Help Diagnosing Brake Problem
June 27th, 2021, 2:06 PM
#1
Help Diagnosing Brake Problem
Hi There,
I'd be very grateful for some help diagnosing a brake problem. Last February, I replaced rotors and pads all the way around on my 2012 Suburban 1500. A few days ago, I was backing out of a friends driveway, and needed to turn the wheel close to it's stopping point. As we were backing out, my son and I both heard a subtle metalic ping or pop sound. We stopped, I didn't see anything, so we started the drive home (fortunately just a few miles). We were at 50 mph for about 3 minutes, and I started to hear a brake noise --- same sound as a worn pad rubbing on a rotor. I pulled over in a pullout---no smell, nothing visibly wrong. At this point, we were just a few minutes from home on a country road, so I limped home.
Next day, I opened up the caliper to inspect. The pads and rotor looked fine. The pins looked fine and had adequate silicone. The boots didn't look great -- they are 10 years old -- but I'm a novice mechanic.....so I could be wrong. The boots have no tears and they are creating a tight seal....but I noticed a couldn't slide the caliper body much on the pins when assembled. I doubt the boots are supposed to be as bouncy as a trampoline (trying to by funny here)....but I really don't know how "springy" they should be.
I torqued everything to spec, and went for a test drive....hoping my mystery problem was over. It wasn't....once I drove for a few minutes above 30....I started to hear the "grind" again of hot pad against rotor. I stopped and turned around.....and again, on a tight turn (backing up) I heard that same ping or pop 2 or 3 times. I tested it again just before pulling into my drieway. Again, it only happened when I turned the steering wheel close to it's "stopping point" and would drive in reverse. The best way to describe is it sounded like someone was using the pad retaining clips like a spring. Like applying pressure to pull them back and then letting them go and the clips were hitting something metalic and making a "ping" sound. I'm using the new clips that came with by ThermoQuiet QC1363 pads. These pads are far from my quiet on our truck, by the way. But that's a different post. Not sure if it's the pads, or me. I've only done one other brake job on my 2000 F350. Those weren't ceramic pads, but I never had any squeel. For what it's worth, I was pretty meticulous about burnishing these pads.
Anyway, when I had reassembled the caliper and tried to use my hands to slide the caliper body on the pins, I noticed that the boots didn't seem to be doing much--the 2 billows flattened out like a pancake. I also thought the clips might be cheap, so I tried pushing the pads in and out with my hands to make sure they could travel freely and would spring back off of the rotor. The pads moved freely, but I noticed that the clips would flex a little in the channel that the ears ride in. I could see just a little flex at the exterior end of that channel--so away from the pad. The clips are fully seated. I thought about replacing the clips with better ones...but now I'm wondering if the boots are bad? But I don't think either would cause the pinging sound?! I have no idea what that is. The rubber around the piston cylinder looks fine. It's a 10 yr old car....and I'm wondering what typically fails first and what could make that strange sound.
I can't explain the ping...but I definitely know the sound of pads riding on rotors. I checked the temp after my test drive and the rotors on the bad wheel were 148, while all the other rotors were closer to 100.
I'm leaving on our family vacation July 3 and need to figure this out soon! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance : )
I'd be very grateful for some help diagnosing a brake problem. Last February, I replaced rotors and pads all the way around on my 2012 Suburban 1500. A few days ago, I was backing out of a friends driveway, and needed to turn the wheel close to it's stopping point. As we were backing out, my son and I both heard a subtle metalic ping or pop sound. We stopped, I didn't see anything, so we started the drive home (fortunately just a few miles). We were at 50 mph for about 3 minutes, and I started to hear a brake noise --- same sound as a worn pad rubbing on a rotor. I pulled over in a pullout---no smell, nothing visibly wrong. At this point, we were just a few minutes from home on a country road, so I limped home.
Next day, I opened up the caliper to inspect. The pads and rotor looked fine. The pins looked fine and had adequate silicone. The boots didn't look great -- they are 10 years old -- but I'm a novice mechanic.....so I could be wrong. The boots have no tears and they are creating a tight seal....but I noticed a couldn't slide the caliper body much on the pins when assembled. I doubt the boots are supposed to be as bouncy as a trampoline (trying to by funny here)....but I really don't know how "springy" they should be.
