My park brake is making noise and must be dirty and possibly corroding. What should I use to lube it and will a release all lube spray do the trick? My rear brake is also squeeking like the rotor is warped ever since I had some lame ass mechanic put on new calipers. He says brake squeeks are normal. I'm pissed. should I be? The damn thing squeeks even when I don't press on the brake. Is that normal?

Another Torontonian here.

What makes you think it is the parking brake making the noise? The p-brake is a separate drum brake within the rotor. The cables often crack their waterproofing jacket and allow water to get inside and bind the cable. The only way to lube them is by pulling the rotors but cable replacement may be the only fix.

If it is the disc brake making noise, then either the slide pins needs cleaning or rust and lube with silicone grease (Sil-glyde is a popular one), or the cutouts in the bracket may be rusty and causing the inner pads to bind when the brake is released.

There are a couple reasons why your parking brake is making noise-- the only way to know for sure is to remove the rear rotors and have a look at the mechanism. The pivot mechanism that the cable attaches to at each wheel often seizes, resulting in sticky brakes. This in turn often results in the shoes either wearing prematurely or even shucking their linings.

Warped rotors don't cause squeaking, they cause pulsation at the pedal. Squeaking is usually caused by unwanted resonance that can be abated by use of shim sets (the genuine Volvo ones work well) and by careful lubrication (with either silicone brake grease or high temperature antiseize compound).

Squeaking even when the brake isn't applied means you need to look into this ASAP. If you jack up the offending side and try to spin the wheel in neutral, is it easy or does it bind?

Whatever you do, don't spray lube on your brakes!

Good luck!
--
Herb Goltz, Aurora, Ontario, Canada '92 245 w/124K mi, '92 945T w/200K mi

Thanks very much Herb. I'll take a look at them brakes. No lube spray!
I noticed you live in Aurora. I live in Toronto. High fives!
Cheers,
Lindy.

Definitely no spray lube!

I live in Aurora but work in Toronto...

Did I see a promotion for some of your music on MSN Messenger today?

Cheers!
--
Herb Goltz, Aurora, Ontario, Canada '92 245 w/124K mi, '92 945T w/200K mi

Yes that was me.
http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/Music/Orange is the link to the videos they did.
Cheers,
Lindy.