Weird brake noise goes away if put in reverse & back to D and then brake. (1 Viewer)

[WanderingWarrior]

Need help! Brake scraping noise that comes while driving and braking and the moment I put in reverse and back to D and drive and then brake again it’s gone again. Toyota and I are stumped.

Video with sound attached is here:

Had loud scraping noise out of no where while braking on Saturday. Began during traffic when close to home but no noise for 1 hour driving in morning and 45 mins or so driving home. Came at end of drive home. Then two days later went away while 3 hours driving in traffic. This was Scraping noise from driver wheel only during braking. Came home. Parked.

That same day then hours later it’s gone. Reverse had a much smaller noise when braking in reverse. Odd. But nothing in forward and braking. Thought maybe was debris or a rock and it’s all gone. Cleaned it too. Things look in place when inspected brakes etc.

THEN

Kept Toyota appointment today. No noise while driving there. While braking during accelerating or reverse. They checked out everything. Front pads 9-10mm, rear 9mm. Said everything looks good. Calipers not seized. Working. Brake lines good. They said won’t even charge me because loved working on my 1999 LX and that it looks so mint. 295,000 miles. No rust. Brake master booster etc all good and noise isn’t from it. My friend and I also checked.

THEN driving home. Loud scraping noise returns while braking after having gone for 6 days with no noise. 50 min drive home. Last 5 mins on a ramp down it had come back. Okay thought maybe it’s bc brakes get hot? 70 F here. Earlier was 78 and I drove lots no noise.

BUT as I pull in, I said wait let me put it in reverse before parking. In reverse no brake noise. Okay. Then back to D/ forward and apply brakes and noise gone!! Drove more and hit brakes and all noise is gone. WTF?? dead silent. Performance has never suffered during noise or no noise.

What kind of noise disappears when u put in reverse and then back to D and drive and brake? But was there before when I drove in D for 60 straight minutes, coming in last 5 minutes?

It’s so odd! Toyota said brakes don’t need cleaning. They did open up stuff. I saw it.

Can it be something other than brake system?? Driveline? Propeller drive shafts? Greased 6 months ago and 1500 miles ago. But only happens during braking?

Again noise disappeared moment I put in reverse and back to D and tried braking ten times while driving fast and slow. It’s like system got reset? Something happen to brakes and rotors that they change positions or something when u go to R and then back to D?

And noise is not from under the hood. We checked it out. Not brake booster or anything. It’s under driver wheel.

Even if cat or heat shield… only comes on braking? And then also gone when I go to reverse and back to D?? It resets to silence?

Stumped.

 

[kbfj621989]

Are these OEM pads and shims? I believe that there are standard OEM pads as well as economy OEM versions. Original rotors? Have they been turned previously?

 

[WanderingWarrior]

Are these OEM pads and shims? I believe that there are standard OEM pads as well as economy OEM versions. Original rotors? Have they been turned previously?

Thank you for reply. Not original pads. Akebono but rotors Toyota original. Previous owner. I’d do oem only for pads but since these had great life left and haven’t caused any issue for two years figured I’d get full use out of them. I’ve put on maybe 6 k miles in 2 years and no noise ever. Toyota said both pads and rotors look fine and 9-10mm in front and back on pads. Lots of life left.Shims good. Fitting good. They said sure aftermarket can make noise BUT for the noise to come few years later now, randomly on some drives and not others, and to disappear the moment I put in R and back to D and brake again is odd. Their oldest mechanics had not seen this. And driving to them I had no noise. No noise there. Driving home for an hour, last 5 mins or so the noise came back. After not being there for days. No rain or anything recently. Garage kept. Again disappeared after I did one switch to R and back to D.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Definitely that’s a brake system issue. Unusual sound from your video is coming from the front, so that’s where I’ll start the inspection and troubleshooting. Check you caliper’s piston and see if they move freely (prepare a brake pad spreader tool so you can push back in the pistons when you step on the brake pedal). Spreading them back should not be hard, it has a little resistance from the brake line but shouldn’t seize to move. Also check the rotor if it’s true flat or may be warped (lay it flat on glass coffee table with talcum powder slowly and see if there’s a high/low area of disc).

