Method of making disc brake pads

1. A method of designing disc brake pads, comprising the steps of:

developing a finite element model of a precursor brake pad design comprising a backing plate and a friction pad having a center section, an outer edge, an inner edge and a friction surface using dimensional and material property information of the backing plate and the friction pad to perform a normal mode analysis of the precursor brake pad design;

performing the normal mode analysis using the finite element model to determine whether there is an area on the friction surface having an excitation amplitude that is greater than a threshold value of amplitude; and

modifying the precursor brake pad design to provide a modified brake pad design having a relieved portion in the area if an area having an excitation amplitude greater than the threshold value is determined.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the area is located in the center section of the brake pad proximate the outer edge or the inner edge, the step of modifying the precursor brake pad design provides a relieved portion in the center section along at least one of the outer edge or the inner edge of the brake pad.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relieved portion comprises an outer relieved portion located along the center section of the outer edge.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relieved portion comprises an inner relieved portion located along the center section of the inner edge.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relieved portion comprises an outer relieved portion located along the center section of the outer edge and an inner relieved portion located along the center section of the inner edge.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relieved portion comprises at least one of a V-shaped chamfer, a V-shaped notch or a U-shaped notch.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein if an area is located in an end section of the brake pad proximate the outer edge or the inner edge, the step of modifying the precursor brake pad design provides an end chamfer in the end section along at least one of the outer edge or the inner edge of the brake pad.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the end chamfer is on both of the first end and the second end and is one of a parallel chamfer, a radial chamfer or a diamond chamfer.