Loud front brakes

GEM Forum
1

Hi,

I’m surprised at how noisy the front (hydraulic disc) brakes are on my 2012 e4. (They are both noisy when the brakes are applied, and there is also significant drag noise when the brakes are not applied.) Even though the cart is a few years old it has only 250 miles. (I just got it, so I don’t know if the noise has existed since the factory.) The non-swept area of the rotors are quite rusted, but not rubbing on anything. The swept area seems clean, and there is plenty of meat on the pads. I’m new to GEMs. Is it possible that the OEM brakes just happen to be really noisy?

Thanks,

TJ

2

there is some natural brake noise on the GEM. There is also the regenerative braking noise that occurs also when braking, so not all of it is just brake noise from the pads.

3

The noise I’m experiencing is not regen noise it is excessive pad noise. I’m just gonna deal with it.

I’m more concerned with the fact that there doesn’t seem to be anyway to adjust the camber on this thing. It has more positive camber than I would expect. In order to get the tires to wear properly I’d like to neutralize it. Am I missing something? How does one adjust camber on a 2012 GEM?

TJ

4

Before you do any thing else, check your toe. To much toe in pulls the wheels in at the bottom.

5

Thanks. I’ll do that this weekend.

TJ

6

I finally got back to the cart and could check the tow. It looks fine.

TJ

7

Ours also make the brake noise. Consider that a GEM is much less sound insulated than a typical car. If it gets annoying, the glaze can be sanded off the pads. Excessive camber is often the result of worn shocks. If the top of the wheels are closer together than the bottom, they are likely worn out. Got one in the shop now for shocks. GEM shocks are not cheap.

Daniel

8

You could have too much toe in. 1/16 to 1/8 is a good rule of the thumb. Too much toe out will give negative camber.

[quote=GEMmechanic;22090]Ours also make the brake noise. Consider that a GEM is much less sound insulated than a typical car. If it gets annoying, the glaze can be sanded off the pads. Excessive camber is often the result of worn shocks. If the top of the wheels are closer together than the bottom, they are likely worn out. Got one in the shop now for shocks. GEM shocks are not cheap.

Daniel[/quote]

Sorry it has taken me forever to respond. Life got in the way of toys for a while.

My problem is not worn shocks. I have excessive positive camber (the tops are further apart).

TJ