 

[WanderingWarrior]

Definitely that’s a brake system issue. Unusual sound from your video is coming from the front, so that’s where I’ll start the inspection and troubleshooting. Check you caliper’s piston and see if they move freely (prepare a brake pad spreader tool so you can push back in the pistons when you step on the brake pedal). Spreading them back should not be hard, it has a little resistance from the brake line but shouldn’t seize to move. Also check the rotor if it’s true flat or may be warped (lay it flat on glass coffee table with talcum powder slowly and see if there’s a high/low area of disc).

Have another mobile mechanic coming by and we will also open it all up and see if Toyota missed something. Another mechanic friend said that sometimes can be shim issue and issue pops up but when put in R and brake they have changed position a bit and again when put back into D. SO then issue disappears in D while braking. For a time it disappears before re-emerging again? So will check shims and tabs and grease them up again and clean entire area and check again pads and caliper/ piston health.
And go from there…

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Have your mobile mechanic check the front bearing as well including hub nut torque settings - many miss this thinking brake noises solely come from the brake system. The brake system is directly interdependent with the hub/rotating assembly and will not function correctly if the bearing has a lateral play = ellipse rotation hence abnormal noises.

 

[WanderingWarrior]

Have your mobile mechanic check the front bearing as well including hub nut torque settings - many miss this thinking brake noises solely come from the brake system. The brake system is directly interdependent with the hub/rotating assembly and will not function correctly if the bearing has a lateral play = ellipse rotation hence abnormal noises.

Thanks but in January I put in all new hub assemblies, bolts, nuts, claws, flanges, and all new bearings also. All toyota original parts. No issue has come up since January. This is in the front, same place where this noise comes. So odd this noise comes up sometimes in two drives since last Saturday (first time ever) and then goes away once i put in R and then back to D...where no more noise when braking while in D. And then some other random drive it comes back again with the loud scraping noise. Temperature last Saturday when issue came up for first time was 75 F, i've driven on these same brakes in over 100F last year. And then during week around 75 F but no noise. And then yesterday was around 80 F, no noise to toyota, 1 hour away. Coming home, temperature cooler, 70 F no noise for 1 hour until last 5 mins of the drive. And again, to recap, i put it in Reverse to park in garage, and then put back in D, and all of a sudden noise is gone. Didn't stop car, decided to drive more to bring back noise, and it never came back in next 5 mins....Sorry for being detailed, just bit stumped. Maybe it is a shim issue like one mechanic suggested, that they and their hardware can sometimes move in and out of place with D and R, i don't know.

I had a growling noise last year (people said my diff, i listened with the stetoscope and could tell its the bearing) with my wheel bearing on passenger side, same side as a loose lower ball joint, and that is why i replaced all parts including even entire original hub assemblies and brand new control arms from toyota for lower and upper. Impex Japan and partsouq have great prices. All new bolts for everything also. Originals gave me 300k miles and so now should be set for another long stint with this. Also haven't hit the tire anywhere, like a curb or anything since January when i put on new hubs, wheel bearings and control arms. I'd say about 1500-2000 miles since Jan i have put on with no issues what so ever until this noise.

 

[WanderingWarrior]

Opened brakes up on the side where the issue intermittently comes (driver side front) as well as the passenger side (front). Toyota when they said it was pretty clean, that definitely wasn't true. Very dusty. But brake pads and rotors overall were pretty good (in that sense Toyota was right). Even wear on both pads on both sides in the front. And lots of life left. Almost 10mm. So mobile mechanic and I cleaned the entire area with brush, greased up shims and proper areas of brake pad corners etc, as well as the caliper pins. Calipers seemed to be working fine, being able to go in and out when we tested. No rips on their boots. So let's see. For two days no noise has come while driving but i won't feel relieved until a week or so goes by with no noise returning. Because last week it began on a Saturday and disappeared for like 4 days or so with 2 different long drives only to come back again on the 4th day or so. So hopefully now just stays away. Otherwise will have to inspect again and perhaps just go and replace calipers, and rotos and maybe pads even though pads and rotors look very good and rotors were smooth with no grooves or lines on them.

 

[WanderingWarrior]

Issue came back again 5 days later haha on my 1999 LX470 ...same scraping noise per video above. And when put in reverse and hit brake one time and then back to D and brake noise is all gone. Oh and i have no wobble in steering wheel, i take off my hands off wheel even when braking and car does not pull. Have brand new control arms lower and uppers (Toyota) in front since Jan. Have new rear ones also and pan hard bar but haven't had time yet to do rear. Car drives very smooth even with 300k miles and with AHC. Brake power is pretty good. Nothing has acted up except this stupid noise that comes every few days or like a third or fourth drive. Always after about 1 hour of driving....

