It was a great day 1 1/2 months ago when I got my Rotex pads installed........and now I HATE them. While I concede that the almost total lack of dust is incredible, the insane amount of squeal I have had since day 1 is now officially old. They squeal while braking at any speed. Doesnt matter. I'm not talking about a little squeal, I'm talking people looking around in stop and go traffic to see what idiot is making all the noise. It is truly ear piercing.

I have contacted the manufacturer and told them my complaints and was met with a response of essentially "While we strive for excellence, please understand that not every product we make will be free of defects. Please try again next time" Nice. After recieving this and seeing that I was stuck with them, I took my car into the local shop and had them take the assemblies off and lube. yeah.....no change. I have spent( between pads and installation and lube job) over $500 for a brake job that is embarassingly loud. I havent even driven the car in over a week, hoping that maybe something magical will happen while it sits.
Not sure why I'm even writing this but I needed to vent and hopefully get some feedback on what can (maybe?) be done. Thanks 'yall.

 

I'm not sure if anything can be done, but when I had my stock pads looked at the other day, I was told they still had 60% left. I would be glad to trade them if you want.....

 

the gold's are metallic, they squeal when cold... Should of read up on the pad first.
I'll be glad to trade stockers with 35k on em.

 

If the Rotex pads have been squealing since installed, then I think the problem was with the installation. The only time mine ever squeal is on the first application of the brakes after the car has been sitting for several days. I believe this is because of the light rust which accumulates on the rotors while parked. Once that rust is removed after the first application of brakes, my Rotex pads are completely silent.

Did the shop in question machine the rotors when putting the Rotex on? For the price you paid them for labor I certainly hope so. I installed my Rotex pads myself but had a machine shop turn the rotors which cost me $50. IMHO proper rotor turning is key to preventing squeal with these pads.

 

Sound can only come from a vibration be it a drum, our vocal cords, or brake pads. You can not have any sound---period without a vibration. The squeal is the pad vibrating in the caliper---bad hardware, no backing plate/ shim would be what I would look at first. Like Blast Chamber said, some noise at the start when light rust is not even on the rotor causing the hard (semi-metallic) pad to bounce---again vibrate is normal. Start with brake shims; I used "tons" of them in my repair shop---they work. Also, anti-squeal to the back of the pad to help hold it in place. Too many have used this pad---people even want them from you now---this can be fixed. Good Luck!!! Jimmy

 

I put Rotex Gold pads and Brake Performance drilled and slotted rotors on about a year ago and fought the squeal problem for a long time. They originally made a lot of noise all the time - the front pads ended up needing 3 separate applications of anti-squeal spray before this stopped (probably a month in-between each). The rear pads would only squeal when really hot - after a long stop, or a stop from high speed. I had to re-apply the anti-squeal compound a second time, and ended up going back to the stock rotors in the back. It's been 4 months and I haven't heard a peep out of them *fingers crossed*.

You have to attack the problem one wheel at a time...it can be very difficult to determine which wheel is making the noise, however. I could have sworn the squeal was coming from the front, but it ended up the back was the last problem. I spent many a Saturday pulling off a wheel and caliper, yanking the pads and re-spraying them. Don't give up - you can get them to stop making noise...and losing the dust was worth all the effort!

This was the stuff that I used - Permatex Disc Brake Quiet (<$10). You spray this stuff on the backplate of the pad, wait at least 10 minutes (overnight is better), and put the pads in. I tried the brake lube also, but that didn't seem to affect the problem at all.

 

I agree here, even though I do not have rotex. Either the brakes were not bedded properly or rotors not machines well.

There are enough members here that run these pads that we are well aware this is not a normal sound, even if they are semi-metalic pads...

 

Interesting thread With all the members that run these pads this is the first time I was aware anyone having noise issues.... I started to purchase the Rotex but opted for the Disc Italia ....

S40guy did you by chance say anything to the installers to see if they could help ? Good Luck what ever direction you take to quiet-er Braking


Howard.

 

What a ridiculous statement. Of course I researched the pad first. who spends $100+ without researching the product at least a little bit?

 

Called the shop that installed them and they were far from optimistic that shims would help (I guess because the amount of vibration must be pretty small when traveling 3 MPH.) Not so sure I believe that. So, I'm already in the hole and I'm not paying for shims that may or may not work.

Found a Mr. Tire locally that sells Morse and Italia pads...among others. Morse is made love to on a regualr basis @ BenzWorld. MT offered me a good deal on a new set-up, esp. since I'm coming from one of their local competitors. Once these pads are off...I'll put them up on here for anyone brave enough to take them. I truly appreciate all of the help from everyone, but I just do not have the time to take apart each assembly one by one and spray and wait etc., etc., etc. hoping that it works but with no guarantee. I'm trying to start a new busness and go to school simultaneously. Cant dedicate hours to my pads. (I wish I could, that would mean no work or schooling!!!!) I think I'm going to give hcarter's choice a chance. If they arent great, I'm gonna find ya!