I torqued everything to spec, and went for a test drive....hoping my mystery problem was over. It wasn't....once I drove for a few minutes above 30....I started to hear the "grind" again of hot pad against rotor. I stopped and turned around.....and again, on a tight turn (backing up) I heard that same ping or pop 2 or 3 times. I tested it again just before pulling into my drieway. Again, it only happened when I turned the steering wheel close to it's "stopping point" and would drive in reverse. The best way to describe is it sounded like someone was using the pad retaining clips like a spring. Like applying pressure to pull them back and then letting them go and the clips were hitting something metalic and making a "ping" sound. I'm using the new clips that came with by ThermoQuiet QC1363 pads. These pads are far from my quiet on our truck, by the way. But that's a different post. Not sure if it's the pads, or me. I've only done one other brake job on my 2000 F350. Those weren't ceramic pads, but I never had any squeel. For what it's worth, I was pretty meticulous about burnishing these pads.
Anyway, when I had reassembled the caliper and tried to use my hands to slide the caliper body on the pins, I noticed that the boots didn't seem to be doing much--the 2 billows flattened out like a pancake. I also thought the clips might be cheap, so I tried pushing the pads in and out with my hands to make sure they could travel freely and would spring back off of the rotor. The pads moved freely, but I noticed that the clips would flex a little in the channel that the ears ride in. I could see just a little flex at the exterior end of that channel--so away from the pad. The clips are fully seated. I thought about replacing the clips with better ones...but now I'm wondering if the boots are bad? But I don't think either would cause the pinging sound?! I have no idea what that is. The rubber around the piston cylinder looks fine. It's a 10 yr old car....and I'm wondering what typically fails first and what could make that strange sound.
I can't explain the ping...but I definitely know the sound of pads riding on rotors. I checked the temp after my test drive and the rotors on the bad wheel were 148, while all the other rotors were closer to 100.
I'm leaving on our family vacation July 3 and need to figure this out soon! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance : )
June 27th, 2021, 3:31 PM
#2
CF Monarch
Hi There,
I'd be very grateful for some help diagnosing a brake problem. Last February, I replaced rotors and pads all the way around on my 2012 Suburban 1500. A few days ago, I was backing out of a friends driveway, and needed to turn the wheel close to it's stopping point. As we were backing out, my son and I both heard a subtle metalic ping or pop sound. We stopped, I didn't see anything, so we started the drive home (fortunately just a few miles). We were at 50 mph for about 3 minutes, and I started to hear a brake noise --- same sound as a worn pad rubbing on a rotor. I pulled over in a pullout---no smell, nothing visibly wrong. At this point, we were just a few minutes from home on a country road, so I limped home.
Next day, I opened up the caliper to inspect. The pads and rotor looked fine. The pins looked fine and had adequate silicone. The boots didn't look great -- they are 10 years old -- but I'm a novice mechanic.....so I could be wrong. The boots have no tears and they are creating a tight seal....but I noticed a couldn't slide the caliper body much on the pins when assembled. I doubt the boots are supposed to be as bouncy as a trampoline (trying to by funny here)....but I really don't know how "springy" they should be.
I torqued everything to spec, and went for a test drive....hoping my mystery problem was over. It wasn't....once I drove for a few minutes above 30....I started to hear the "grind" again of hot pad against rotor. I stopped and turned around.....and again, on a tight turn (backing up) I heard that same ping or pop 2 or 3 times. I tested it again just before pulling into my drieway. Again, it only happened when I turned the steering wheel close to it's "stopping point" and would drive in reverse. The best way to describe is it sounded like someone was using the pad retaining clips like a spring. Like applying pressure to pull them back and then letting them go and the clips were hitting something metalic and making a "ping" sound. I'm using the new clips that came with by ThermoQuiet QC1363 pads. These pads are far from my quiet on our truck, by the way. But that's a different post. Not sure if it's the pads, or me. I've only done one other brake job on my 2000 F350. Those weren't ceramic pads, but I never had any squeel. For what it's worth, I was pretty meticulous about burnishing these pads.
