So about 2 months ago I got front brake work done, along with a new caliper and caliper hose on the driver side wheel
I now here and feel grinding when I brake but it ONLY does it after been driven for a long distance at only low speeds, when coming to a stop, as if something is expanding and dragging. I kind of sounds metallic like metal on metal
I took it back to the shop and they took the brakes apart, even checked the rear brakes, test drove it and said they could not find the problem. They assured me they’d replace the brakes if needed. But I guess they want me to replicate the noise for then and then bring it in so they can hear it
My concern is, yes he said they could replace the brakes, but what if it’s the caliper doing this? Would they replace that? I spent over 700$ and hope they can solve this problem hoping it’s under warranty. What are your thoughts? Also here’s a pic of the rotors, are they supposed to look like this? They told menot to worry about it.
That is cheap, the dealer charges that much for a basic front brake pad/shim replacement with rotor resurfacing, but they don’t use cheap noisy brake pads.
Perhaps whatever scored that line in brake rotor was corrected, but the tech dismissed it as a non-issue (debris).
On the other hand, a low-speed brake growl is not an uncommon complaint, it is related to the type of compound in the friction material.
Since they took a second look, wouldn’t they have noticed this? I don’t know what I should do. If I ask them to replace the brakes. I don’t know what I could do to prevent this happening again
Saw your post about the grinding coming back after the caliper work — frustrating, especially after already paying for it once. If it’s useful, happy to give you my honest take on whether “couldn’t reproduce it” + “don’t worry about those marks” really adds up here, or what I’d push them to check next before it happens again.
Please. The only thing I can think of is recreate the noise and bring it back I don’t want them replacing something and then it happening again.
Today actually it was happening again when I was working, then but the free way to go to his shop and it wasn’t as present so I took it home (not wanting him to check something that’s not there). I’m at loss
I’ve had DIYer’s bring their vehicles to me because the brakes made noise after the pads and rotors were replaced. And most times it was caused by not properly bedding the pads into the rotors..
Looking at your images, it looks like rotors are glazed, and if they’re glazed so are the brake pads
The only way to fix this is to replace pads and rotors because there has to be the proper finish on both in order to properly bed the pads into the rotors.
BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT
Some brands and grades of aftermarket brake linings are quieter than others. So you may have to experiment with several different ones to find the quietest set for a given application. But whatever you do, do not substitute asbestos or non asbestos organic (NAO) pads for semi metallic pads unless the friction material supplier says it is okay to do so. Asbestos and NAO do tend to be quieter than semi metallics but can’t withstand the heat that semi metallics can. Consequently, if you swap asbestos or NAO for semi metallics in a front-wheel drive car or minivan where the brakes run hot, it can reduce the life of the linings significantly (up to half or more!) and increase the risk of overheating and brake fade.
After you have installed the new pads, it is a good idea to break them in (unless the pads are the “fully cured” type that do not require an initial break-in period). Not breaking in a new set of pads increases your risk of pad glazing and brake noise. A driver can glaze and ruin a new set of pads if he fails to go easy on the brakes for the first 200 miles. If he overheats the brakes by mashing down on the brake pedal at every stop light, he can cook the resin in the pads before it can cure and glaze the pads.
Pads that require an initial break-in can usually be seated by making 20 to 30 easy stops from about 30 mph with at least 30 seconds between brake applications so the brake pads have enough time to cool.
Whether a new set of brake pads need to be broken-in or not, you should still test drive the vehicle to make sure the brakes are operating properly and that your efforts to eliminate the noise problem have been successful.
New hardware, quality brake pads and shims will reduce brake noise complaints.
You received a budget brake job; noisy brake pads, reuse of the shims and hardware.
Your brake pad shims are dirty, bent and aftermarket. This kink should not be present, the shims should be flat. That bend in the shim is not causing the noise, but it is an indication of a rushed low budget job.
Our longterm shop has access to Akebono brake pads being a Napa shop, They’ve checked the brakes on our 2010 Prius every 5k and we’ve never had to give hack with noise complaints after a brake job. They used a third of the building in 1993, now using the whole space.
Probably cheaper and easier to find a different shop close to them but here it is. 33yrs and counting, pulled them out of the yellow pages and gave them a chance on a 30k service,
I wasn’t being sincere, you have a favorite repair shop and a favored brake brand, but this doesn’t help the OP.
I suspect your point was you are satisfied with an aftermarket brand of brake pad. Many are satisfactory but I have seen a lot of poor-quality brake pad shims that don’t fit well and shift out of place.
A better job would have also included machining and/or replacing the rotors, as well as thoroughly brushing off all the crud and making sure the hardware is in good shape. Sometimes, it’s better off just replacing the caliper pins, boots, etc.
Could very well be someone else has a very different opinion, fwiw
Exactly what brand brake pads were used, btw . . . ?
ceramic?
I can tell it wasn’t Wagner Thermo"quiet" . . . which I think is absolute GARBAGE and the opposite of quiet . . . so at least they didn’t make THAT mistake
Hardware is definitely a possibility, especially since the noise started after the brake work and hardware/shims can cause brake noise if they’re worn, loose, or not sitting correctly. But I wouldn’t point to that as the answer yet.
A couple things would help narrow it down: does the noise happen only when you’re braking, or can you hear it while you’re just rolling with your foot off the pedal? Can you tell which wheel it’s coming from? And does it get worse after you’ve been driving for a while compared with when the brakes are cold?
Also, do you know if they replaced the small brake hardware/clips/shims when they installed the new caliper, or did they reuse the existing ones? No worries if you don’t know.
