my blazer is making a squeeking grinding noise in the front tires. every one tells me it are the rotors and brake pads. what do you guys think? it also grabs alot when i apply the brakes. the noise is only at low speeds. i hope this isn't a stupid women question but i am guess it is.

thanks for not laughing

 

No laughing at all!

Most likely the sliders on the front caliper have froze up. It is much easier to just buy new replacement pins than to try to clean up the old ones. The telltale sign of frozen caliper pins is uneven pad where. Generally, the outside pad gets worn down faster than the inside pad due to the caliper being froze up, keeping the outside pad up against the rotor all the time.

If you can narrow it down to one particular side of the vehicle, then pop the wheel off and inspect the brakes. The pads should be pretty close to evenly worn. Brake pads come in sets, enough to service both front wheels (or back wheels if you are doing the rears). If you notice that the pins are worn or pitted on both sides, it is easiest just to replace them all. Do not forget to grease the pins up before sliding them in. Use only high temperature caliper grease to lube up the pins. I also use either the caliper grease or an anti-squeak compound on the back of the pads when installing new pads. Another area not to neglect once you have the old pads out of the calipers is the surfaces where the pads sit on the caliper and piston. Clean up these areas with some sandpaper, emry cloth, or a file to remove any rust or buildup that may be on them. The cleaner these surfaces are, the less of a chance of having squeaks/squeals when you brake.

Good Luck!