Anyway, when I had reassembled the caliper and tried to use my hands to slide the caliper body on the pins, I noticed that the boots didn't seem to be doing much--the 2 billows flattened out like a pancake. I also thought the clips might be cheap, so I tried pushing the pads in and out with my hands to make sure they could travel freely and would spring back off of the rotor. The pads moved freely, but I noticed that the clips would flex a little in the channel that the ears ride in. I could see just a little flex at the exterior end of that channel--so away from the pad. The clips are fully seated. I thought about replacing the clips with better ones...but now I'm wondering if the boots are bad? But I don't think either would cause the pinging sound?! I have no idea what that is. The rubber around the piston cylinder looks fine. It's a 10 yr old car....and I'm wondering what typically fails first and what could make that strange sound.
I can't explain the ping...but I definitely know the sound of pads riding on rotors. I checked the temp after my test drive and the rotors on the bad wheel were 148, while all the other rotors were closer to 100.
I'm leaving on our family vacation July 3 and need to figure this out soon! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance : )
I'd be very grateful for some help diagnosing a brake problem. Last February, I replaced rotors and pads all the way around on my 2012 Suburban 1500. A few days ago, I was backing out of a friends driveway, and needed to turn the wheel close to it's stopping point. As we were backing out, my son and I both heard a subtle metalic ping or pop sound. We stopped, I didn't see anything, so we started the drive home (fortunately just a few miles). We were at 50 mph for about 3 minutes, and I started to hear a brake noise --- same sound as a worn pad rubbing on a rotor. I pulled over in a pullout---no smell, nothing visibly wrong. At this point, we were just a few minutes from home on a country road, so I limped home.
Next day, I opened up the caliper to inspect. The pads and rotor looked fine. The pins looked fine and had adequate silicone. The boots didn't look great -- they are 10 years old -- but I'm a novice mechanic.....so I could be wrong. The boots have no tears and they are creating a tight seal....but I noticed a couldn't slide the caliper body much on the pins when assembled. I doubt the boots are supposed to be as bouncy as a trampoline (trying to by funny here)....but I really don't know how "springy" they should be.
I torqued everything to spec, and went for a test drive....hoping my mystery problem was over. It wasn't....once I drove for a few minutes above 30....I started to hear the "grind" again of hot pad against rotor. I stopped and turned around.....and again, on a tight turn (backing up) I heard that same ping or pop 2 or 3 times. I tested it again just before pulling into my drieway. Again, it only happened when I turned the steering wheel close to it's "stopping point" and would drive in reverse. The best way to describe is it sounded like someone was using the pad retaining clips like a spring. Like applying pressure to pull them back and then letting them go and the clips were hitting something metalic and making a "ping" sound. I'm using the new clips that came with by ThermoQuiet QC1363 pads. These pads are far from my quiet on our truck, by the way. But that's a different post. Not sure if it's the pads, or me. I've only done one other brake job on my 2000 F350. Those weren't ceramic pads, but I never had any squeel. For what it's worth, I was pretty meticulous about burnishing these pads.
Anyway, when I had reassembled the caliper and tried to use my hands to slide the caliper body on the pins, I noticed that the boots didn't seem to be doing much--the 2 billows flattened out like a pancake. I also thought the clips might be cheap, so I tried pushing the pads in and out with my hands to make sure they could travel freely and would spring back off of the rotor. The pads moved freely, but I noticed that the clips would flex a little in the channel that the ears ride in. I could see just a little flex at the exterior end of that channel--so away from the pad. The clips are fully seated. I thought about replacing the clips with better ones...but now I'm wondering if the boots are bad? But I don't think either would cause the pinging sound?! I have no idea what that is. The rubber around the piston cylinder looks fine. It's a 10 yr old car....and I'm wondering what typically fails first and what could make that strange sound.
I can't explain the ping...but I definitely know the sound of pads riding on rotors. I checked the temp after my test drive and the rotors on the bad wheel were 148, while all the other rotors were closer to 100.
I'm leaving on our family vacation July 3 and need to figure this out soon! Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance : )
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