Weird brake noise goes away if put in reverse & back to D and then brake. (8 Viewers)

[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.