All of a sudden, the brakes (rear) are making a rubbing sound. Could it somehow be caused by dust? The car is parked on the street and it’s been VERY dry here lately. When I used the car a few days ago, they sounded fine. Reason to bring it to our mechanic or not? It’s a 1995 Chrysler Concorde.
Thanks!
Double check your parking brake. It may not be fully released. Another option is to go to a deserted area and slam on the brakes a few times. If the rubbing continues…you need to go see a good independent mechanic.
That noise you hear is quite probably the worn out brake grinding against the rotor. If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, get it looked at before it ruins your rotor. At this point, there is a good possibility that the rotor can be resurfaced on a machine called a brake lathe. If it goes too far, that will not be a possibility.
It’s your brakes. They are not to be ignored. The life you save may be mine.
I think the rear brakes on this vehicle have drum brakes. Rotors could have been an option though.
Disc brakes were an option. Either way, disc or drum, it sounds like your brakes are simply worn out.
The only one I’m familiar with has disc brakes on the rear. I was not aware that they were optional.
Rust on the brake surfaces can be another cause for this symptom. If it has been raining there recently, and then the car has been sitting a few days afterward, that’s a possibility. If it is that, the noise will gradually go away as you use the car. The more frequent the use, the quicker it will go away.
I expect you know whether the brakes have been serviced on schedule or not. If you are in doubt, get them appraised by someone who knows how.
The OP says it has been VERY dry where they are so the rain theory is probably not valid.
Yes, it’s been very dry here, which I why I’d been hoping that dust might have gotten into the brakes, but I guess that’s unlikely. If it had been that the parking brake somehow failed to release all the way and I drove around a bit with the parking brake partially engaged, have I totally wrecked the brakes?
Nope. But you do need to get them looked at.
Thanks, everyone. I’m off to get them checked today!
No, they’re not totally wrecked. They’re a normal wear item that are probably just due for pad and possibly rotor replacement