[Mk2] [Turbo] Help! URGENT! Horrid metal on metal grinding sound!!! :(

[dellams]

On the way to work today, started getting a horrid grinding metal on metal sound!

I was pretty convinced it had to be the brake caliper being stuck on the disc, but the places I dropped it off to get the rear tires changed said the front wheels were turning freely and looked ok to them!

But it can't be ok, they said they haven't got time to have a look at it properly and will need to book it in again another time.

Problem is, I need the car tomorrow to get to one of these team building exercises in the middle of dartmoor!

Typical timing, was really looking forward to the nice drive across dartmoor, now it looks like I wont even make it!

Is there anything I can do at home to try and solve the problem? If the wheels are indeed turning freely, what else can I do?

This could be linked to other problems I have had with steering wheel shaking when I get to about 60 miles an hour. I know the brake discs are warped at the front so possibly the brake calpiper has got stuck on, but if they said its spinning freely, it cant be this?

The steering wheel has always shook under heavy braking as expected by warped discs. But the shaking all the time started after they took the wheels off, then they said it needed spiggot rings, which has helped a bit. Now they have re-balanced the front wheels so that may help with the shaking. Its the horrid metal on metal grinding sound which concerns me most since I really dont want to drive it when its doing that!

I know the brake shrouds behind the discs have completley rusted away, and I have pulled most of these off now in case they were getting caught up, which they did sometimes on full lock.

Cheers.

[SonicSW20]

Well first need to work out exactly where it is coming from.

Does it do it all the time, or only under braking?

how do the discs look? On the face you can see, is there any scoring? Feel the face on the other side, can you feel any grooves or anything?

How do the pads look?

I had a similar thing which turned out to be one of the rear pad backing plates grinding into the disc - whoever fitted the previous pads did not rotate the piston to the correct position, so the pad was sitting at an angle, and only getting pushed by the piston on one side causing accelerated wear. This was the end result:



New discs and pads sorted it, did it with myself and a friend in a couple hours (neither of us had done an MR2 before).

[Baker]

possibly complete wheel bearing failure.

But try tightening the big hub nut, if it is loose, remove, threadlock and re-torque.

[g.lewarne]

he is on about his front wheels.

pads worn? pad seperating springs bent and rubbing the disc? (i had that before) wheel rubbing?

give your front wheels a damn good pulling / shaking/tugging while still on the ground see if you can detect any excess free play in any direction - might be a good point to start

[SonicSW20]

Wheel noises are very decieving when you are in the car though - I was adamant that my front brakes were responsible for the noise, but it turned out to be the rears.

Im just saying dont count on it 100% being the fronts, check all four!

[g.lewarne]

Wheel noises are very decieving when you are in the car though - I was adamant that my front brakes were responsible for the noise, but it turned out to be the rears.

Im just saying dont count on it 100% being the fronts, check all four!

very true!

i got a squeak i was sure was front left, turned out shock boot rear right was the culprit!

[Baker]

he is on about his front wheels.

pads worn? pad seperating springs bent and rubbing the disc? (i had that before) wheel rubbing?

give your front wheels a damn good pulling / shaking/tugging while still on the ground see if you can detect any excess free play in any direction - might be a good point to start

Fronts do have bearings too. ?

[djpkins]

Jack it up and spin the wheels 1 by 1....how elusive can such a painfull noise be?

[Century Motorsport]

Jack it up and give each wheel a good wobble with your hands ... be quite aggresive with it though .. if its a wheel bearing or loose suspension component your likely to feel it!

[marktullett]

had exactly the same thing recently, was the wheel bearing. They can be really difficult to get out. It advise shopping around, i had quotes of £360 plus. Got the bearing for £49 off ebay and had it fitted for £60. Good luck

[bolton]

Pad wear indicator?

[dellams]

Ok thanks for the info guys, it could be the pads weren't fitted correctly.

That would explain why the brakes dont feel as responsive as I would expect, I guess?


That horrid noise went away after I got my car back from the garage when they balanced the front wheels. They said they couldnt see anything wrong.

I know the discs are warped and that the pads are getting low now since started to get that screech noises when you brake warning you they are getting low. The thing is, they were only fitted not long beforeI bought the car about 2 months ago now. But if they werent fitted right would explain why they have worn sooo quickly!

I will try shaking the wheel etc in the ground and in air. What other symptoms would occur if it was the wheel bearing?

[g.lewarne]

Worst case scenario is wheel falls off!

[dellams]

Any other symptoms before the wheel falls off?

[djpkins]

No...thats y'lot...lol.

These callipers are a fkn nightmare once they've seized...I have had my front pair off 3 times in 2 years to unseize the bottom sliders...given up on them now and going to rplace with Nissan 200 SX callipers...There was a point where I couldn't even open the callipers enough to fit 2 new pads in...and the pad spring seats were shot...big mistake to copper grease sliders, should use the white stuff...anyways, there are very few parts that can cause such an awfull noise and IMO those callipers are top of the list...or the rust flap...brake dust cover thing fowling on the disc.

[djpkins]

No...thats y'lot...lol.

These callipers are a fkn nightmare once they've seized...I have had my front pair off 3 times in 2 years to unseize the bottom sliders...given up on them now and going to rplace with Nissan 200 SX callipers...There was a point where I couldn't even open the callipers enough to fit 2 new pads in...and the pad spring seats were shot...big mistake to copper grease sliders, should use the white stuff...anyways, there are very few parts that can cause such an awfull noise and IMO those callipers are top of the list...or the rust flap...brake dust cover thing fowling on the disc.

[marktullett]

Do Nissan 200sx callipers fit? From the s13 or s14 model? Interesting stuff. I've replace 2 callipers and agree they are a nightmare. As for the wheel bearing, if you jack it up and wobble the wheel you will definitely feel any significant play.

What is the handling like? When my bearing was completely loose then the front of the car felt like is was going to loose grip (it was a rear passenger bearing) and the car was unstable at the front drivers side.

Good luck!

[dellams]

The noise has gone away now, after I got the car back it was gone, but they hadnt done anything apart from balance the front wheels.

So was prob the shrouds rubbing (more likely) or a seized/sticking caliper.

It feels really unstable form 60 upwards, the car moves all over the place especially over 60. But that could be the alignment is out, I need to get a proper 4 wheel laser alignment done since the garage said they couldnt do camber. And going by what I've seen so far I dont think they have even done the 4 wheel alignment properly!

How much are new calipers?

MR2 ones? And Nissan ones?

I presume the Nissan ones are better for some reason then?

[djpkins]

They look like baby hi-spec...4 pot, but they don't just bolt on...brackets need to be made up...gazrev1tubby is the boy for that package.