I put on new front pads and rotors a week ago, and I noticed that when I turn sharply left or right, the outside wheel makes a grinding sound.

I've jacked the car up and rotated the wheels with the steering at the limits but don't hear the noise at all with the front wheels in the air. I can see that my front tires (245/45/16) are rubbing the plastic wheelwell cover at certain places, but it does not sound at all like the same noise that occurs when I'm driving.

Has anyone had the same problems or have any ideas?? I put new Hawk HPS pads and Brembo rotors that should be in OEM size, but I did not machine the rotor. I don't remember the car exhibiting this noise at all in the past, but then again, before the brake job, I had only driven the car 105 miles since I got it.

 

Check your bolts that hold the calipers. It's the 2 that threads in from the inside. If a washer is missing, it will grind against the rotor. Take the **** apart fast before it eats into the rotor. The stock setup bearly gives you enough clearance. I've seen this many times. You're missing a washer or have the bolts switched. Need to put the shorter one where it grinds. Good luck.

 

This is on an FD by the way, since the topic was moved.

I'll double check the bolts again later tonight, but why would the grinding occur only when turning and only on the outside wheel?

Since everything is bolted together tight, shouldn't everything act as if it were one solid piece with no play at all, implying it should be grinding all the time?

Thanks.

 

That's what I thought too. But check it. Check the inside the rotor. That's where it's grinding.

 

yep washer is on wrong bolt. Did it last month..

 

I'll check it for sure tonight...but which bolt should the washer go on? Top or bottom? I'm pretty sure I put the bolts back the way I found them, but maybe it was previously put on wrong!

Were the old rotors too thin to touch the bolt? That's why they weren't grinding?

Thanks for all your help, guys!

 

Nothing is 100% rigid, so the loads from turning do move the rotor a bit.

One bolt goes through a bracket and thus doesn't need a washer to keep it from hitting the rotor. The other one just goes through the caliper, and the washer keeps the bolt from going in too far. This is a very common thing to do since the bolts are identical aside from the washer being on one of them. I've done it before, and so have many others.

-Max

 

This has been eating at me all day so I went home during lunch and found some nice gouges on the inside of the rotors. All is fixed now and I hope the rotors will smooth themselves out through normal braking.

Thanks again, guys!

 

Add me to the list of guys who did this, and mine was with brand new rotors! Luckily I noticed it just backing out from the driveway.

The rotors will NOT smooth themselves out! Pull them and have them turned. If they are gouged too far and can't be turned they must be replaced.

Never scrimp on the brakes, they keep you from hitting things hard.