92 5 oh
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2007
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 42
- Location
- Virginia Beach
- Vehicle Year
-
1992
1998
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0 OHV
- Transmission
- Automatic
This isn't necessarily an urgent issue, but more of an ongoing issue. I've done more brake jobs that I can count and have never had one fight me like this. The car is my girlfriends 2001 honda civic, for some time (several months) the brakes are making a creaking sound when under light brake pressure and lower speeds from the passenger side. So, going all the way back to the beginning...
1) brakes are in need of service, replace both rotors and pads
2) several days later a creak develops on the passenger side. I initially think the rotor is warped. They're brand new, but are the cheaper brand rotor so I pull off the rotor and exchange.
3) new rotor installed on passenger side. Noise gone for a few days, then returns.
4) swapped drivers side and passengers side rotor. noise gone for a few days and comes back on the passenger side. I ignore it for a while because i don't feel like working on it.
5) girlfriend threatens my life and tells me she's tired of listening to it. The noise remains only on the passenger side. The more I think about it, and talk with some people, I am starting to wonder if the rotors are just garbage since they were the cheapest ones available. I go to a different parts store, get their "best" brand which is different from the originals. Noise goes away for a few days and comes back.
6) Next I jack the car up, pull the wheels off, run a lug nut against the rotor so it is tight against the wheel hub and leave the brakes assembled so I can watch everything under light braking. I found that both sides have very slight amount of movement and the calipers do move a very little bit. In my experience it is no more movement than any other brakes I have looked at while they are in motion. Furthermore, the brake pedal and steering wheel has no shaking, vibration or any feedback when braking. Reassemble and need some time to think about this.
6) At this point I believe I have ruled out a warped rotor. I am leaning toward something related to the caliper. I was thinking maybe the grease I used to lube the caliper slides was drying up, getting too hot, or not compatible with the rubber busing on one of the slides. so I bought silicon caliper grease that is specifically for brakes, high heat and rubber. I also buy a new caliper parts kit which includes the rubber bushing on the slide and the rubber boot. I then thoroughly clean off the slides and the caliper. I found that the original rubber bushing on the caliper slide was much larger than the new one. I thought for sure this was causing the caliper not to slide freely and I found the fix. Reassemble, noise comes back after a few days.
7) Now I am really ticked off. Pull the passenger wheel and brakes off again to inspect. It can't be the caliper slides because they're greased so well and move so smooth that when I took the two 10mm caliper bolts off and slid the caliper out of the way, the two caliper slides gently slid out of the caliper on their own. I inspected the grease, the rubber bushing, all checked out. The slides moved very smoothly and effortlessly inside the caliper. Now I'm a loss, so i replace the anti rattle clips with new ones, even though the old ones did not look worn or have excessive build up on them. I actually wipe them down every time i remove the pads.
8) I pop in the new anti rattle clips, figured i'd throw a little caliper grease on them where the pad rides too. Reassemble everything. Noise is gone for about 3 weeks. It is just now starting to show up again.
I believe the noise has something to do with the pads sliding inside the anti rattle clips. I would seem that once the grease has been worn out in this area the noise returns. I'll admit that I haven't replaced the pads yet, I haven't been suspect of them until now and I'm getting tired of throwing money at this car and pulling the brakes apart for the noise to return. Before I go through the the brake removal process AGAIN and buy more parts I was hoping someone could chime in as to what they think. And if you've got a different suggestion I'm all ears.
thanks!!
1) brakes are in need of service, replace both rotors and pads
2) several days later a creak develops on the passenger side. I initially think the rotor is warped. They're brand new, but are the cheaper brand rotor so I pull off the rotor and exchange.
3) new rotor installed on passenger side. Noise gone for a few days, then returns.
4) swapped drivers side and passengers side rotor. noise gone for a few days and comes back on the passenger side. I ignore it for a while because i don't feel like working on it.
5) girlfriend threatens my life and tells me she's tired of listening to it. The noise remains only on the passenger side. The more I think about it, and talk with some people, I am starting to wonder if the rotors are just garbage since they were the cheapest ones available. I go to a different parts store, get their "best" brand which is different from the originals. Noise goes away for a few days and comes back.
6) Next I jack the car up, pull the wheels off, run a lug nut against the rotor so it is tight against the wheel hub and leave the brakes assembled so I can watch everything under light braking. I found that both sides have very slight amount of movement and the calipers do move a very little bit. In my experience it is no more movement than any other brakes I have looked at while they are in motion. Furthermore, the brake pedal and steering wheel has no shaking, vibration or any feedback when braking. Reassemble and need some time to think about this.
6) At this point I believe I have ruled out a warped rotor. I am leaning toward something related to the caliper. I was thinking maybe the grease I used to lube the caliper slides was drying up, getting too hot, or not compatible with the rubber busing on one of the slides. so I bought silicon caliper grease that is specifically for brakes, high heat and rubber. I also buy a new caliper parts kit which includes the rubber bushing on the slide and the rubber boot. I then thoroughly clean off the slides and the caliper. I found that the original rubber bushing on the caliper slide was much larger than the new one. I thought for sure this was causing the caliper not to slide freely and I found the fix. Reassemble, noise comes back after a few days.
7) Now I am really ticked off. Pull the passenger wheel and brakes off again to inspect. It can't be the caliper slides because they're greased so well and move so smooth that when I took the two 10mm caliper bolts off and slid the caliper out of the way, the two caliper slides gently slid out of the caliper on their own. I inspected the grease, the rubber bushing, all checked out. The slides moved very smoothly and effortlessly inside the caliper. Now I'm a loss, so i replace the anti rattle clips with new ones, even though the old ones did not look worn or have excessive build up on them. I actually wipe them down every time i remove the pads.
8) I pop in the new anti rattle clips, figured i'd throw a little caliper grease on them where the pad rides too. Reassemble everything. Noise is gone for about 3 weeks. It is just now starting to show up again.
I believe the noise has something to do with the pads sliding inside the anti rattle clips. I would seem that once the grease has been worn out in this area the noise returns. I'll admit that I haven't replaced the pads yet, I haven't been suspect of them until now and I'm getting tired of throwing money at this car and pulling the brakes apart for the noise to return. Before I go through the the brake removal process AGAIN and buy more parts I was hoping someone could chime in as to what they think. And if you've got a different suggestion I'm all ears.
thanks!!
Last edited: