Monotaur

Hi all,

I just got my rotors and pads changed today (rotors from a group buy a while back and some Hawk Ceramic pads). Anyway, I was driving around doing the break in procedure and noticed while driving next to a fence and parked cars that there is a grinding noise coming from my car! It is not terribly loud, but it is annoying. And what is worse, is that it goes away when I brake. Does this mean that one (or more) of the pads is dragging on the rotor?

Thanks for any help!

MAXDOUT04

Are the splash shields bent in? that would sound like a slight grinding noise

Monotaur

Not sure, I'll check. Would they 'flex' or move when the brake pedal was pressed? Otherwise, would they continue to grind when stopping?

Thanks.

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

check your front wheel bearings, mines went on my car last week, is covered under warranty also.. mines wern't cause of mods..

edit: the grinding does get worse if it is this, so get it fixed quickly

Monotaur

Covered by the bumper to bumper? If so, I'm outta luck - I'm almost at 40K now.

Would the grinding noise stop if I applied the brakes?

Thanks.

Monotaur

OK, I just checked the rear splash shields - they look like they are fine (although I only looked at them from the outside edge). This kind of thing would be pretty obvious, right?

As a side note, I also hosed off the wheels/rotors (after making sure everything was cool to the touch). The shop who replaced them didn't completely clean off the rotors before putting them on and as a result, there was oil splattered all over my wheels. There was also a nasty burning oil smell after I did the breakin procedure.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

ur gonna smell that when breaking in, but as for the noise maybe due to bad install. i'd ask the installer if no one chimes in with an answer

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

Dont sweat it, they will grind a bit till they break in, about 200 miles or so is how long it took for mine to totaly disappear. Its all good! The smell is normal too, had smell on my set up RTP rotors, Maxxis Pads. Now no noise or smell.

**MAX**

mine did that when I was breakin' it in. should go away after the coating wears off.

Ankit69

iTrader: (1)

had the same in mine, still waiting for it to break in, what is the breakin period for new rotors and pads?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

they should be "broken in" when you do the break in procedure.

MAXDOUT04

Didnt someone do a thorough writeup and then make it a sticky?

Monotaur

Thanks for the response eeryone. I am using RTP rotors as well, so I guess the smell is normal.

As for the grinding noise, it happens when I'm NOT braking... but then stops when I brake, as the pads fully engage. So this should go away after a couple of hundred miles?

Thanks for the help!

VQMAX05

iTrader: (2)

Yep! the sound is there when not braking, just driving, then goes away while braking. Dont worry its all "normal"

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

btw everyone should educate themselves on brakes by readin through:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=477415
the stoptech site is extremely informative.

are you sure the "normal" noise until "broken in" is not the pad misaligned and touching the rotor, then eventually wearing?

Monotaur

Thanks everyone. I called the installer this morning and he said that he'd like to see the car tomorrow, but that it could just be that the pads have a "squeel tab" (?). He said it's probably not a big deal, but he'll take a look.

Thanks again, and I'll let you know what happens.

Maximam

Coating?????

Monotaur

Alright... so I just got the car back from the shop. They said that there was a bent tab on the brake pad but that they fixed it. They said that if the noise doesn't go away after a while (when the pads seat them selves) that I'd have to replace the front pads with another kind (I have Hawk Ceramic pads).

When I picked up the car, they just had it out in the lot unlocked with the key sitting on the sunroof. No one was outside and this on a major road in this small town.

The other thing though is that after visually inspecting the brakes, I noticed that there are now two grooves around the outer circumference of the wheel on all 4 wheels. I'm certain that these weren't there before. I called them up to ask if they could have accidentally done this, and they said that no, that their mounting machine comes no where near that part of the wheel and that when I brought the car in the noted that those lines were odd. Sounds fishy to me, but I can't prove that they weren't there before the changed the tires. I'm not too happy about that.

Now I wish I only had the grinding noise

Monotaur

BTW, here are some pics of some of the scratches from two different wheels. Do these look like manufacturing defects to you or do they look like they may have been caused by the tire mounting process?

Tek-Niq

iTrader: (3)

they were scratched, like a curb maybe, or trying to get on the lift at the dealer..

boone

iTrader: (1)

I can't be 100% sure from the pics but those look pretty fresh. If you didn't pick them up when they did your brakes, then the only other possibility I could think of is that the wheels rubbed against something. However, you would have most likely noticed that.

