Thread: Metal to metal grinding sound

Sup guys, i'm having a little trouble figuring this out. Last night when I was at at the drive thru, I noticed a metal to metal grinding sound coming from the driver side of my 04 NA. So I was like well damn, did my pads go out already? So this morning I went to autozone and bought everything since I didn't have a spare car to go back and forth in case I forgot something. So I bought rotors and pads all around. I only had about 2 hours to switch everything out because I had to go to work. Front pads looked fine. They weren't down to the wear sensors yet but rotors were a little warped, enough for my steering wheel to shake a little when I braked. Switched out the rotors and pads in the front. I started the rear driver side but got stuck due to the new pads have a little stud looking thing for that backing plate on the back of the pad. I turned the caliper as far back as it would go but it still would not clear that little stud and would not let the caliper sit exactly right onto the bracket. So since I was running short of time, I just put the old pads back on for the time being until saturday when i'm off. Also, the rear pads were not worn down to the wear sensor either. Drove to work and the damn sound is still there! Just as loud as before. So I have a couple of questions.

1. On the new pads where that little stud thing is at for the rear, is it a bad caliper that is not going as far back as it can therefore it's not clearing that stud or am I going to have to shave that stud down enough for the caliper to clear it?

2. What the **** is that grinding sound?! I will take a video later on today when I get off and see if yall can get a better idea.

3. When I got to work, I checked the rotors and it already has "lines" on the rotor surface. Is that normal or should the rotor be completely smooth looking like when they are brand new out of the box?

Any help is appreciated fellas, thanks.

So I am having to assume that the grinding noise is only during braking since you went straight for pads and rotors?

Does the noise change as you move from one lane to the next, does it increase with speed of the car or engine speed?

Jeff

The noise will stop if I step on the brakes. No it does not change if I move from one lane to the next and no it does not increase with speed or rpm's. I did stop at the store on the way to work down the street and when I left, it stopped making the noise or I couldn't hear it anymore.

Originally Posted by ScottyDoggs

you may have ran some thing over and dented the dust guard in a bit and its rubbing the rotor. jack the car up spin the wheel in question and listen for the sound, then take the wheel off if you hear it from that wheel and check the dust shield. it may have also worn off where it was rubbing, still worth a check.


old rotors gets grooves when worn out. if they have never been cut before its worth it to cut them and pop new pads in. cutting aka: resurfacing is cheaper then new rotors.

need a pic of the caliper and pads issue, if the piston is flush when turned in thats as far as it goes. if not flush it maybe new caliper time, or rebuild it if your up to that kind of work.

I'll jack the car up this weekend and have a look see. I heard it mostly at low speeds and after going 40-45 mph for a couple of miles and slowed down, it disappeared. You mean the dust shield on the rear brakes right?

I've looked for places around here to turn the rotors but they charge too much or don't do it anymore. One place charged almost as much as replacing the rotor.

I'll get a pic of the pad later today and post that. Should the caliper stop turning when it's as far as back as it can or will it keep turning regardless? Because it kept turning but would not go in any further.

I don't remember seeing any dust covers on the rear of my 05' but when I looked I was looking only at the pad life left when I was getting new tires. I'll look tonight or take a pic in a few. I would agree with Scotty though as I have had that very same thing happen with a chunk of tire on the freeway ended up bending the dust cover into the rotor. I used a screwdriver to pry it back out and went on my way.

Jeff

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This is sort of what the dust shield in the rear looks like. The front do not have any. It didn't look bent but I was sort of rushing and didn't really pay attention.

But like I said, i'll jack it up this weekend and check it out. I'll also post that pic up of that pad here in a little bit.

Also, the rear spun freely with the old pads on but would not budge with the new pads. What would be the symptoms of a bad master cylinder? Just the softness in the pedal or something else?

Gotcha. Guess i'll see what happens Saturday when I jack it up.

Complete pad

Little stud thing I was talking about

What front rotor looks like after I got to work

Originally Posted by ScottyDoggs

if the old pads dont have that nub take the pads back, or grind em off if the pads are the same shape as the old ones.

the front rotor looks ok to me. its not to beat up at all. id slap new pads right on there, return the new rotors.

The pads are the same shape and they fit. The caliper just gets caught on it and won't sit quite right because of it. I'm just going to get some new calipers because I really believe the calipers are getting stuck and not going back as far as it should be. And the rotor is the new one I just put on. I was js that's what they look like new an if there was any sign of a sticky caliper. I just replaced the calipers a few months ago.

Originally Posted by ScottyDoggs

they look fine to me.

with new pads, i like to just drive the car easy for a day or two to slowing bed the brakes. in a day or two you feel em come in and work better. nice light braking, no standing on the pedal and hard stopping. like grand ma lol

Oh I never even brake that way normally anyways. Haha. Only time I really get on them is when somebody is about to hit me or something. Would you recommend a brake fluid flush as well since I have to bleed the calipers anyway?

http://vid919.photobucket.com/albums...pste2vlbxy.mp4

Here's a video of the noise. Narrowed it down to the rear driver side wheel making the noise.