I put on new rotors from Bosch and Wagner brake pads last month. The pads don't require metal plate or anti-squeal brake paste and in fact advise against their use. Well now they're making embarrassingly loud high pitched sound when braking at around 2mph. That's everytime I come to a stop, it's obnoxious squeal that turns heads.

Should I put the paste I have on them anyways? If so, where do I apply them? I think the noise is coming from both wheels.

 

Are the pads loose in the holders? If you pivot the calipers up (as if to change pads) they should fall right out.

If not, the metal under the stainless steel top & bottom guides may have corroded and swelled up, making the pads too tight.

The fix (endorsed by Honda in several TSBs across models) is to remove the SS guides (don't mix them up!) and file the caliper metal underneath. Then, put some of your brake paste under them to discourage further corrosion.


Personally, I'd put the paste on the backs of the pads anyway...

 

use OEM pads and noise will be gone

 

Yeah if the noise doesn't go away after the forum's suggested option, I'm returning these for OEM stuff. They're actually very good.

 

I just don't know how corrosion could be the culprit here. I put brand new pads in. The older ones just popped out like any of my other previous cars' pads.

This squeal is annoyingly persistent and persistently annoying

 

Service manual calls for molycote where you mention and between the back of the pad and shim (but not between the piston and shim).

P.S. Stock pads are very meh

 

Understand that the corrosion is on the caliper metal, not the pads. And, it's tricky, you don't SEE it, it "hides" under the SS edge guides.

Also, aftermarket pad backings can be a little thicker or uneven in my experience. I had a set of Wagner pads that were tight in the SS clips due to rough edges, had to file them down to make them loose. They worked fine over their life after that.

Properly loose pads are just something to watch for, that's all.

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Also, MTLian said

I've found that the contact area betwixt the pad and piston can be rusty and uneven. This could give you a 'soft' pedal.

I scrape and sand the piston smoother (just to get the rust scale off) and coat it with a little Molykote or a favorite brake grease. No issues as a result...