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I have an intermitent grinding noise from the front end of my car 06 Civic EX. At first I thought it was brake related. I have purchased and maticulously installed high end ceramic pads, cross drilled and slotted rotors. The grinding sounds sounds like metal on metal. It makes this noise randomly sometime while turning, braking or at highway speeds. It comes and goes randomly, but is more notable on rough or bumpy roads. Seems more likely suspension related, any ideas about the source / solution or experience with this type of problem?

 
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You realize it's hard as hell to check that out over the internet, right?



Backing plate rub on a rotor?

 
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Ya just looking for ideas. Thanks finally a response. I will check this when I I dig back into it on 12/06. I will jack the whole front end up and rotate the wheels and check for this with a hallogen light.

The stock pads had a shim behind each pad as did the after market ceramic pads. At the Honda dealer the shim set had 6 pads for the front, 2 on 1 side and 1 on the other for each wheel. I got the parts guy to print out the diagram. Seems like they made a change after production due to problems likely. I'll report back after this date.

 
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I verified that the backing plate isn't touching / rubbing on the rotor. I also verified that the new rotors are not warped by checking the both surfaces with a dial indicator. I replaced the pad shims that came with the aftermarket ceramic pads with the new Honda shim set, 3 shims for each front wheel. I also replaced the pad clips 2 per front wheel. There were minor wear marks on these pads. I also lightly filed the top and bottom metal part of the pads, and rough edges on the pads themselves. The grinding sound is greatly reduced but unfortunately not completely eliminated.

 
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The grinding sound is reduced but unfortunately not eliminated. See attached pdf illustration file.

What is the trick to posting photos I had some related to this post that I wanted to post but they are 2.2 mg jpegs. I see the limit for this file type size is 100kb?

 
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Find a pic hosting site like tinypic or one of the many out there. I use imigur.com, myself.

Upload your pics to that site.
Copy the link to the image you want ("direct" link, in this format: https://i.imgur.com/XDumOeN.gifv)
Click this icon () in the bar at the top of the reply text pane.
A small window should pop up
Paste the link to the image in that popup. Click OK.



This also works to hotlink images from almost any other website.

 
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Thanks for the IT Support ezone.

 
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[IMG][/IMG] Indicator rotor run out check
Worn and new greased pad clips

My best guest is that the aftermarket pad sizes is slightly off allowing them to move around in on the pad clips located in the pad notches, such that the pads aren't touching flat against the rotor at random times during braking and non breaking situations. Any other ideas?

 
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That control arm bushing looks bad.

YW

You don't need the [IMG] tags when pasting your http:// links into the popup box.

 
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Ezone - Good Eagle eye, yes it does, I noted this possible need back in May when doing a tire rotation, but it looks worse now. Thanks I will skip the [IMG] tags. I continue to talk to people I know that work on cars trying to figure this problem out. One proposed ideas that seems feasible is a sticking caliber piston, (#10 in the PDF attached illustration) that causes the pads to touch unevenly to the rotors or not retract away from the rotors evenly after braking. Do you have any experience with this type of problem? BTY what is your occupation are you a long time Honda Mechanic?

 
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I could see the bushing issue there but I sure can't SEE your noise LOL


Try finding the people that fix cars.

Nope IMO. That would make the brakes drag, (and get hot, depending on how much pressure is applied) and wear out the pads fast. It wouldn't sound any different than normal braking.

And pads almost always lay against the rotors to some extent, they very rarely pull away far enough to make zero contact unless there are springs on the pads and everything is brand new.

Sure. I solve problems for a living.

It's damn tough to chase noises over the internet though.
If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

 
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Well that's always the intent to fix cars, but some times it takes a while, especially on a daily driver car. Honda SS huh? Thanks for the inputs. Still dealing with this @#$% problem, any experience with anti lock brake systems that might cause this grinding sound? Other ideas are that chasing noise in person is also difficult, could be the emergency brakes or the CV axles. In the past the CV axles make a clicking sound when doing slow figure 8's in a parking lot, but maybe they can also make this intermittent grinding noise. Waiting for my brother to finish his Jeep lift kit so I can get back into our joint shop setup at his place.

 
Rep Power: 518

Yeah.


Have you ever experienced an ABS stop?
Texas? Probably don't get much snow and ice there huh?

Try to make the car skid in loose gravel. The grind noise is the ABS pump motor, and the pedal vibration you will get are the ABS system operating the brake hydraulic system. That's the only sort of noise ABS can make when it operates.
Those are only in the rear. Is the noise in the rear?

The most common failure noise...
Kinda doubt this will be the noise.

Record the noise?

Locate the general area of the noise, left, right, front, rear?
Sound louder with the windows up or down?


Chassis ears?

 
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See indented comments. How do you do the parsed quote responses?

 
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Use this icon above the reply box.

 
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Get a couple other professional observers in the car to help locate a general area of where the noise comes from.... One front, one in the rear seat. Everyone turn their heads sideways to determine front/rear (directional hearing LOL) left/right and floor/roof.

Yeah, roof. I did that to figure out a rattle in a sunroof once that everyone else swore was coming from anyplace but.

 
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I can see where the Chassis ears tool you mentioned could be quite handy for isolating noises. Actually doing a version of your above humorous recommendation resolved this problem. A few weeks back I was carrying a 6' 2 x 4 with the back seat down and the noise was notably louder.

Recently I climbed in the trunk with a pillow with the back seat down and put my head near each rear wheel well. My brother drove around the neighbor hood with me mostly in the trunk. The noise was coming from the driver's side back wheel area.

It turned out to the be the pad wear indicator, although months back these pads looked like they had a lot of life left on them. I did a brake repair which has resolved this issue finally. Thanks for all the ideas they helped.

 
Rep Power: 518