Grinding noise when going backwards

[DrIfT_FoReVeR]

this is pissing me off to no end, and everybody i ask has a different opinion, so i hope someone here can offer me some help.

recently (within the past 2 months), whenever i either back up in reverse or just coast backwards (like out of my driveway), i hear this sickening grinding noise coming from the rear of my car on the passenger side. now, my friend and racing buddy told me that he thinks it's my brake, but i just changed the pads, and made sure that the rotor was smooth and that the caliper was in there solid - the regular brake change maintenance stuff - and everything checked out okay, yet everytime i back up, it sounds like metal grinding against metal.

BTW everything brake-wise is all stock.

any help? the sound is like nails on a chalkboard to me, and i wanna get it all taken care of as soon as possible. thanks in advance!

[180fan]

check the pad thickness. pad may be going out.

[NISTECH]

the hardware your pads slide in on the torq member may have a broken alignment tab. take the pads off and see if those slides are able to slide back and forth on the torq member. If they can you need to replace the hardware. This would rub against the rotor causeing the same noise as the brake sensors do when the pad is worn out.

[DrIfT_FoReVeR]

heh, i feel like a moron, about an hour after i posted, i had to leave the house to pick up my girlfriend, and we took a ride around town. well, as i was getting closer to her house i heard this high pitched whining coming from the same place that the grinding comes from...the brake pad was down to metal, as i found out when i put on my brakes and heard the pads grinding the rotors. note that i was going 90 pretty much on every street, and with stock brakes, that puts an assload of stress on the brakes. anyway i changed my brakes on both rear tires just to be safe, and they were as i thought, ground down.

anyway i was all excited that i wouldnt have that brake problem anymore, but this morning when backing out of my driveway, lo and behold, ITS BACK! also, its a real low grinding sound. it sends a really heavy vibration through the car too.

[droll]

Is it a constant noise, or does it sound like it happens once every rotation of the wheel? Did you service the rotors? If you drove the car that hard, and let the pads go that low, the rotors may be warped or damaged.

[DrIfT_FoReVeR]

nope, rotors are fine, theres no faults in them that i can tell. im going to take my car to a friend's shop here down the street tomorrow to see if the rotors are warped or not...i think id trust a mechanic's touch much better than my own.

and no, it isnt a once every rotation sound, its pretty constant, unless i press the brake pedal, even if its barely tapped, the sound goes away for a moment, then comes back.

[PS13drift]

did you ever get it find out what the problem was? mine is doing the same exact thing but it sounds like its making the noise with the roation of the wheel.

[lilvtboigotrice]

Hi, i'm pretty new to Nico but I think I know a solution to your problem. I drive a 93' 240sx SE and I have the same problem you have. When going in reverse, you wear a grinding sound from the back of your car. I went up to my mechanic a few days ago and he told me it was my rear struts being worn down. I'm going to get those replaced this weekend and I'll tell you how everything works out.

[PS13drift]

i have new struts and shocks which i installed last summer. i just installed aluminum sub-frame collars. if it had to do with the strut then why would the noise occur like its every rotation of the wheel? also it doesnt make the noise if i hit bumps or potholes.

[sanioll]

Just want to make sure. You certainly doing everything right, but thought I remind this.

When changing brake pads always CHANGE BOTH SIDES at the same time. Never ever change one side and leave the other.

again, just a reminder for anyone who doesn't do it that way.

[DrIfT_FoReVeR]

thats what i do. i have a lifetime of free brakes due to a warranty, so i get full sets even if one wheel's brakes go bad and change all the brakes.

still there, but ive just managed to live with it for now. i have bigger problems to deal with at the time

[burnin240sx]

ok this is a weird problem. i got the same problem and of corse i have a 93 se as well. I hope we find an answer.