 

I truly understand the time issue---I do. Just to let you know, I owned three tire stores for 10 years and have done thousands of brake jobs---well, my techs did. It was our gravy-train---my living. I have taken several classes and learned the best way to preform a brake job from washing rotors after turning them to stopping squeal---Squeal is the #1 reason for brake come backs, and I needed it to STOP to maximize profits.

I would not guarantee "no noise" unless the customer bought the up-graded pads that came with shims like VGX or we added them---they work. They do so by holding the pad tightly in place---good hardware is also needed. I also bought cases (as in truck loads) of the same anti-squeal above---that stuff is great. I used it WITH the shimmed pads just as a back up. I ONLY made money on the FIRST brake job. If I had come-backs, not only did I not make money on the come-back, but it took up space and time for a new job that I could make money on---plus the customer was pissed---AND, I was pissed.

The pad material is NOT the problem---not on a $100 pad set---it's the vibration. A bad surface on the rotor, like I said, can make a pad jump, but it still the movement making the noise. You said that the shop was "less than optimistic" about shims ---The vibration was small. Yes it is, high frequencies have SMALL wavelengths thus the high pitch squeal. If they had a long wavelength---a lot of room to move, the sound would be a low bass sound---a groan not a squeal. This is why tweeters are small and woofers are bigger. Shims take-up that small space---they work or the good pads would not use them.

Your shop IS wrong---bottom line. Too many have used this pad. It's not the pad; it's the install. Even if you had a "hard spot" on one pad (defective pad), the noise would only come from one side. I and another have said anti-squeal. Most good pads COME with shims; I have never seen Rotex, but a $100 set is a GOOD pad. Maybe your shop did not install shims, maybe they are built into the pad, but whatever the case it is the install, NOT the pad material---again, too many have used these pads, but not ALL have used this installer. You decide where you think the problem lies!

Going to the other shop is probably a good move---if they are good. Ask them how they do a job. You do not just "slap pads" in the calipers---I wished that it was that easy.

Good luck again, Jimmy

 

The OEMs on my 07 made a very high pitch sound ......then it completely went away after about 15,000 miles. During the beginning I tried the old high speed slam on your brakes multiple times treatment....would work for a few days...then the sound would come back...

But from the 15K mark to the current 46K mark.....silence (golden silence!!)

 

I have had a good experence with mine ,3rd time on the Dragon (no slack I punish them) and lots of local road time with no issues ,noise or dust ,, I would only recomend that when you put the new pads on have them surface clean the rotors (which they probably will do anyway) that will allow the pads to seat nicely to the rotor and then you should be good to go,, Good luck with Brakes ,New Bussiness,and School (your a busy young man ) and thats a good thing,,,,


Howard.

 

I guess I will say it again. Make sure the brakes are bedded properly.

 

Had a couple of buddies walk along the car and listen to what side/wheel was the main culprit. It's the rears. No question. I'm a bit embarassed having made such a big deal on here when it was only 2 assemblies being annoying, but I will reiterate that the squealing seemed waaaaaaay too bad to be coming from just one or two pads. But I guess not.

Called the place of install again to inquire whether shims had been put on. Their answer... yes. Hmmmm. Anyway, they are bringing it in Monday (free of charge) and putting on 2 OEM pads (for now) which is fine because the rear OEMs were never bad dusters IMHO. So while I'm out $70 for the rear Rotex I paid for, everything will be back to normal and quiet after Monday. I'm just happy the fronts are quiet. I'd really be crying if those had to be swapped.

 

yep, i never even thought about that, anything thats more than half mettalic needs to be bedded in really well, or the pads just skip across the rotor.

Full mettalic pads squeal no matter what, especially aggressive track compounds, a set of pads we had on the z06 sounded like someone drowning a cat.

 

Jimmy....I just slap them on....lol.....not really...my old Goodyear Store experience from my youth did me good...you are right on...correct me if I am wrong, but I went ceramic...not so much for dust, but for stopping....if you go with a pad that produces zero dust, are you not losing some of your stopping power? Anyway, I like the ceramic, and have good luck with them. I like a pad that is somewhere in the middle...good stopping power, a little less dust...mine squeel when I first back out of the garage, then clean right up...no problems....I agree, they didn't spend anytime preping those rotors or pads, and never shimmed them.....

 

good brake pads makes tons of dust, it means they are working... Our oem pads might dust alot but have you noticed how well they stop compared to most other cars?

low dust pads generally lack stopping power, as the compunds in the pad are harder... the dont dust, less braking plus they tend to last longer.

 

I have Carbotech's and they needed bedding in. Smoked and smelled horribly during the bedding process. Now they work great and squeal like a pig, but only when cold. Unfortunately, lots of my driving is in traffic and they often never get warmed up. After a track day where they get used hard the squealing stays away for a day or two. Dust is not a problem. My goal was no fade, consistent eyeball popping braking and good initial bite and that's what I got.

Les

 

thats the other thing, since the rotex's are mostly metallic, they are going to squeal when very cold. Plus depending on how you drive, they will squeal at low speed stops no matter what