Monotaur

I was thinking that if I had someone did that (without noticing) that a curb rash would have 'smeared' more over the surface whereas these seem to have been more concentric. Plus, I don't see any marks on the tires or outer edges of the rims.

Also, if this were curb rash I'm not sure how all 4 wheels would get it at once. I think I missed spotting the marks the first time around because it was getting dark out side and I wasn't looking at the wheels - more at the pads/rotors.

Is there anything that can be done about this, without getting too expensive? With chromed wheels like this, does the chrome flake off or anything after a while?

Thanks.

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

for now on and forever I will demand to walk my car and record before/after scratches/dents when at shops.

when replacing my RSAs there were insisions on my oem wheels. but didn't notice until it was too late.

Ankit69

iTrader: (1)

i have a problem, just got new rotors and pads from automax, got the rtp zinc coated rotors for the front and rears, i got new hawk hps break pads, i replaced them about 2 weeks ago and still think the brakes suck, i was driving my g/f's honda accord, 3000k on it and as soon as you touch the brake they stop, i understand my car is not new at 35,000 miles but still wondering what the problem could be...any suggestions?

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

did you follow the break in procedure??? and ensure there is no air in the lines????

those are the 2 on the top of my head. no reason ANY new rotors/pads should "suck" at all from the get-go

Ankit69

iTrader: (1)

i read over the break in procedures and they were instaleld by nissan so i'd assume there is no air in the lines...but i guess ill have to check

Maxim(a)SerjVQ

Hawk HPS pads need some heat in them. and I've NEVER heard of a dealership that would install the pads you specify. I had to call around a few shops before i found a place that would install something that didnt come off their shelves. You may have gotten jacked and they put OEM pads on your aftermarket zinc-coated rotors. when i got mine done i had a soft hissing noise when i was braking for the first 100miles or so. also even after they installed and checked them by running up and down the street, i still used the "bed-in" procedure listed on tirerack after getting my car. the results have been great performance especially the more demanding the situation, and seldom if any squeek from the composite pads. good luck!

Ankit69

iTrader: (1)

i doubt the dealership did that, but ill check my pads in the morning to check whether there hawk hps pads or regular oem pads

Maximam

Why are you guys using performance pads for a street driven car?

04SMOKE

Simple......The Maxima is a performance car. Hence, I use performance pads.

Maximam

Ok here is my point. A street driven car is never going to need a perfromance pad. The downfall to using a performance pad on a street driven car is the performance is actually worse when used on a street driven car. They need more temperature to bite, alot of the time make more dust, many times make more noise. I highly doubt you guys are driving the cars 100mph deep into a corner, lap after lap driving around your neighborhood.

Now if any of your guys use your Maxima on a roadcourse for fun then I can see it but other than that I feel performance pads hinder street driven performance. In other words, performance pads don't work as good on the street than ordinary street pads do.

kamski

iTrader: (9)

LOL.... you just biatch slapped him in the face

Maximam

Are you serious Kam? He biatch slapped me? Tell me how you came about that?

I will talk all d a m n day about this $hit. I have spent enough real time on a race track to speak with educated comments.

xorbitman

iTrader: (1)

Anyone here replace the rotors with Cross-Drilled? Mine are the from KVR and are cadmium plated. I think they are about 1" larger in diameter than stocks. The pads are HPS by Hawk. Just want to check that the rotors will fit. And to answer you Maximan. Try some stop and go traffic like here in Montreal, especially in the summer; Your brakes get hot pretty fast. Besides did you guys know that the Max with OEM brakes takes longer and further to brake then most other cars in it's class like the Accord, Camry, Mazda 6 etc. We need every little edge we can get to help this car brake like a performance car should.

xorbitman

iTrader: (1)

I just got the MAX back with the KVR rotors and Hawk HPS brake pads. They work real nice. There is a slight grinding noise when I brake. I guess this is normal? It seems like it's not always there though. I was told that I will need to replace the rear rotors and pads within 6 months. I don't think it's necessary to go with anything special in the rear.

Any ideas on this intermittent very low volume grinding noise or is this just part of the normal break-in?

Thanks!

**MAX**

yup! my EBC pads have break-in coating that cleans up rotors and accelerates pad break-in according to the manufacturer.