound like Ahab battling a giant white whale every time I back out of the driveway, I will trade the damn thing in.
Did you clean/lube the brake caliper piston? Pitting/crud on the piston can cause the piston to not fully retract and drag. I did the brake on my old mans focus and it is making a nasty noise also, so don't feel too alone.
benzbaronDaryn wrote: Did you clean/lube the brake caliper piston? Pitting/crud on the piston can cause the piston to not fully retract and drag. I did the brake on my old mans focus and it is making a nasty noise also, so don't feel too alone.
I'd be willing to bet that the Focus has the same brakes. The braking system on this car is FoMoCo. That's probably why it doesn't work correctly. 
Drewsifer wrote: ... with basic Duralast pads from Autozone ... ... they sound AWFUL ... ... Any thoughts on what it might be?
yes.
DREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HI! 
SilverFleet wrote:benzbaronDaryn wrote: Did you clean/lube the brake caliper piston? Pitting/crud on the piston can cause the piston to not fully retract and drag. I did the brake on my old mans focus and it is making a nasty noise also, so don't feel too alone.I'd be willing to bet that the Focus has the same brakes. The braking system on this car is FoMoCo. That's probably why it doesn't work correctly.
Agreed with SilverFleet!!! Ford sucks at making brakes.
I did clean the pistons on mine, still squeaky, but only ~1/3 of the time. I think I may just put new calipers on the damn thing.
Gotta lube where the pad contacts the caliper. Use the purple stuff, not antisieze. also, get rid of the junk pads. Something ceramic is usually good. The golds at advanced are decent.
I recently helped a buddy with his Accord that was doing the same thing. The shop hadn't lined up the tab on the rear brake pads with the notch on the rear piston. It was riding on top of a 1/8" diameter nub on the rear brake pad.
This, on top of taking it back and complaining and having them check it. It caused his inboard rear pads to wear into trapezoids.
Don't even ask me about trying to get the brake rotors turned. I dragged those damn things all over town, finally found a shop who turns rotors. Guy took a look and said to just replace them.
Jaxmadine wrote: Gotta lube where the pad contacts the caliper. Use the purple stuff, not antisieze. also, get rid of the junk pads. Something ceramic is usually good. The golds at advanced are decent.
It has always been my understanding that the cheaper, organic pads are usually quieter than metallic or ceramic pads, all other things being equal. I just recently replaced some semi-metallic pads at around half-of-life with cheaper organic pads. Squeaking problem solved, and not a performance driver anyway.
Noise (squeak) is vibration. The obvious proper lubing of the pad carriers first. Not with anti-sieze, but with synthetic brake caliper grease. They make special grease for a reason.
New or properly turned rotors. Not only for possible warping, inconsistent pad material glazing, but also lips on the rotors outer edges. There is plenty of pad shape/size variation that the new pads could be dragging on that leftover lip created by the old pads.
As mentioned earlier, some sort of anti-squeal compound on the back of the pad. The thicker, brush on stuff is the best. It's basically an RTV substance. It glues the pad to the piston and caliper, but also works as a dampner material to reduce/eliminate noise.
In reply to Cone_Junky:
Just in case you weren't following...
It's all new on mine. New PowerStop rotor, new PowerStop pads, new retaining clip. I used the correct grease on the sliders and on the piston/pad interface.
My brakes squeal, especially at the first move in the morning in reverse. They do not do it all the time. They do not do it half the time. They do not do it while stopping at all, whether it is from 5 MPH or 85 MPH. Only in reverse.
I had chalked it up to "sticky" pads and rotors, but apparently it's a much larger problem.
The Ford rear brake calipers are especially pitiful IMO. They have a crappy little piton that's supposedly threaded and has a pattern not found on the typical brake tools. The calipers are also of a semi-floating type where the sliders are hidden under some rubber sleeves.
In reply to Javelin: I was paying attention, but to the OP.
Once you go drilled/slotted, not much you can do to reduce vibration against a cheese grader. Reversing noise is pretty common because the pads get bedded-in going forward, so going backwards will shift any free play in the caliper pins and pads and allow some movement (vibration).
The going forward and easing to a stop squeak is what would annoy me.
Lower quality pad material could also be to blame for the metal to metal sound. I've seen some with some large chunks of metal fibers in them.
I get squeak and squeal on the Mazda5. New high-quality ceramic pads, new rotors, and I used the correct grease. Worst in reverse. I have disassembled and lubed the whole setup about 4 times with no improvement.
I always clean the rotor when changing pads along with lubing the pins. Did the original brakes have shims behind the pads.
For those Ford haters, for ten years I never had a problem with the rear adjuster.
The allen wrench is metric. 6mm if I remember correctly.
SAE wrench's won't work.
Semi metallic are horrible for squeals. The ceramics arnt really for racong anymore. Tjey do thwm for pad life
I've got the same issue with EBC green stuff pads. I did the fronts before the rear because it was all I had time for. Then I did the rears and it has been squeaky. It has quieted down some, but it's still happening. This is with new pads & rotors.
Shoot, we have enough complaints here for a TSB/recall/class-action!
I am so stupid it hurts. I need to be perma banned from the website and have my tools taken away.
I put the inside pad on one wheel on.....backwards. And when I first noticed the noise I checked the wheel I did last (because I felt like I rushed when I was doing it). I just can't even believe I did that. Please, stop me before I hurt any more innocent cars!
In reply to Drewsifer:
Put the wrench down, and back away from the garage!
^^^ no more "beer & brake jobs" for you.
I have semi-metallic on my Mazda6 (NAPA) and they are quite as usual.
I took my rear brakes back apart on Tuesday night. I could hear the caliper slide pins squeaking as I unscrewed them.
I used the lube that EBC sent with the pads to thinly coat the back of the pads, and the little notched areas where they fit onto the caliper. I then got a nice layer of the stuff all the way around the entire slider pins before reinstalling. There has been no squeaking since then. Well worth the time (maybe 45 minutes) it took to do it.
Now to fix the handling maladies that have beset me... :(
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