Weird scraping noise. Can brakes make this kind of racket?

Been trying to track down a super annoying noise that doesn’t seem to affect anything. It sounds like a brake dust shield scraping a rotor but… I don’t have brake dust shields. I can’t find anything touching anything moving. Noise goes away when going less than 5mph or so or stopped. I’m inclined to believe the noise is brake related however.

Vid: https://vimeo.com/739467720

Sounds exactly like this to me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5x0SC5E97k&t=40s (at :40 seconds if link doesn’t work)

And I’ve been meaning to replace my brake flex hoses for months as I suspect they are internally collapsing and so not allowing my pads to retract (based on the age/condition of the truck and a perceived decline in brake performance since I put new pads/rotors on late last year). But I want to diagnose then fix instead of throwing money at the problem. Just not sure how to.

Note: I can only hear this when driving next to objects with the windows open. Can’t hear it inside, can’t hear it over wind noise past a certain speed. But at 10-30 mph with windows open driving down one-way streets it sounds like the truck is falling apart!

Brake/rotor pics. How do these look?



The mirror finish on the inside of the rotor is a little suspect?

 

Brakes look perfect.

Exhaust heat shield hitting driveline maybe?

Also, common cause of poor braking after brake replacement is a non-functional parking brake, which disables the rear brake auto-adjusters, which are very important to overall brake function.

This could also cause what sounds like the rattling sound I hear in your video...parking brake parts that are seized or out of adjustment can cause other parts to be loose and rattle around like that.

 

Brakes look good.

Do you have any polyurethane bushings anywhere on the truck?
Did you check the cab mounts?
Did you jack up the front end and check for any play in the wheels and freedom of spinning?

 

Good ideas folks.

Fixed this last year and I am paranoid about exercising it! Though I wouldn’t rule out an issue inside the drum. Literally haven’t had a second human to tell me where the noise is coming from as I drive by or around them. But sounds like front corner.

I think I’ve checked every darn heat shield.

um yeah the cab mount that’s right under the driver. Could it be making this noise? The location checks out.

It is black poly from energy suspension which I recall they say needs no lubrication. But, uh, if I could spray it with something to rule it out, I’ll do it.

I did check for play in the wheel and spun it a bit. There’s a minor squeal from brakes when spinning the wheel that way. My plan tomorrow is to take the caliper off and see how the pistons feel, maybe or hopefully find a pebble lodged in a weird place. Then I’ll clean everything thoroughly and regrease the back of the pads, and the pins.

One thing I’ll add is that this truck sees unmaintained “roads” several times a month. Horrible combo of muddy, humid and dusty around here.

 

That sounds like a classic poly bushing squeak to me, but also agree it could be any number of other things.

Hit it with lube and run for a spin around the block. A wide variety of things will work, something less-viscous is best, maybe 3-n-1 or WD-40?

Yeah, Energy says a lot of things. I've used their stuff in the past. I prefer rubber myself, less harsh and less noise. Energy is the best of the best, those bushings will last a long ass time. But yeah, they're noisy.

Again, not saying that's definitively what it is, but soak it with some 3-n-1 or similar, anything that'll seep into the corners for a bit. Then drive around. Can't hurt, and you'll know really fast if that's it.

 

Will give it a shot tomorrow and report back. Think I’ve got just the tool for the job.

 

Good advice from @Shifty....

That lower pad looks like half of it has a single gouge or is grooved up; possibly something trapped or embedded in the rotor?? Not sure if that is your inner or outer pad, but I'd look closely at that rotor (both sides)...

Also, I had a similar issue once upon a time when I replaced my rear brakes (did pads and hardware); buttoned the darn thing up and had a horrible squealing noise that was clearly brake hardware not seated properly. Pulled it apart, reset all the pieces, buttoned it up and the same thing. I noticed that once piece of hardware was slightly twisted, so I threw on the old hardware (just that one piece), and the problem was resolved. All parts were OE, but for some reason that one clip would not seat properly.

Good luck!!!

 

Silicone spray is perfect for plastics and rubbers. It's also great for car detailing, but it seems like a lot of people give me blank stares when I ask if they have any. "You mean, the stuff I use to seal things with?"

You've even got my preferred brand

 

Well, did the silicone thing and went around the block… noise still there.

Went looking for more and probably found the issue:

https://vimeo.com/739790846

Thoughts?

 

Update!!

https://vimeo.com/739794496

my tone ring is full of crud. What does it mean?! How did it get there?

best I can tell my bearings exploded and littered the tone ring?

