New Brakes Grinding....HELP!!!

Hi all-

Have a 99 altima (sorry, but the nissan group wasn't any help...seems like a
universal problem), about 6 months ago I replaced my front rotors and pads
(raybestos, chinese made), and for some reason, since day 1, when I applied
the brakes I heard this grinding (Grrrrrrrrrr) sound come from the front
passenger brake, I kept on driving...after 6 months of putting up with it my
pad wear sensor started going off (the passenger front one), when I replaced
the pads this time the passenger front ones were worn to the bone where as
the driver side still had some meat left on em. Again, 2 days after I
installed the new pads, the same grinding noise comes from the passenger
side (it didn't when the pads were brand new)...allbeit, its less than
before (no I hear it right before i coem to a dead stop, not from the
begining of the braking as it did with the pads before.

Can someone tell me whats causing this? Id say it was warped rotor, but it
was doing that on a brand new rotor as well, plus i dont feel any pulsation.
Also, when the mechanic replaced my pads last week, he showed me how there
was a lateral movement (play) of the front passenger side wheel, he said the
inner tie rod has to be replaced, is that the cause of the grinding noise?

any help would be appreciated, the car has 60k miles on it...

It soundls like you have a caliper dragging.

I don't think you can get much help for this in a newsgroup unless you are a
reasonably good mechanic, but if you were a reasonably good mechanic, you
wouldn't be here asking questions.

PS
A warped rotor will cause a pulsation in the brake pedal, or the steering
wheel, and a vibration in the vehicle. From your description, I would not
suspect a warped rotor. Its possible that you have a warped rotor, but you
haven't described the symptoms of one.



"elmo" > wrote in message
o.verio.net...
> Hi all-
>
> Have a 99 altima (sorry, but the nissan group wasn't any help...seems like
a
> universal problem), about 6 months ago I replaced my front rotors and pads
> (raybestos, chinese made), and for some reason, since day 1, when I
applied
> the brakes I heard this grinding (Grrrrrrrrrr) sound come from the front
> passenger brake, I kept on driving...after 6 months of putting up with it
my
> pad wear sensor started going off (the passenger front one), when I
replaced
> the pads this time the passenger front ones were worn to the bone where as
> the driver side still had some meat left on em. Again, 2 days after I
> installed the new pads, the same grinding noise comes from the passenger
> side (it didn't when the pads were brand new)...allbeit, its less than
> before (no I hear it right before i coem to a dead stop, not from the
> begining of the braking as it did with the pads before.
>
> Can someone tell me whats causing this? Id say it was warped rotor, but
it
> was doing that on a brand new rotor as well, plus i dont feel any
pulsation.
> Also, when the mechanic replaced my pads last week, he showed me how there
> was a lateral movement (play) of the front passenger side wheel, he said
the
> inner tie rod has to be replaced, is that the cause of the grinding noise?
>
> any help would be appreciated, the car has 60k miles on it...
>
>

>A warped rotor will cause a pulsation in the brake pedal, or the steering
>wheel, and a vibration in the vehicle. From your description, I would not
>suspect a warped rotor. Its possible that you have a warped rotor, but you
>haven't described the symptoms of one.

For approx $30 you can get an inexpensive "dial indicator":
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...itemnumber=623

and magnetic base set from Harbor Freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=5646

This will allow you to measure the amount of "runout" (aka "wobble") of
your rotor. That will tell you if it's warped or not. Max permissible
runout for a Tercel is 0.005". YMMV.

BTW, if it's a cheap Chinese rotor, it may have been manufactured with
a significant amount of runout (ie, it may have come "warped").

-Ted

You gave it away when you said "Chinese made". I bought new "Chinese Made"
rotors for my 89 volov front and had problems from day one too. I would
never put chinese pads on so I didn't have much excuse except to save a few
bucks. Learned my lesson. You can get away with the cheap stuff here and
there but not everywhere.


"elmo" > wrote in message
o.verio.net...
> Hi all-
>
> Have a 99 altima (sorry, but the nissan group wasn't any help...seems like
a
> universal problem), about 6 months ago I replaced my front rotors and pads
> (raybestos, chinese made), and for some reason, since day 1, when I
applied
> the brakes I heard this grinding (Grrrrrrrrrr) sound come from the front
> passenger brake, I kept on driving...after 6 months of putting up with it
my
> pad wear sensor started going off (the passenger front one), when I
replaced
> the pads this time the passenger front ones were worn to the bone where as
> the driver side still had some meat left on em. Again, 2 days after I
> installed the new pads, the same grinding noise comes from the passenger
> side (it didn't when the pads were brand new)...allbeit, its less than
> before (no I hear it right before i coem to a dead stop, not from the
> begining of the braking as it did with the pads before.
>
> Can someone tell me whats causing this? Id say it was warped rotor, but
it
> was doing that on a brand new rotor as well, plus i dont feel any
pulsation.
> Also, when the mechanic replaced my pads last week, he showed me how there
> was a lateral movement (play) of the front passenger side wheel, he said
the
> inner tie rod has to be replaced, is that the cause of the grinding noise?
>
> any help would be appreciated, the car has 60k miles on it...
>
>

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
...
> It soundls like you have a caliper dragging.
>
> I don't think you can get much help for this in a newsgroup unless you are
a
> reasonably good mechanic, but if you were a reasonably good mechanic, you
> wouldn't be here asking questions.
>
> PS
> A warped rotor will cause a pulsation in the brake pedal, or the steering
> wheel, and a vibration in the vehicle. From your description, I would not
> suspect a warped rotor. Its possible that you have a warped rotor, but you
> haven't described the symptoms of one.
>


I was wondering, since this noise only occurs when braking according to the
OP, but he is still seeing grinding and accelerated wear, if it's something
to do with how the pads are mounted in the caliper. Perhaps they are a bit
loose and able to chatter a bit, or are mounted incorrectly. Careful
examination of the characteristics of the wear of the pad vs the other pad
should reveal if this is the case.

A dragging caliper would make more sense but I would expect he would hear
noise after braking has finished... also that hub might also be very hot,
perhaps even emitting a burnt bake odor occasionally.

-Russ.

Change the rotors. Chinese made rotors are crap.
"elmo" > wrote in message
o.verio.net...
> Hi all-
>
> Have a 99 altima (sorry, but the nissan group wasn't any help...seems like
a
> universal problem), about 6 months ago I replaced my front rotors and pads
> (raybestos, chinese made), and for some reason, since day 1, when I
applied
> the brakes I heard this grinding (Grrrrrrrrrr) sound come from the front
> passenger brake, I kept on driving...after 6 months of putting up with it
my
> pad wear sensor started going off (the passenger front one), when I
replaced
> the pads this time the passenger front ones were worn to the bone where as
> the driver side still had some meat left on em. Again, 2 days after I
> installed the new pads, the same grinding noise comes from the passenger
> side (it didn't when the pads were brand new)...allbeit, its less than
> before (no I hear it right before i coem to a dead stop, not from the
> begining of the braking as it did with the pads before.
>
> Can someone tell me whats causing this? Id say it was warped rotor, but
it
> was doing that on a brand new rotor as well, plus i dont feel any
pulsation.
> Also, when the mechanic replaced my pads last week, he showed me how there
> was a lateral movement (play) of the front passenger side wheel, he said
the
> inner tie rod has to be replaced, is that the cause of the grinding noise?
>
> any help would be appreciated, the car has 60k miles on it...
>
>