I have a 2000 subaru legacy gt, bought a month ago. I noticed a squealing/screeching sound from the right side of car. This happens only after I took it on freeway or high speed road. The squealing goes away when braking but when released comes back. I have replaced the bearing on that side, pads in the front and it is still squealing. I had my car in the air when doing the brakes, and i put it into first and had the wheels spin, but the right front wheel wasnt spinning, so maybe thats the problem, I have no idea what it could be, help?

maybe a rear brake caliper problem or bent caliper guide pin? how did the pads you removed look? symmetrical wear or was one of the pair much thinner or possibly wedge shaped?

 

also, did you by any chance remove the rotor? maybe some debris is stuck between the backside and the brake shield.

They actually were wedged shaped. The noise is coming from the front of the vehicle tho, so I don't think it's the back. I didn't check the pins but i put in new ones with the new pads and it still is squealing.

Did you replace the pad clips, too? If those get rusty, the pads can hang up, and drag. Our Outback was doing that, and when I would pull off the freeway (very gentle braking), one front brake was crazy hot (don't touch the rotors, you can feel the heat several inches away). I assume the PO had the pads replaced, but not the hardware, new clips and pin boots fixed it. 

 

Make sure those caliper pins are greased, and moving freely, too.

 

 

Uneven pad wear means something isn't working correctly.

Edited February 18, 201610 yr by Numbchux

I didn't replace the pins, I meant the clips. Everyone I talk to that is a tech say just to take it to subaru and let the tech diag it. What else could I check? And I'll grease the pins tonight and update

Remove the pads completely, and then put the caliper back on. That way you can move the caliper back and forth on the slide pins to make sure those are all moving freely.

 

Then make sure the pads move freely on the clips, and nothing is binding.

That's why the "low brake pad" warning things are called "squealers". 

 

Emily

No haha, it went away when braking it didnt squeal when i brake. The pads were still good on pad life, but they were cheap ones so I got the more expensive ones hoping it would fix it but it didnt

Can you set a camera up in the car and record the sound, then post on you tube and link it? Make video at least 60 seconds. Some people make a clip 5 seconds long and it's nearly impossible to hear anything.

 

If pads were "wedge shaped" you should have replaced the rotor while you were at it. It's also possible your dust shields are bent, and might be touching, or you installed the pads incorrectly, their spacer shielding is broken and dragging, etc. 

 

If pads are dragging, you'll smell them. The odor is right up there with a slipping clutch. It's noxious, and permeates the car like skunk urine.

Will post one tonight, they aren't dragging I don't think, no smell like that at all.

So I just pulled the pads off and messed with the clip and greased the pins and the noise is still there but super faint, not enough to register on a video so that won't work now haha, but i looked and the previous owner put semi metallic cheapo pads on the car so I'm thinking if the front brakes reduced the squealing then if I replace the rear brakes then the noise would be gone? And I resurfaced the front rotors when I pulled the brakes off, I'll update when I put the rear pads on, thanks for everyone's help. Hopefully that's all the car needed