Hey I have a 99 max, and it's got about 39k on it. I've had this problem before where the brakes sound like they are grinding a lot or churning, the sound feels like it's coming from the rear but i'm not so sure. Usually the problem doesn't start right when I begin driving that day, but a couple minutes into the drive it usually starts. If I brake slowly and come to a gradual stop the brakes seem normal, but it's when I'm driving fast and need to come to an abrubt stop the brakes really start grinding and churning. I also noticed that when i'm driving downhill, and gently brake the brakes grind like hell. I've brought in my max before to the stupid nissan delearship and they gave it back saying.. oh nothing is wrong.. go figure. So now I'm contemplating on what to do? Should I bring it back and have it checked out again? I don't think it's something as easy as my brake pads need to be replaced, although I know really nothing about brakes. Could my rotors be warped at only 39k? Any feedback is appreciated, thanks.
Bob

 

search for the frozen e-brake cables in the search

 

Could be your tires your hearing. If your still on the original RS-A's get rid of them ASAP!

 

No, I have bought new tires, it's not them, it's the brakes, I just don't know what is wrong with them, I hope I don't have to go back to Nissan again...

 

Check your brake pads and it might be your shocks and where is the noise comming from and is it a deep tone or a high tone and does your pedal vibrate when you push it and did you check the fluid and anything else of intrest to help someone determine your problem.

 

The exact same thing happened to me after I changed my pads to Raybestos. I got the rear ones for 19 and the fronts for 18. After a month of using them I noticed a grinding under hard braking especially downhills. I decided to get rid of the brakes to get new nissan brakes. I also noticed that the front rotors had some heat cracks on it when I took them to get resurfaced...so I also got new front rotors. If you have any questions I can help you out.

 

So you would recommend Nissan OEM brake pads?? I have semi-metallic ones... came w/ the car when i bought it and it squeels like hell to the point my ears can't bare them at times. I know alot of other members have this problem.

 

These will make the squeels go away. I used to get the squeeling noise all the time. Just remember to order the brake hardware along with the pads. The brake hardware includes the metal shims to layer the out part of the pads. It also includes all the grease you need. Now I have great braking w/no squeeling.

 

I've got this same problem with the grinding/churning type feeling when I come to stops. Especially going downhill.

I don't think it's the pads or rotors. Already checked those a few times. Using oem pads at the moment. Ebrake seems to be ok. No light on.

Might be something to do with the calipers, pistons, brake lines or brake fluid??

One of these days I'm just going to overhaul the whole thing..

 

Yea, my brake fluid was low before and my light came on, and i filled it up, but that didn't fix the problem. I don't have the whining/whistling sound at all, it's strictly hard grinding/churning.
bob

 

If you didn't break in your rotors properly (proper bedding of beds and heat cycling of rotors, leaving transer film on the rotor, etc), and have to brake abruptly before they were broken in, you could have damaged the rotors. Also, even if broken in properly, if you heat stressed the rotors badly enough, the same thing will happen. Another way this can happen is if the rotors are getting thin. When they get thinner, the rotors cannot hold as much thermal energy before the heat causes the temporary warpage.

In these cases, what can happen is that when braking, you can get temporary brake warpage. This effect only occurs when the brakes are hot/warm. Thus, you don't get them right away (need to drive/brake a bit first), and especially when braking going downhill. You may not realize it at first, but braking downhill requires MUCH greater energy to heat transfer.

I get this as well when stopping or having to slow down from very high speeds to near stopping. I never get this under regular braking, but when I brake from say 160 to about 20, it feels like my rotors are slightly warped, and I get that rough braking sensation.