hotdram

Have heard a squeak or squeal coming from under the truck when in motion (no brakes applied). It is not always present and changes pitch with speed. Tapping the brakes can cause the noise to go away for a while.
My assumption is that the wear sensors on the brake pads are causing this. I am replacing the pads (and rotors) this weekend. I hope this clears up the issue. On the "slim" chance (yeah right) that I am wrong, is there anything else that could be causing the squeak? Since it changes with speed, I have ruled out the suspension. Is that a valid assumption?

~Rob

Tiny

Do your u-joints have grease fittings? If so, grease them until you see new grease coming from the caps, and see if that changes the squeaking.

jfpointer

I think the brake wear indicators would squeak the other way around, that is to say, when you apply the brakes rather than when you're not. Anyway, I'm hoping to see what the suggestions are, since mine's doing the same thing occasionally.

infidel

The wear indicators will squeal a little all the time once the pads are worn down, then a little louder when you use the brakes. After you let up on the brakes the squeal will disappear for a little while but will return.
Because the pads are always in slight contact with the rotor all the time even when you aren't using the brakes is the reason for this behavior.

hotdram

That is what I remember happening on my other vehicles, initially they make the sound when not on the brakes, then if I was lazy and didn't replace the pads soon enough, the squeaking would occur when I got on the brakes as well. This time I am going to take care of it before that happens.

~Rob

farmer dave

I am having the same problem with the slight squeak. I just replaced my hub assemblies a couple of months ago so I am pretty sure that they are not the cause of the noise. The brake pads looked alright also. I was thinking either u-joints in the drive shaft of the axle shafts. I haven't gotten around to narrowing in down yet. Let us know what you find out.

hotdram

I will. I am going to look at my U-joints (rather the truck's U-joints) as Tiny advised and see it they have zirc fittings for greasing.

~Rob

fschiola

I'm not sure if this will help or not , but dusty conditions can cause a squeak like that. There is a plant a few miles from here that's the larget cement producer in the US. All of the parking areas are either dirt or are covered in fine cement dust. If you are like me, when I back out of a parking space, even with a manual transmission, I barely touch the brake and then shift into a forward gear and drive away. The workers at the plant's trick is that when the brakes start to squeak, they go kind of fast for a short distance in reverse and hit the brakes hard. It works every time for them. Can't hurt to try.

Gear Poet

I've had exactly the same condition for the last several weeks. Getting worse. Brake pads look good, u-joints have no zirks, but cannot move them laterally with truck raised, cannot rock wheels from side-to-side, suspension is tight. Haven't torn anything down yet, but will be interested to see what you find out.

yfz450guy

it's the brakes.
rinse them really good with water and then drive the truck and see how they sound. pretty sure they will quiet right down. mine do it all the time and when i wash the truck i rinse them when i wash the truck.

farmer dave

It could be the brakes, but I don't think that it is. I have had this squek for a while, even when it was wet. It will squeal even when it is raining and wet out. I will try washing them with water just to see though.

yfz450guy

as opposed to raining and dry out?

infidel

Lifetime warranted pads will squeak as they destroy your rotors because they are too hard.
How else can they offer a lifetime warranty?

jfpointer

I took some mental notes yesterday when it squeaked:

Only happens when going forward, not in reverse;
Definitely something rotational, because it increases in frequency (not pitch; the sound doesn't change, just how often it squeaks) when speed increases;
It's not a squeal, it's a squeak;
Brakes are not grabbing or pulling;
Either it only happens after the truck has sat overnight and I've driven it to work, or I can only hear it when I'm in a concrete parking garage where it can echo;
My emergency brake isn't working very well (I have rear discs). Anyone who has read the FSM procedure for adjusting the e-brake on a truck with rear discs, does that look like a full day's worth of work to you, too? Holy cow!

Brake pads are stock. I don't think there are any zerks on the driveshaft at all; in fact, I think there are only two zerks on the whole truck although it's been about 4,000 miles since I last crawled under there with a grease gun to check.

Bobcat698

U-Joints.

Mine squeaked.. it was ANNOYING!

They were completely dry. Cost was nearly $50 each!