I'm getting a grinding sound coming from the front left wheel at very low speed just as I'm coming to a stop. I don't hear or feel anything when braking at moderate or high speeds. I pulled the wheel off and there's plenty of brake pad material left and the disc appears smooth.
Any idea as to what this could be?
=== Could be glazed brake pads caused by overly gentle usage, or heat glazing. Would leave a shiny surface whereas normally you should see some very slight grooves also. Just a guess of course. But you could try "conditioning" the brake pads by several stops from
60 mph to 5 mph (not a complete stop), then normal usage.
Take a look under the car... what is the condition of the left front CV boot?
Michael
Do you also here it when going in reverse? another is the thickness of the disc, theres a recommended thickness for the disc. Also, it may be smooth but the disc should be smooth from the edge to center, some have rough outer edges but the center is smooth
I had the same problem on my 91 Camry. For me it turned out to be one of the caliper sliders was seized up. .......... Clive
Do you have ABS?
Yes. We get a lot of snow here in Ontario and I'm familiar with the sound and feeling of ABS; the sound I'm hearing is not the same.
I just pulled both front wheels off and the CV boots are intact. I think if they fail you see grease sprayed all over the place and this isn't the case. The sound happens when braking in a straight line and there's no clicking when going around corners.
Thanks for the suggestion. It's worth a try. I was too lazy to pull the pads for inspection but the discs didn't seem overly shiny or blueish.
I have not seen the start of this thread, but the noise you described may just be worn pads. The pads are designed to give a "warning" when they are worn too low.
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