I’m hoping someone can help me identify a brake noise that is driving me crazy. So far my mechanic can’t find anything wrong. It’s a long history with this brake problem but here’s the short version.

Shortly after buying my truck I was going down a steep mountain grade (Not towing anything) and when my brakes got hot they started to make a loud metal on metal noise (chattering or grinding type) when I applied the brakes. When I got home I had my mechanic check it out and he found nothing wrong with the brakes. He felt I must have picked up some sand behind the pads which caused the noise. After that I forgot about the problem until I tried towing my boat down another grade and the same noise returned from the brakes. This time my mechanic felt the brake dust was causing the noise and he advised me to wash out the dust every so often.
I made another trip to the mountains last month and of course the metal on metal noise returned. When I got home I had my front brakes replaced (back were still fine) and hoped that would correct the problem. Well……..guess what, just returned from the mountains again and the noise is still there. When ever the brakes get hot I still get this terrible grinding metal on metal noise. None of the mechanic I have seen can find anything wrong. Has anyone ever had this problem or have any idea what the cause could be?

Thanks

 

What year is your truck? ie: do you have 4 wheel discs? Have you checked what the rotors or drums look like? If it looks like metal has been smeared across the surface you probablly heard the rotor/drum starting to disengrate and falling apart by smearing itself when the brakes were applied because they were overheated. (stop riding the brakes....just kidding) If all of your pads (all 4 wheels) are good, you may have to get new rotors, and I would suggest the power slot or some other vented rotor. Also, try downshifting in the mountains and use the motor as a brake. It seems that you are overheating the stock system and it is time to upgrade to better brakes for what you do.
Good Luck, I hope I helped.
Brian

 

Hi,
I think Brian hit the nail on the head. semi-metallic pads are very hard. When the brakes get especally hot they can actually rub material off the rotors. ( the composite pads handle heat better then the metal rotors.) Engine braking will help you ( how about trailer brakes?) keep the Overdrive off going down hill or maybe even shift down a gear. Better to go slow and be able to stop than get to the bottom with no brakes. Let me know if that helps, The brakes on my ttruck are probably the part I most regret.

 

Sonoma are you talking about the mountains going to Lake Berryessa or somewhere else and what type of boat are you towing? I know when coming home from Berryessa My brakes tended to get very hot and that is with downshifting and letting the engine help with braking the steep down grade and sharp turns on those roads do require those of us who go to Berryessa to brake more than we would like but the two previous posts have said about what the problem is and one suggested upgrading to Powerslot rotors I would also suggest that since I in fact have just done so,and the braking improvement is dramatic to say the least. I went with Powerslot Rotors and HAWK HP Light Duty Performance Pads and flushed my entire brake fluid system with Castorl GTLMA Brake Fluid which handles the heat better than conventinal DOT 3 Fluid it has a higher boiling point. I would buy the Rotors from www.truckperformance.com and get the HAWK pads from www.tirerack.com it is a little more money than just using stock parts but the extra cash is well worth the upgrade. I would also like to suggest Russell Braidied Stainless Steel Brake lines which I will be upgrading as soon as they are available which should be in about 30-60 days also purchased from www.Truckperformance .com

Hope this has helped,
Richard D.

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