Initial Brake Squeal - Z1 Slotted Rotors, Akebono Pads
 

I had a full set of Z1 sprinkle-slotted, 2-piece rotors installed a couple of years ago, along with Akebono performance pads (ASP1346 and ASP1347). Fantastic upgrade, although very, very expensive for minimal gains on the street.

https://www.myg37.com/forums/brakes-...rt-brakes.html

It's been about 4000 miles since then, and there's a slight rustiness to the slots and edges. Not a lot yet, but I notice it. However, that's not my concern in the moment. For the last 6 months or so, the brakes squeal holy hell whenever I take it out of the garage. But only for the first light application of the brakes as I go down the driveway. Once I get on the street and actually use them normally, the squeal is gone. I attribute it to overnight corrosion, and by "overnight" that usually means it's been sitting in the garage for a number of days. I can't honestly say if it's a "next day" problem, because I just don't drive the car much, particularly in the winter.

If this is the way its going to be forever, I'm OK with it, because I know the parts are new and performing well. But I still don't like the squeal. It's hella loud.

All opinions and advice on the topic are welcome.

OEM pad shims Roch.

My first brake job on the Akebonos I re-used the shims onto newer pads and never had an issue. It wasnt until the second brake job that I couldn't salvage the old shims i decided to use the one the new pads brought and was convinced it worked but about 2 months later the squeal came.

It was the joke between my nissan and infiniti friends since I was the first one with quiet brakes while they were squealing. They took care of it by installing the oem pad shims ( 2 piece/ 8 total for the front)
I'm still squealing.:crying:

You seem pretty confident about that.

So assume for discussion that I don't know what pad shims are (because I don't, LOL). Are you saying the shop used shims that came with the new pads? Or are you saying the OEM shims are just bad and need to be replaced, or simply lubricated?

And how come the problem is only after sitting for long periods? Because once I start driving the problem is gone.

In my experience with some Ceramic pads, when it's very cold they tend to squeal for the first little bit. And I have seen it get worse as the pads wear in. I haven't had much luck with shims but relubricating the slides and the back of the pads does help.

fwiw: I have the Z1 rotors as well (1 peice) but I went with the StopTech pads and I have zero squeal. I have tried Hawk pads before and they were absolutely horrible with noise + dust. Never again.

Mine squeal also and I have R1 concept slotted rotors and Akebono pads. Have the same setup on my mom's Camry but with a blank rotor and it does the same in the morning.

I have not throroughly thought about it however it was standard practice in my Infiniti days. It's repeated knowledge I get told from Nissan experts. Just so happen to happen to me when I switched pads and used the shims the pads brought.
I believe it has to do with the fact that I used 4 Shims instead of the eight that come from factory.

I will be doing front brakes in the next couple of months and will be going with OEM shims so I'll report back with my results once I do.
Note: I will be cutting my discs and go with new pads so technically a whole front full brake job so there will be many variables.

Here's an old thread with someone commenting the same.
https://www.myg37.com/forums/brakes-...al-solved.html

It seems to be part of the solid caliper design, thinking out loud I think the dual shim softens the contact with the pad, I noticed the 2nd shims are metal covered in a rubber coating and it's what quiets them down.

FWIW two years later... I recently swapped out my original calipers for a powder coated set that I rebuilt myself, and the squeal is gone.

It might come back, in which case the problem is in the pads & shims. Or it might stay gone forever, in which case I had at least one sticky piston out of 12. Either way, right now it's silent. Blissfully silent.