Grinding front brake

[Johnny Generic]

Front brake has grinding noise when brakes applied. No wobble, no pulse sating, no pulling. Took wheel off. Pads good. Rotor outside surface smooth, inner surface has ridges on it. Can't change out both rotors and pads for a few more days. Going on 300 mile round trip in 36 hrs. Would it be OK to journey that far. Thoughts. Thanks. Johnny Generic.

 

[Tonyuk]

When you say ridges what do you mean exactly?

Any chance of a photo?

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Sure it isn’t a wheel bearing?

 

[firebirdparts]

I've got a volvo doing that. Pads are good. I would think you'd be good indefinitely. If it wears the brake out Prematurely, then for me, prematurely might be 4 years away. i don't expect it to be 300 miles away.

I'm not a worrier though.

 

[sberry]

Ridges don't usually cause grind. I got some fronts been that way early on and got 60K on them. A stone, loose piece of sheet, something got in it?

 

[Lotek]

"What's the worst that could happen..." Hmmm, getting it fixed now or getting a bill for a 300 mile tow and additional damaged caused by the failure...that's a tough one.

 

[greenskeeper]

Front brake has grinding noise when brakes applied. No wobble, no pulse sating, no pulling. Took wheel off. Pads good. Rotor outside surface smooth, inner surface has ridges on it. Can't change out both rotors and pads for a few more days. Going on 300 mile round trip in 36 hrs. Would it be OK to journey that far. Thoughts. Thanks. Johnny Generic.

It’ll get you all the way to the breakdown site. Sounds like pads are worn and your hearing the indicator hitting the rotor? What’s the actual measurement of pad life left?

 

[ken w.]

Sounds like typical front brake noise. It's time for brakes. Pad material gets into the rotor and glazes over. When you brake you hear that material. I'm willing to bet if you took a cut on the inner rotor with a brake lathe it would look awful under the glaze.

 

[SGKent]

is the noise only when you hit the brakes? Are you sure it is the fronts and not the backs?

When you say they are still good, are we talking 100% new, 50% worn etc? Most cars there is a metal finger that touches the rotor when the brakes are about 90% gone to tell you it is time to change them. It is IMPOSSIBLE for us to really comment on this without clear photos of the remaining pad, or hearing the grind. Wheel bearings and CV joints make noise too sometimes.

 

[RKA]

Grinding and squealing are two different things. Squealing I wouldn't worry about. Grinding I would and as stated above, an irregular rotor face by itself doesn't cause grinding. Nobody here can tell you whether it's safe or whether you'll make it 300 miles without issues because you haven't taken things apart to thoroughly inspect them. No quick answers here. It could be as simple as a rock caught between a dust shield and rotor...or not. You have to dig in and figure out what it is. And no matter how inconvenient it is to deal with it now, it's a lot more inconvenient when you're getting off the highway at 70mph and need to stop before you hit that minivan at the intersection.

 

[matt_i]

I'm wondering if the brake caliper is not equalizing properly between the two sides. Seems like grinding could happen if the one pad on the ridged side is just rattling around and not really making full contact, whereas the smooth side is actually doing all of the braking.

If you can stop reliably I don't think it hurts anything, if anything the long trip means minimal use of the brakes, per traveled mile.

I would recommend fix immediately if the friction material was missing on one side and it was steel on cast iron as that makes sparks and a *lot* of grinding. Don't ask how I know that

 

[tonyciambrone]

I'm wondering if the brake caliper is not equalizing properly between the two sides. Seems like grinding could happen if the one pad on the ridged side is just rattling around and not really making full contact, whereas the smooth side is actually doing all of the braking.

If you can stop reliably I don't think it hurts anything, if anything the long trip means minimal use of the brakes, per traveled mile.

I would recommend fix immediately if the friction material was missing on one side and it was steel on cast iron as that makes sparks and a *lot* of grinding. Don't ask how I know that

OP's climate is probably similar to mine. In my experience low and medium speed brake noise is always almost caliper related. Typically under hard braking the caliper extends the piston enough to squeeze the rotor without noise, but at low speed braking it seems like one pad is vibrating/ wobbling in the slot. Sometimes it's a frozen caliper pin, sometimes the pads are rusted into the mounting hardware, sometimes it's just best to throw everything on it. I've heard it called your brakes took a C.R.A.P (calipers rotors and pads)

 

[tinmanwpk]

Dust shield rubbing?

 

[nikerret]

Pics so people can actually give relevant advice are required on posts, like this.

If pics aren’t possible, can you ask a trusted friend or shop to look it over?