On our brake inspection test drive, I’m checking for three things. A worn-out control arm bushing can cause the whole wheel assembly to shift, and that can make a very similar noise to a brake clunking noise. But we need to make sure we’re looking at the suspension and wheel bearings as well. A pad not sitting in the brake caliper bracket properly, a piece of guide hardware that’s maybe damaged or fallen out, or the incorrect pad can all cause the brake pad to shift inside that caliper bracket. When it comes to clunking, when we’re either pressinge or letting off of our brake, we’re going to inspect the brake assembly, but we need to also pay attention to other things that are in that corner of the vehicle. Sometimes it’s really easy to find the rock and get it loose, other times I’ve had to completely take apart the assembly in order to get it out. While this can scuff up the rotor a little bit, it’s typically not enough to warrant replacement. The two most common faults are totally worn-out brakes and some kind of outside influence, most typically a rock that’s caught between the rotor and the backing plate. When it comes to grinding, this is typically much worse than a simple squeal and is often caused by metal-to-metal contact. It usually starts as a squeal and then they end up causing a grinding noise. I’ve even seen brake pads installed backwards. We can also get some squealing noise from things like overheating our brakes, the brake pad sticking to the rotor after we let off the brakes, damage to the shim, the backing plate or any of the hardware can cause our brake pad to stick onto the rotor. When we push the brakes, rather than the pad contacting the rotor, it’s partially contacting rust. The rust on this brake rotor is actually preventing the pad’s friction material to make good solid contact. We can also have incorrect pad-to-rotor contact. When your brakes wear to a certain point, this tab, which I lovingly call a squealer, will actually make a little bit of contact with the rotor to alert the driver, the mechanic or sometimes everyone else nearby that the brakes are worn out and it’s time to replace them. Many brake pads have a small metal tab attached that functions as a wear indicator. While squealing can be a sign of a couple of different issues, the most common one is actually an indicator that the brakes may simply be worn out. See Photo 1.īrake noise is typically broken down into three different categories, squealing, grinding and a clunk. The brakes on my Miata, however, are not totally normal, and this layer of oxidation needs to be addressed. This is totally normal and can happen even with brand new brakes. First thing in the morning when you hit those brakes, you’re actually cleaning a little bit of surface oxidation off the rotor. There are times where a tiny bit of extra brake noise is totally normal. This creates friction, the friction will slow down our wheel and then, of course, slow down our car. That force acts against the back of the caliper piston, causing the caliper to squeeze the brake pads into the brake rotor. This piston pushes fluid through the brake hydraulic system. For this issue’s article, we are going to be putting all new brakes on my Miata, but rather than just slapping a bunch of new parts on it, we’re going to go over how to do a proper brake inspection, some common causes for brake noise and some steps that may get overlooked.Īs a professional technician, you know that when you push your foot on the brake pedal, you are pushing a piston.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |