[jason]

Squealing breaks are quite possibly the most annoying thing drivers can deal with. Not only does the squealing brake noise annoy you, the owner of the vehicle; it annoys everyone around you as well! If you start to hear that annoying squeal every time you hit your brakes, it is time to get them checked out. The squeal you hear coming from your breaks is no more than vibration. It is usually caused by vibration between the brake pads and rotors on cars that use disk brakes and between the drums and brake shoes on vehicles that utilize drum brakes.
Squealing breaks can be very disconcerting to many people. Does it mean there is something wrong with the brakes on the vehicle because they are squealing? Sometimes, it does mean there is a brake problem with the vehicle. However, break squeal is actually pretty normal on many vehicles. The only way to know if there is a problem is to get the brakes inspected by a professional auto mechanic. If the mechanic finds nothing wrong, you can quit worrying. If the squeal continues to annoy you, you can try a number of things to address it.
First and foremost, cleaning the drums can limit the squealing as can replacing or resurfacing the pads or rotors. The cheapest way to deal with break squeal is to maybe try lubricating the calipers. If you do not know how to do this, get your local auto mechanic to do it for you. It only takes a few moments and is not really all that expensive. If none of these ideas curb the annoying break squeal emanating from under your vehicle, you may want to simply replace your current brake pads with a different brand.
If your brake pads do not fit tightly, they will vibrate when you use them. When the brake pads vibrate, they squeal. Not all brake pads are created equal. Some brands, especially manufacturer-recommended brands, will fit your car much better than others. There is usually a trade off. Buying OEM or off the shelf brakes will usually be less expensive than buying name brand models. However, there is always a chance that they will not fit as well. If you find yourself dealing with brakes that simply will not stop squealing no matter what you do, it might be time to purchase a good set of name-brand brakes from the dealer.
Although installing name brand brakes may help alleviate annoying brake squeal, this isn’t necessarily the cure-all. Your vehicle’s brake calipers must also fit well if you hope to reduce or eliminate squealing brakes. You will find that name brand brake calipers, just as you did with the brakes themselves, will often fit better than off the shelf stuff. If you really want to get serious about curbing your break squeal, you should buy and install name brand calipers in addition to name brand brake pads. Installing name brand equipment may be more expensive but you may soon find that the extra expense is well worth the peace of mind!