# Brake grinding **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833 "2010-06-20T02:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/1 "2010-06-20T02:56:30Z")
My front right brake grinds at low speed and it get worse when I turn the wheel to the right (i.e. to the outside of the caliper). I changed the brake pads and rotor but the problem is still there. I think the (floating) caliper should have the pins regreased. Could this be the problem or would it be something else? ---
**Author:** ![Shawn\_K\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Shawn\_K\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn_K_1)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/2 "2010-06-20T03:25:42Z")
You should get brake lube and put it on the pins every time you do the brakes. It may not hurt to check the wheel bearing as well. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/3 "2010-06-20T03:31:55Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > My front right brake grinds at low speed and it get worse when I turn the wheel to the right (i.e. to the outside of the caliper). I changed the brake pads and rotor but the problem is still there. I think the (floating) caliper should have the pins regreased. Could this be the problem or would it be something else? Could it be a cv joint? If the rubber boot is bad the joint will deteriorate. When mine went bad it only made grounding noises in turns. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/4 "2010-06-20T03:39:57Z")
I’m an idiot. Forgot something important . It is intermittent. Many times quiet, sometimes louder and changes when I press the brake. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn\_K\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Shawn\_K\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn_K_1)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/5 "2010-06-20T03:44:54Z")
If it’s intermittent and has volume changes it may not hurt to see if you ended up with a rock in it or if there’s brake hardware that’s hitting. (the metal clips that some brake pads slide on) make sure the hardware isn’t loose or hitting the rotor at that can happen sometimes especially with some after market brake hardware. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/6 "2010-06-21T04:00:53Z")
The rotor is and the caliper should always be in the same plane regardless of whether the wheel is straight or turned. Therefore, the sound would not change. This sounds more like a different bad component, but the sound is not consistent with what I’ve usually heard. A bad wheel bearing sounds like the most likely candidate. They often present themselves as a ticking sound that can best be heard when you travel close to a wall, a line of cars or a Jersey barrier. This could have progressed past that stage. If the wheel bearing is bad, it allows the wheel hub to move in various directions. The wheel bearing sits inside the wheel hub, and the rotor is bolted to the hub. The caliper is bolted to the suspension upright. Thus the rotor can tilt out of alignment with the caliper. Ball joints can make a grinding noise when you turn the wheel but usually clunk when the wheel is straight. A bad one will make the wheel reluctant to move off of center, but that can be masked by over-assisted power steering. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/7 "2010-06-21T17:06:14Z")
Could also be an axle shaft, if you have FWD. Just had this done last week – cost almost $300 plus tax. Ouch. I’m still smarting. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/8 "2010-07-14T16:30:06Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > A bad wheel bearing sounds like the most likely candidate. They often present themselves as a ticking sound that can best be heard when you travel close to a wall, a line of cars or a Jersey barrier. This could have progressed past that stage. > If the wheel bearing is bad, it allows the wheel hub to move in various directions. The wheel bearing sits inside the wheel hub, and the rotor is bolted to the hub. The caliper is bolted to the suspension upright. Thus the rotor can tilt out of alignment with the caliper. But if that’s the case, shouldn’t the noise go away when I press the break? Instead it gets louder. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Skinley\_Von\_Clipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Baron\_Skinley\_Von\_Clipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Skinley_Von_Clipper)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brake-grinding/543833/9 "2010-07-14T19:29:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > But if that’s the case, shouldn’t the noise go away when I press the break? Instead it gets louder. Brake. If your brakes break you can’t brake.