Weird grinding noise when braking.
#1
Weird grinding noise when braking.
First off, I apologize if this is in the wrong section, and if it is, could a moderator move it?
I own a 2004 Chevy Blazer 4x4, and just finished replacing the front wheel hubs and front brake pads. I did check the rotors and they looked fine. After pumping the brakes, I took it for a drive to make sure everything was fine.
The noise from the old wheel bearings has completely disappeared, but a new issue has arisen. Whenever I brake, be it slowly or suddenly, after about a second, I hear a very weird grinding noise, almost like a motor firing up, then spinning down.
During the work I did, I did check the ABS cables going to the wheel hubs, and they were filthy so I cleaned them off and reattached them both securely.
Could this be caused by the ABS? Or is there something else going on?
I own a 2004 Chevy Blazer 4x4, and just finished replacing the front wheel hubs and front brake pads. I did check the rotors and they looked fine. After pumping the brakes, I took it for a drive to make sure everything was fine.
The noise from the old wheel bearings has completely disappeared, but a new issue has arisen. Whenever I brake, be it slowly or suddenly, after about a second, I hear a very weird grinding noise, almost like a motor firing up, then spinning down.
During the work I did, I did check the ABS cables going to the wheel hubs, and they were filthy so I cleaned them off and reattached them both securely.
Could this be caused by the ABS? Or is there something else going on?
Last edited by Chevyblazerowner; 07-02-2013 at 04:01 PM.
#2
I think your thread placement is fine.
How many miles have you put on the new pads? All pads have a break in period till they have mated with the rotors and I have seen noise coming from fresh pads till the are broken in many times. Also what type of pads did you use? Different pad materials make different noises.
How many miles have you put on the new pads? All pads have a break in period till they have mated with the rotors and I have seen noise coming from fresh pads till the are broken in many times. Also what type of pads did you use? Different pad materials make different noises.
#3
When I purchased the truck last year, it had just over 50,000km on it which is barely broken in. The original owner barely drove it and kept it in his garage, which is what led to me having to replace the front wheel hubs (it sounded like constant tire noise while driving). Right now, it's at over 60,000km after a year of driving to and from work.
The original pads that were on the truck when I bought it were completely gone (even the chirp alarm snaps were worn down) and needed replacing, so these brake pads are brand new out of the box, and they are mid-grade (cost me $40)
As for the noise, well this isn't a brake pad noise. This sounds almost like a motor, and it sounds like it's coming from the front driver's side tire. As well, I can literally feel it in the brake pedal when it starts. The brake pedal pushes up and back down.
The new hubs came with brand new ABS lines, but we just used the old ones. Again, I'm wondering if it's something to do with the ABS, and I'm debating on just unplugging the ABS on the front tires, but I'm not sure if that is the cause of this sound.
The original pads that were on the truck when I bought it were completely gone (even the chirp alarm snaps were worn down) and needed replacing, so these brake pads are brand new out of the box, and they are mid-grade (cost me $40)
As for the noise, well this isn't a brake pad noise. This sounds almost like a motor, and it sounds like it's coming from the front driver's side tire. As well, I can literally feel it in the brake pedal when it starts. The brake pedal pushes up and back down.
The new hubs came with brand new ABS lines, but we just used the old ones. Again, I'm wondering if it's something to do with the ABS, and I'm debating on just unplugging the ABS on the front tires, but I'm not sure if that is the cause of this sound.
Last edited by Chevyblazerowner; 07-02-2013 at 04:15 PM.
#4
I was actually asking how many miles you have driven since you put the new pads on. If your pedal is pulsing it could also be a warped rotor but you "should" be able to feel that in the steering wheel as well. Also what material are the new pads made of ceramic, metallic, semi metallic..?
#5
I was actually asking how many miles you have driven since you put the new pads on. If your pedal is pulsing it could also be a warped rotor but you "should" be able to feel that in the steering wheel as well. Also what material are the new pads made of ceramic, metallic, semi metallic..?
I just put the new pads on (as well as the new hubs) about 30 minutes ago, and had to return some rented tools. That's when I noticed the noise. So this isn't even in miles yet. This was just a few kilometers. Every single time I braked, I'd start stopping, then towards the end of the braking, I'd hear the noise start up, then stop and the brake pedal would fluctuate.
As for the pad material, they are mid-grade, and look to be made out of a combination of things like asbestos, what looks to be flecks of copper, etc. This never ever happened before I replaced the wheel hubs and brake pads.
Now I did find this post in a related thread:
That's what would happen to mine after the ABS speed sensor wire got severed the second time. For some reason it only happened when I was already going slow and braking. It too only happened at the very end of a stop, made me leave some extra space when parking because it wouldn't stop right away and the ABS would kick in (like it does when sliding on ice or hard-packed snow). Wasn't so much a grinding noise but I could definitely feel it in the whole truck.
Last edited by Chevyblazerowner; 07-02-2013 at 04:27 PM.
#6
It's possible and not uncommon for the abs cables to get damaged during a hub replacement. If you have them I would swap them and also make sure you clean the abs sensors really well. It may be that one of the sensors/wires is damaged or dirty and causing the abs to kick on due to a bad reading. My abs is loud and I understand what your saying about sounding like a motor.
#7
It's possible and not uncommon for the abs cables to get damaged during a hub replacement. If you have them I would swap them and also make sure you clean the abs sensors really well. It may be that one of the sensors/wires is damaged or dirty and causing the abs to kick on due to a bad reading. My abs is loud and I understand what your saying about sounding like a motor.
I do indeed have the new ABS cables that came with the new hubs. I thank you for the info, I'll look into swapping the cables out, and if all goes well (or doesn't) I'll reply back
Last edited by Chevyblazerowner; 07-02-2013 at 04:32 PM.
#9
Also just remember that just because there is no visible damage doesn't mean there isn't actuall damage. IIRC the abs cables have a protective sheathing over them and its common for a wire to break inside there during R&R of a hub. Like 4x4 suggested look for rust or debris something may have fallen in front of the sensor during the work.
#10
But no matter how I braked, it was always at the end of the braking.
I'll swap the ABS cables out tomorrow and see how she handles.