So I replaced front disc breaks on an old 2004 Grand Am. I’m quite sure the scraping sound is coming from the break pad retaining clips rubbing on the rotor (as that’s exactly what it sounds like, a thin piece of metal scraping across a solid piece of metal, increasing in frequency with speed, no change when applying the breaks), but am puzzled as to the fix. There is only one way the clips can be seated as they have shims on the outside that seat snug on the caliper.
Wondering if I should take it in to have my job inspected by a pro, or should I give it some miles to see if the noise goes away?
You can pull the wheels off and spin the rotor by hand to see where the contact is coming from.
Did you get new retaining clips or re-use the old ones? It’s not unusual for new clips to contact the outer edge of an old rusty rotor. If you see contact between the outside edge of the rotor and the clip, you can knock down the rust with a file.
Yes, I agree, if you just installed your own brake and now they make noise and you are asking what to do, I highly recommend having a pro check it out for you…
Better to be safe then sorry, remember, if your brakes don’t stop you when needed, something else will…
I’m with @Rainflurry on this . . . at least partially
I recommend putting the car on jackstands and pulling off the wheels
Double-check your work and spin those wheels by hand
If you see something obvious that you did incorrectly that is causing the noise, correct it and then spin the wheels again
If you can’t see anything that you obviously did wrong . . . and/or aren’t in a position to correct . . . then definitely take it to a professional shop
Could be a bent backing plate, but more likely it is the abutment clips that are not seated properly and contacting the rotor. It sounds like hell, but it usually involves pulling the caliper bracket off, removing the rust and corrosion, and reseating the abutment clips. If they are old then it might be time for a hardware kit. Most good pads come with new clips and they should be replaced each time.
If removing the wheel and hand turning the hub while doing a careful visible inspection for some sort of mechanical interference causing the sound, common sense says to ask your pro shop to diagnose the cause. It’s possible once they find the problem, you can fix it yourself.
DIY’er pad replacement should only be done with reference to the written factory procedure. If you don’t have a copy, suggest to focus your attention on getting one.