 

Yup. This is the reason I asked, "any play in the wheels and freedom of spinning" earlier

 

I noticed the same thing from the front left tire. I took it to the dealer and they said the breaks look fine. Your saying it’s a wheel bearing?

 

So I blasted the crud out of the ring and the wheel spins great now. I thought the drag was from the brakes--argh!! Forgot to check for play when I slapped it back together--d'oh. Any chance this is not a wheel bearing and just a crudded up tone ring? So far as I can tell there's really nowhere for crud to come in from so it's... prolly bearing.

Haven't had a chance to take it for a spin after I slapped it back together for... reasons...

 

Sure. It could be crud from driving through mud etc. Could be......but probably isn't. That looks like a LOT of drag in your video.

 

Is the crud metallic/rusty/magnetic or just dirt/mud?

Does the bearing feel gritty when gently turning the hub?

 

I'm not going to be telling you anything I think you want to hear.

I'm curious to hear answers to @assassin10000's questions though, it's what we all need to know to give you advice.

 

Good question, it seemed mostly to be black muddy silt. You can see some specks of what is probably fine metal shavings in the vid above but I did not test any with a magnet.

I got it to where I could easily spin the hub by hand and it felt smooth as if nothing were the matter, though I think there was still a little bit of high-frequency metal on metal noise like a brake pad gently rubbing a rotor (which I suspect when turned much faster might add up to the same noise I've been hearing when the car is moving).

Weird thing was it didn't get super difficult to move until after I took the rotors off the assembly, which is why I thought it was just pads rubbing rotor at first. Once the rotor was off it seems like something got dislodged and rotating it felt terrible.

Anyway, I've got a good local driveline shop and wheel bearing is already on order (along with bearing seals, lots of brake lines so I can swap my flex hose without dealing with rusty fittings, lbj bolts). Someone in the neighborhood wants me to help them move a light but bulky load today and I might do it as a test drive but it is almost definitely toast.

 

almost there and it wasn’t bad even on this rust bucket. Two lbj bolts won’t let go however. The ones with the exposed thread of course. Which is also a blessing because I think I’m just gonna grind off the heads and pull the stud out once I have the knuckle free of the vehicle (which grinding these two off will accomplish). Gonna try a bolt extractor socket first tomorrow…

I had the forethought to place an order for lbj bolts yesterday but I did it for local pickup through parts.toyota and have no idea how long it’ll take. Im praying this is a bolt that parts departments just have laying around. I mean… it sure goes into a lot of cars?!

 

Seriously if anyone has good ideas about sourcing two lbj bolts by Thursday, I'm all ears!

I found the right dimensions at the local car parts shop but I see the Toyota ones have no thread and are thicker near the head, which seems like a good thing to have if you don't want your lbj to snap off. Not-oem bolts are mostly all threaded which is a little worrying.

 

No clue, but my local dealerships have a warehouse in town they source all stuff from and often are able to get bolts and misc odds and ends same-day.

From articles I've read online with regard to suspension bolts and stretch/fatigue/fail, I don't think I'd be using anything except the exact OEM replacement myself.

It can't hurt to call up the local dealership to ask status.

 

Oh I've tried to get in touch via phone. They don't pick up. Big city has few dealerships for a whole lot of shops. If you get through to a parts desk on the phone it is like winning the lottery. I might be able to reach the one I usually go to which unfortunately doesn't participate in the online parts program.

 

What about Grade 8 bolts with a Shank from a local hardware store. NOT cheap chinesium hardware, but actual Grade 8 Hardened Steel bolts? It's nothing different than what Toyota would use. Jeepers, between Ace Hardware, Home Depot and wherever else is within a short drive, I would think you would find what you need. Plus you can spend the savings on a sandwich and a beer!

 

The oem are grade 10 fyi

I'll give it a look, but my old reliable dealer can have bolts for me tomorrow so I'm good.

This ordeal just made me order cam bolts and lbjs from McGeorge. Gonna get some control arms from my hook up at NAPA and do the complete front end refresh I wanted to do last year.

 

Having a blessed day

 

Time to clean them up and weld a large nut to them.

 

I hate that for you. All four or just the two?

 

This is why I'm super glad I don't live in the rust belt

 

I'd just look for another spindle. Too bad Japanese Truck Dismantlers is kaput

 

Just saying....all broken bolts suck, but you have just about the best case scenario as far as that goes. If you don't have a welder, grind flats on the shank, and heat them up to dull red with a MAPP torch and they should come right out.

 

Couldn't agree more.
Heat them bastages up and dowse them with Kroil or another thin oil.. the oil will wick into the threads and hopefully help get the bolt remnants out.