Brake pad noise and quality

Tags: #brake-pad · #noise · #front-axle · #caliper

Brake pad squeal is a recurring, cross-brand complaint in the community. No single supplier is squeal-free across all reports; the pattern below is useful for setting expectations, not a definitive verdict on any one brand.

Mytishchi pads — split experience (April 2024)

Community split on Russian-manufactured "Mytishchi" pad quality: some report 1000 km with no issues and a good price; others report squeaking starting around 1000 km, reduced braking effectiveness (especially cold/in traffic), and high-temperature howling. Likely explanation: installation quality or pad-batch softness variation rather than a uniform defect.¹²³⁴⁵ Conflict: kosta77777 reports a good experience after 1000 km, while Dmitriy (id 451764349) reports severe squeaking and Arapin reports reduced effectiveness; differences may stem from disc condition and driving style.²³

Chinese-sourced vs Russian-sourced pads

Russian-manufactured ("Mytishchi") pads reported to squeal and generate excessive dust. A Chinese-sourced alternative (from mainland China suppliers, ~150–160 CNY (RU market, Oct 2024), obtained as a gift rather than purchased) performed better — less noise, cleaner. Durability not yet confirmed at time of report.⁶⁷⁸⁹¹⁰

Aftermarket pads from "kitzap" — persistent squeal

One owner ordered front pads from kitzap (Chinese-sourced supplier); pads began squeaking after one week and continued. Low-cost aftermarket pads often have squeal issues; pads with proper anti-squeal shims (like original FAW parts) are recommended instead.¹¹¹²

Separately, multiple owners report front pad squeaking from new, sourced from different suppliers (KitZap, Ozon) — one owner tried 3 different sets with continuous squeaking. Root cause unclear: candidates are pad quality, disc surface finish, or installation error. Recommendation: try a different supplier, or have a shop verify installation and disc condition.^1314151617

KORWIN KWBP0119 — early impressions and break-in

Tested 2024-10-10: no squeaking, noise, or dust on day one. A break-in period of ~400 km is needed before final judgment; one report notes squeaking may develop after 1000 km. Pads seated well with no mounting play. By comparison, unspecified China-sourced pads squealed within 10 km and produced significant dust — KORWIN looked superior in early use.^1819202122 (See the front-brake-pads card for the KORWIN part number and fitment.)

Pad color as a quality signal

Black-colored brake pads from budget vendors are reported as poor quality and prone to squeaking; original grey-compound pads are reported superior for both noise and longevity. Several other cards in this section independently recommend light-gray pads over darker compounds for the same reason.²³

Squeal on new discs+pads — brand undecided (Jul 2025)

One owner installed new front discs together with unbranded "kitzap"-sourced pads and got severe squealing immediately — initially suspected the old worn discs were the culprit, but the squeal appeared even with the new discs, pointing at the pads. General mechanism cited: high metallic content in the pad compound squeals more as it heats up. The owner was still deciding between TRIALLI ceramic pads and another mid-price ceramic option at the time of the report — no firm brand verdict, but the takeaway is to prefer ceramic-compound pads at a mid-range price point over unbranded budget pads to avoid this failure mode.²⁴²⁵

Deep-dive: Mytishchi squeal troubleshooting and root-cause discussion (Jun 2024)

A long community thread revisited the Mytishchi-pad squeal problem (see the split-experience section above) with more diagnostic detail: - One owner went through 4 sets of Mytishchi pads, resurfacing the discs and replacing pads each time, with the squeal returning within a week.²⁶ Rear pads on this car occasionally creak too, especially when reversing — a separate, apparently minor symptom.²⁷²⁸ - Lubrication as a fix: applying MS1600 grease to the caliper/pad contact points and (carefully, sparingly) under the anti-squeal shim can help — but not all Mytishchi pads have an anti-squeal shim/plate to lubricate under in the first place, which limits this fix for some batches.^2930313233 - Conflict on OEM pads: one participant states original FAW pads are not a guarantee against squeal either — it has happened even on originals.³⁴ - Overall Mytishchi verdict is mixed, not uniformly bad: they were originally suggested in the group specifically as a low-cost option, no one is forced to buy them; complaints in the chat are a minority of reports (a couple about squeaking, plus some about "wooden"/vague pedal feel under braking); many owners run them without complaint. Result variance is attributed to luck-of-the-batch plus disc condition.³⁵ A contrasting report: discs+pads both sourced from Mytishchi squealed loudly, not immediately but after a few brake applications; switching to a different pad brand resolved it; these Mytishchi pads reportedly ship without anti-squeal shims at all.³⁶ - Extended field report (>3,000 km on Mytishchi pads): squeal occurs specifically when braking gently in traffic/at lights, plus a "wooden" (vague/spongy) brake feel; discs were labeled Japan-made (authenticity unverified) and matched to Mazda GG sizing; for comparison, the originally-fitted B50/Masuma-brand pads had knocked (loose in the ears/retention lugs) and also squealed badly despite biting hard. Net assessment: Mytishchi pads are ~800 RUB (RU market, June 2024) but perform at roughly a ~1,200 RUB quality level, and are reliably in stock — the best available option until something more consistently quiet is found.³⁷ Independently confirmed: Mytishchi pads whistle under braking on another owner's car too.³⁸ - Community suggestion following this: whoever finds a pad that is 100% non-squealing and reasonably priced should post the specific product link, so the group can standardize on a known-good option instead of everyone individually gambling on brands.³⁹⁴⁰ - Most-cited root causes, from an owner who has diagnosed this repeatedly: (1) the transverse groove in the friction material clogs with debris — a small stone gets lodged and can't escape, causing scraping/squeal (see also the separate stone-in-caliper case below); (2) the pad retention-ear contact plates get gunked up and the pad doesn't retract from the disc by the correct clearance during normal driving — some owners make this worse by over-greasing these plates, since the grease itself then attracts and traps dirt, which can eventually block pad retraction entirely. Suggested fix: disassemble, resurface, and clean thoroughly; if that doesn't hold, spray brake cleaner onto the described contact points with the wheel off and the disc spinning by hand.⁴¹ - Ozon listings referenced in this thread: B5CA03328ZA (OEM FAW front pads) at 2,249 RUB, and Mytishchi-brand pads around 800 RUB (RU market, June 2024).^42434445

