Cracking/Grinding Noise...Rotors, Pads, or Calipers?

[rico05]

Ok, rear brakes are the ones acting up. On the car is stock calipers (with 150k miles on em) Axxis MM pads, new OE rotors and Goodridge lines. All this has under 2k miles on it. In the last week or so, I have noticed a grinding/crunching noise when I use my brakes, but now that I removed my back seat and all trim panels and carpet in the trunk, I can now hear a faint grinding as I drive at low speeds now. What couls this be?

And Nismo-Freak, if you read this, can your shop do brake stuff as I will be down there in a few days anyway...

[Nismo_Freak]

We can't re-surface the rotors but we can take them apart and see whats up.

[Dori Dori]

How about your glide pins? Are the boots still there and are the pins greased? My boots were gone (probably corroded and fell off) and there was no grease on the pins so when I put new pads in, they'd get stuck after braking. This caused noise...like a grinding. I pick up new pins and boots at Discount Auto (and grease)...fixed her up real nice.

[rico05]

Cool. When I put em on, they were fine, but I will check em this weekend.

[rico05]

Ok, pins move freely (I can move the caliper on the bracket just fine...I had to replace one of the fronts once, so I know what a seized one feels like to the wiggle) The grinding noise that was comming from the rear is now gone. The problem was this:

My girlfriend has been getting really into cars as of late, so I have included her in all of my work from oil changes to my coilover install. I was teaching her how to change a tire as I did my coilovers yesterday, and I am very big on hands on learning. I had her put on my back tires, and I forgot to check her work. Out of the 8 lugs, 2 would spin freely, 5 were not much tighter, and 1 was actually tight. I love her madly, but I just gotta learn to check her work.

Nismo: Sounds like a plan man. BTW, my name is Rick. I can't wait to meet you:)

[Dori Dori]

Hahaha, lol. Thats almost the same thing that happened w/ my girlfriend and I a couple years ago. I let her help me install my tein ra's on my wrx...I checked over the lower strut bolts and they needed tightening, but I forgot to check the strut tops (stupid me). After I put everything back together (which is a beotch on a non-hatch back car) I went out for a drive. Everything was cool for a couple days, but when I went over my first speed bump, I hear *CLUNK* coming from the rear. Sure enough, she didn't tighten the the nuts enough and I had to take all that crap out to tighten again. Woman...at least we have cool enough g/f's that don't mind getting their hands dirty...well, too dirty that is. :icon18

Glad everything worked out for you though.

[rico05]

Yeah, the noise in the front is still there, but I have new endlinks and tie rods to throw on, and according to Nismo_Freak, that might very well fix the noise.