Braking systems are fairly complex, with numerous fluid, mechanical and thermal interactions that can make things go wrong in a variety of ways. Squeaking brakes are a common ailment, at times a warning of problems to come and at others merely an annoyance. While a full brake job is the best way to fix your squealing woes, a quick fix can save you money not only in aspirin, but possibly in new brake rotors as well.
Chock your car's wheels, loosen the lug nuts on your affected axle's wheels and slide a jack under the center of your front or rear frame (depending upon the affected axle). Jack the car up so that the wheels are off the ground, insert a set of jack stands just ahead of the wheels, under the approved jack points, and remove the wheels.
Identify your brake calipers, which are the large clamps bolted to the wheel hubs and sitting on the edge of your brake discs. Identify the upper and lower caliper bolts; remove the lower bolt completely and loosen the upper bolt. Tap the bottom of the brake rotor so that it pivots up and away from the brake disc. The pads will likely fall out, so be prepared to catch them and keep them organized.
Remove the pads if they haven't already fallen out. Open your tube of brake pad grease and apply a liberal amount to the pads' metal backing. Smear it around with your finger so that it evenly coats the backs of the pads. Slide the pads back into the calipers just how they came out; for most cars, the pads are either interchangeable or they only go in one way.
Hold the brake pads against the insides of the caliper and lower the assembly back onto the rotor. Gently tap it down into place with the hammer, if necessary. Apply some brake pad grease to the smooth part of your caliper bolt and reinstall the bolt finger-tight. Remove the top caliper bolt, grease the smooth part of its shaft and reinstall it. Torque the bolts to whatever torque setting your repair manual recommends, reinstall the wheels and lower the car.