Stone/foreign-object lodged in caliper — intermittent noise

A small stone or pebble can become trapped inside the brake caliper assembly, causing a squealing or grinding noise that comes and goes with driving conditions (may worsen in turns or under gentle braking). One reported case turned out to be a glass shard rather than a stone. This matches the "clogged transverse groove" mechanism described in the Mytishchi deep-dive above — a second, independently-reported owner suspects they had the same issue previously, based on matching symptoms (noise that later disappeared on its own once the object presumably worked its way out). Diagnosis requires disassembling the brake area to visually inspect and remove the object.^4647484950

Front whistle from uneven pad wear — check the divider before replacing the caliper

Front brake whistle is often traced to uneven pad wear (more wear on one side, typically the left). Before replacing an expensive caliper (суппорт), first check it for a stuck piston or dried-out/seized guide pins — these are cheaper to fix with a repair kit (piston-only or guide-pins-only; see the brake-caliper-repair-kits card) than a full caliper swap. The brake-force divider (тормозной кран/regulator) can also fail and cause uneven pad wear, so it should be checked alongside the caliper rather than assumed to be a caliper-only problem. Replacing individual worn components (guides, piston, seals) separately is cheaper than a full caliper replacement.^{51525354555657}

UIDNU YD52002 ceramic pads — whistle returned after initial success (conflict)

The front-brake-pads card documents UIDNU YD52002 as resolving earlier whistling complaints on the restyled X80. A later report complicates that: after switching to UIDNU YD52002 — which initially performed well — the whistle reappeared after about 2 days of driving, showing that even a well-regarded ceramic pad can develop noise over time, not only on first install. Community observation from the same thread: whistle risk looks roughly similar across cheap and expensive brands alike (e.g. "Mytishchi" pads at ~700 RUB; RU market, July 2024), and a comparison from a Camry owner needed 4 different pad sets before finding a quiet combination — reinforcing that pad noise is highly batch/installation dependent rather than a reliable brand signal.⁵⁸⁵⁹⁶⁰ Conflict: earlier messages in the same community thread (see the front-brake-pads card) praised UIDNU YD52002 as whistle-free; this later report shows the whistle returned after 2 days on at least one car.

Budget pad squeaking within 500 km (shop-installed)

One owner installed aftermarket budget pads (likely from the Zikert/Zekkert family, sourced from a local shop) that produced severe squeaking within 500 km, described as comparable to a UAZ truck's brakes at traffic lights. Installation was performed by shop mechanics, not the owner — ruling out an obvious DIY installation error as the sole cause.⁶¹

General squeaking diagnostics checklist

Squeaking on budget pads is relatively rare; when it happens, check: (1) the caliper piston stroke for partial binding/sticking, which causes uneven pad wear, disc overheating, and unpredictable braking; (2) caliper guide-pin condition and lubrication (see the guide-pin maintenance section on the brake-caliper-repair-kits card). Genuine OEM pads are available for roughly 10,000 RUB (RU market, March 2024) as a known-quiet fallback if aftermarket squeal persists. Community consensus: squeaking is more often an installation or pad-material issue than a defective part.^62636465

Rubber-like squeal when braking: silent blocks or grit

A rubber-like squeal when braking can come from upper front-arm silent blocks (rubber-metal bushings, сайлентблоки) that are due for replacement, or from grit lodged between a pad and the disc. The grit cause often follows driving through mud or puddles and can also cause vibration. No fix or cost was given.⁶⁶

Brand differences and checking fitment before buying

• A factory video claims that many pad brands are made on one line for different customers and differ mainly in formulation or specification; the factory's robotic line was not shown on camera. A member replies that a shared factory is plausible but the products may still differ by each customer's technical specification, so the claim does not make brands equivalent.⁶⁷⁶⁸
• To find pads that fit the X80, search online parts shops for pads listed "под X80" (for X80), ask the seller to check the stock against a fitment measurement and send a photo of it, and buy only if the measurement matches.⁶⁹

Media

Ozon product listing for B5CA03328ZA OEM FAW X80 front brake pads, priced 2,249 RUB, showing product composition

Ozon product listing continuation for the B5CA03328ZA OEM pads

Photo of Mytishchi-brand brake pads (~800 RUB) referenced in the squeal troubleshooting discussion

Comparison photo showing pad quality differences between Mytishchi and OEM pads

Video showing a small stone/glass shard wedged inside the brake caliper assembly; visible dust/dirt accumulation around the brake area

Related pages

• Front brake pads
• Brake caliper repair kits
• Brake pads, discs & caliper parts
• Brake pad wear rate — front vs rear
• Front brake discs

Sources

This page is compiled from 69 community messages. Every fact carries a numbered reference to its original author and message.

Last updated: 2026-10-29