Anti-Squeal Brake Shims & Noise Reduction
Anti-Squeal Brake Shims & Noise Reduction
Anti-squeal shims sit between the brake pad backing plate and the caliper piston to damp the high-frequency vibration that turns into brake squeal. Chicane Australia stocks shims to suit a range of Japanese and European platforms, from daily-driven street cars around Sydney to weekend track cars headed for The Bend. It's a small part that solves an annoying problem, and worth adding any time pads are replaced or calipers are rebuilt.
Shop by Vehicle
Anti-squeal shims are matched to pad shape and caliper type, not to a model badge, so the same shim can cover several cars that share a caliper. That means a WRX, a GR86 or a Euro platform running the same pad shape may take the same shim. Check the pad part number or caliper type against the shim listing before ordering, and get in touch if you're unsure which one suits your setup.
Shop by Product Type
- Standard multi-layer shims for OEM and common aftermarket pad shapes
- Shims suited to performance calipers and big brake kit pad shapes
- Titanium brake shims for lower weight and better heat isolation between pad and piston
Why Anti-Squeal Shims
Squeal happens when the pad vibrates against the rotor and that vibration carries through the caliper. A shim breaks up that resonance before it becomes noise. We stock more than one shim style because pad shapes and caliper designs vary so much across the platforms we sell for, and a shim that suits one caliper won't suit another. Standard shims cover most street and daily use. Titanium shims are worth a look on track-focused builds, where the main benefit is slowing heat transfer from the pad into the piston and brake fluid.
Fitment & Installation
Shims fit to the back of the pad, between the backing plate and the caliper piston or bracket, before the pad goes in. Most installers fit fresh shims with every pad change rather than reusing old ones, since the damping layers flatten out over time. A light smear of high-temp brake grease on the shim contact points (never on the friction face) is standard practice. Match shim shape to your exact pad and caliper combination: some aftermarket pads differ slightly from OEM shapes on the same car, and some performance pads are designed to run without a shim at all.
Pair with the rest of your build
FAQ
Will an anti-squeal shim fit any pad?
No. Shims are shaped around specific pad and caliper combinations, so check fitment against your pad part number first.
Do I need new shims every time I change pads?
It's good practice. The damping layers lose effectiveness with heat cycling, so new shims with new pads give the quietest result.
Standard or titanium shims?
Standard shims are the sensible choice for street and daily driving. Titanium suits track use, where cutting heat transfer into the caliper and fluid matters more than noise.
Can shims fix squeal on their own?
They help a lot, but ongoing noise can also point to glazed pads, worn or missing hardware, dry slide pins, or a rotor surface that needs attention.
Do you ship anti-squeal shims Australia-wide?
Yes, Chicane ships across Australia.
Not sure which shim suits your pads or calipers? Send us your pad part number and we'll point you to the right one.
