How much is a grinding noise when braking inspection?

How do the brakes work?

We all know when we push the brake pedal the car slows down or stops.

But what happens when that brake pedal is pushed?

When the brake pedal is pushed, a lever forces a rod into a brake master cylinder that’s filled with brake fluid.

It converts the brake pedal force into hydraulic pressure through the brake fluid.

A brake booster assists the driver by reducing the amount of pressure required on the brake pedal.

It boosts the lever force by way of a vacuum.

The brake master cylinder will create pressure in the brake lines that connect to the brake/wheel cylinders situated at the disc brakes or drum brakes.

Disc brakes 
The wheel cylinder sits next to the brake caliper which straddles the brake rotor.

The brake pads sit inside the brake caliper facing the rotor.

The wheel cylinder supplies the force required to squeeze the brake caliper and pads onto the spinning brake rotor.

The brake force and subsequent friction against the brake pads and rotors cause the vehicle to slow or stop.

Brake pads and rotors are wear items and will need to be replaced at various stages of a vehicle’s life.

Drum Brakes
The wheel cylinder sits inside the brake drum/wheel hub and creates the force required to push the brake shoe and lining against the inside of the drum wall.

This causes friction, allowing the vehicle to slow down and stop.

As we all have different vehicles and use our brakes differently, the service life for brakes is different for every vehicle and driving style.

When you have your vehicle serviced with a quality AutoGuru technician they will let you know if your brakes are due to be replaced soon.

Common reasons for the brakes to make a grinding noise

• Your brake pads will usually have wear indicators. They are a piece of metal that is designed to scrap the rotors when your brake pads have worn down to point that they need to be replaced. This will make a grinding or screeching noise.
• The brake pads or shoes have worn so far that the brake calliper is grinding on the brake rotor.
• Faulty caliper or wheel cylinder. Sometimes the these can get stuck on causing a constant force of pads against rotors or shoes against drums
• Poor quality parts can cause unwanted noise
• Sometimes debris such as small stones can get lodged between pads and rotors or less frequently the shoes and drum.
• Glazed or rough rotors - as rotors wear the rotor finish can change and start making noise
• Damaged or loose brake components
• Warped drums or rotors - this is usually more of a rattle than a grinding noise

How is the brake inspection performed?

The technician might take the vehicle for a test drive but they may choose to look over the vehicle first, to determine if the brakes are safe before they drive the vehicle.

The vehicle will be jacked up and the wheels removed.

The technician will inspect the brake components, advise their findings and give an estimated cost to fix.

How important is a brake inspection?

I think we can all owe our lives to effective braking.

If you ignore that grinding noise coming from your brakes and have an accident…..

Probably best not to think about that scenario and get them inspected now, while you can.

If you’ve any reason to suspect a problem with your brakes have AutoGuru arrange an inspection for you.