Brake squeal. Is it normal?

[JARichmond]

Howdy y'all. If you can't tell, it seems I'm super knowledgeable when it comes to someone else's bike but won't go near my own without a second and third opinion . So here's my question to you (it's two parts):
1) I've had my bike running for a while and take it for little putts here and there . One thing I've noticed since it started going was that the front disk brake squeals whenever applied. I know that squeaking is normal on some metallic compound brakes, but I'm just not sure if it's something I should be expecting and treating as normal, or I should be replacing my brakes.
2) I inspected my brakes not terribly long ago and noticed one pad was wearing much faster than the other . There's still a lot of material on both, as I can still see the wear bars, but when it comes time for a brake renewal should I be pulling my caliper apart and ordering a rebuild kit/upgrading my brake system?

Thanks

 

[Lou Ranger]

I was worrying/wondering(?) about the same thing.
Don't have an answer myself but will be watching this topic hoping for one.

Anecdotally, I have been told by auto mechanics that car companies have done all sorts of things to minimize disc brake squeal - NOT because it is anything to worry about, but simply because customers complain to dealers about the noise, expecting that their new cars (costing more than my first house) should be totally quiet.

Don't know if that is true - or just a mechanic trying to explain away his inability to do my brakes properly.
I'm hoping the former. If so, it's doubtful that the art of making quiet disc brakes was very far advanced 30 years ago.

 

[JARichmond]

Expensive brakes are supposed to squeal (just an fyi) because they are made from compounds containing ceramics, iron flecks, and various other fancy friction materials (which is why buses and big-ass trucks are so loud when coming to a stop). When the flecks contact the rotor they sound like nails on a chalkboard. As an aside, I know that asbestos is all carcinogenic and crap, but not even the carbon ceramic brakes of next week have the same heat-absorbing, moisture resisting, and quiet properties as asbestos does.

 

[ThePsuedoMonkey]

Unless you ride it every day, the brakes will squeal at some point. Pads wearing at different rates is not a big deal, and not really worth the effort to fix in most situations. It just means you'll have to replace the set a little sooner than normal. That said; were the pads not wearing evenly would be a different story.
No asbestos for me, thanks. My uncle used to be an insulator

 

[Lou Ranger]

Expensive brakes are supposed to squeal (just an fyi) because they are made from compounds containing ceramics, iron flecks, and various other fancy friction materials...

I must have expensive brakes then ...

 

[jayel]

depends is it like a teeny girl at a Bieber concert or a full throated hog squeal? make sure the caliper floats free on it's mounting pins coat them and the pad clips with anti-seize compound (red circles)

 

[Lou Ranger]

depends is it like a teeny girl at a Bieber concert or a full throated hog squeal? make sure the caliper floats free on it's mounting pins coat them and the pad clips with anti-seize compound (red circles)

Mine's like a teeny girl, just before she passes out.
Any particular type of anti-seize compound - i.e., copper/aluminum/nickel & graphite base, metal free base, moly-based?

 

[jayel]

I use the silver stuff but a moly grease would work as well, half of the solution is being aware of the problem, you'll tend to keep ahead of the problem