Squeak from brake(s)?
 

Had a really annoying problem with our 97k miles 1998 5-door turbo classic (2-pot/276mm front brakes) for a long while now. After 10 miles or so of driving an intermittent squeak comes from one or more wheels. Suspect front but very difficult to tell. It's loud enough to make people look and pretty loud inside the car when passing nearby walls/shop windows with a window down. The noise disappears as soon as the footbrake is touched, but not the handbrake, then reappears immediately.

Have spent ages trying to identify which side/end is to blame but very difficult as it only happens after time and is not apparent when rotating individual wheels by hand. We've had all discs/pads replaced more than once, callipers checked and backplates changed, pad edges chamfered, anti-squeal shims replaced, and wheel bearings inspected for wear. The only thing that made a difference for a while was having the O/S calliper floating mount hardware replaced but it was very hard finding new replacement parts and they had to be shipped from Japan on special order. As a consequence don't fancy trying the same on the N/S which may or may not be the problem anyway.

Had thought of a 4-pot/294mm front brake upgrade but believe this will not fit under our standard 16" alloys.

Anyone had a similar problem and found a cure?

Depending on your alloys 4 pot WILL fit under 16"alloys, either the 5 spoke sti style or the 6 spoke alloys. Have you copper slipped the back of the pads and ears when replacing the pads?

Did do the Copperslip thing with the pads a couple of times. We have two sets of wheels - one for summer and one for winter. They look like these:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps3fmrc2le.jpg

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z...pss8owrv9u.jpg

4 pots do fit under the second set you posted as they're tye same as v5/6 sti alloys. Unsure about the first set you posted. Are they from a hawkeye?

Aye. Graphite wheels are off a Hawkeye. Managed to find a decent set with Michelin 4.5mm tyres for £70. Bloke even dropped them round!

I had exactly the same symptoms on my Bugeye Wagon a few years ago. Took it to Scoobyclinic as the noise was embarrassing to say the least; they replaced the front calipers and hey presto, noise gone and has remained that way since they were replaced !

Was that with standard floating callipers or 4-pots?

im guessing the squealing could be the slider in the calliper itself, 4 pot pistons don't tend to squeal much iirc

4-pots - front brakes would squeak intermittently after 10-15 miles of driving and the only way of stopping the squeek was to press the brake pedal. I had to get the guys at scoobyclinic to take the car out for an extended run as they couldn't find the fault at first. Once it manifested itself during the drive they sorted it. I can't remember what exactly it was (possibly seized pistons?) but they put on some reconditioned 4-pots from a donor car and the high pitch squeal never came back.