Debating now do we machine original toyota rotors and throw new pads on it again... though current bosche front pads have 10mm left on them and toyota and lexus and mobile mechanic found them to be fine and also found rotor to be fine. Now to me, Rotors feel fine, smooth with exception of one smooth elevated grove that goes across the circle pattern of rotor. See attached picture. It is very smooth and elevated. So to me if a loud scraping noise per video above would probably cause more damage than this very smooth elevated bump in the middle of rotor, no? The top of rotor is not a ridge though may seem like one in pictures. But it is like chipping away up there. This is on driver side that scraping and screeching noise that intermittently comes. Noise often comes only when stuck in traffic bumper to bumper BUT again goes away after the reverse trick. And i am in that traffic maybe for like 10-20 minutes only. If overheating...on flat road, odd that noise goes away with this reverse brake and then back to D and brake actions.

So debating machining rotors first with toyota appt tomorrow (they will do maching while on hubs) with possibly new toyota pads, new toyota shims.... and also i think new oem brake hose to caliper. Still have toyota oem ones. Look in good shape on outside but i know sometimes they can not be in good shape inside the rubber hose. I thought about stainless steel braided ones but to get any of them here to Canada its about $100-200 for the front only! if i order OEM again its $14 each from impex japan and i'll order then all new hardware from them and Partsouq in dubai also and go all oem all for under $60 and that is for front and back oem toyota.

The two things i am trying to put off last is replacing rotors (labour of taking off hubs and all the claws and hardware and bearings and then setting pre-load weight etc) and buying new calipers.

NEW ROTORS and CALIPERS?
I may add new rotors BUT obviously bigger job of taking off hubs in the front etc. Just put on new hubs from toyota and bearings in December! All new hardware in the front lol. I asked then to the shop lets put on new rotors too and he was like no they look fine. I could possibly do myself, work on car often, but need to then buy the socket tool and fish scale etc.

Anyone have suggestion to any good reliable calipers aside from OEM. I read a lot last few days and now will stay away from powerstop... i saw Slee has DBA calipers for $130ish usd... but can't find reviews on them. And i see the long list on rock auto but again would like some good feedback from people on what calipers they went with for Aftermarket and did they last? Oem are like almost $300 usd each. I can wait for sale but american dealers won't ship to me to Canada unless its via like Bell Lexus ebay account and then they don't honor the sales that come on their websites on Ebay And with partsouq and impex japan it is one of those rare items that is basically the same price as American and Canadian dealers.

I have the money and if need be i may just bite the bullet and also buy new OEM Rotors and calipers IF the other cheaper options/ tactics don't work first to eliminate this intermittent noise - like brake lines (if have some collapsed rubber inside causing issues at times), machine rotors if Toyota thinks they can tomorrow -and they will while on the hubs, mixed with new toyota pads. If they were going to take off the rotors to do machining off the car, then i'd just buy new rotors since same labour. New Rotors in Canada are about $170 Canada per (Front) or about same as in usa or even at impex japan or dubai, $140-180usd.

New front brake pads around $140 canadian for the top line toyota and not the cheaper economy version apparently they are selling now. So thinking about machining and throwing on new pads to replace the bosche 10 mm front ones currently on from previous owner. With new brake line into caliper and new bolts and washers in that area, and also with new toyota shims.

If they can't machine rotors... should i continue with these rotors and just try on akebono pro premium ACT772 ($90 canadian) before i go and try to test out a new oem toyota pads $140? But of course it would be on these rotors that haven't been machined.....At all advisable?
If they do machine rotors... i will buy new toyota pads to put on. Just wondering if any chance throwing on new cheaper pads like akebono top of the line on rotors like this is worth trying?
New oem brake lines won't come for a week.

Anyway if anyone experienced like @2001LC @Trunk Monkey @abuck99 @OEMGUY0720
@hoser Remembering whoever i can from the brake threads. Anyone else feel free to chime in if you have ever experienced something like this. And of course could be something else and not even brake related? I checked for rocks etc and again wheel bearings and hubs all good, recently done, so were all the control arms and bushings, all toyota parts and new hardware (Dec 2024/ Jan 2025). No noise like this has come in 2 plus years of owning it.

Thank you!