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Sig226GuyNJ

Any Mechanics On Here? Do I have a bad Sway Bar End Link?

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I replaced the brakes on my car a few weeks ago, and all was well until I started hearing this noise about a week ago. It's coming from the rear passenger side of the car. It only happens when I apply the brakes. Any idea what this could be? I'm thinking it's related to my sway bar, but would love to hear your opinions.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4lYANy3DWk&feature=youtu.be

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The cyclical nature of it sounds like brake/rotor related. Worn sway bar links would be more of a clunck when going over bumps.

Recommend jacking up and removing the wheel. Turn the rotor by hand and observe whether and where it is rubbing. Also make sure the emergency brake cable is releasing freely at the caliper and not binding.

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Does it only happen when you apply the brakes?

Yes.

 

The cyclical nature of it sounds like brake/rotor related. Worn sway bar links would be more of a clunck when going over bumps.

Recommend jacking up and removing the wheel. Turn the rotor by hand and observe whether and where it is rubbing. Also make sure the emergency brake cable is releasing freely at the caliper and not binding.

 

I'm planning on doing this Sunday. I put brand new rotors and pads on, and have done brake jobs before with no issues. I can't see how this is brakes related, but I do agree that everything I'm posting makes it sound like wheel hub/brakes related. If there was rubbing of the rotor, wouldn't you think I'd hear it all the time? TBH, I'm hoping it's brakes related as it would/should be an easy fix.

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Very doubtful that your problem is sway bar link. Thats usually more or a clunk sound and you normally only hear it when going over bumps and stuff.

 

This is rotational so I would recheck the brakes and make thats all put together right. If you apply the brakes while turning in either direction, does the sound go away?

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It's definitely related to your speed, so it's something rubbing. 

 

Did you use caliper lube on the rails ?   It's possible the caliper is hanging.

 

Have you had any panic stops lately?  Despite common usage, brake rotors don't "warp".   They get hot in a hard stop and people keep their feet on the brake.   The pad then transfers pad material to the rotor and now it pulses when you stop.  It's a permanent transfer and can only be remedied by replacing or resurfacing.   If you ever do get into a hard stop, take your foot off the brake and go into park or use the e-brake ASAP.  This will help prevent pad transfer.

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Very doubtful that your problem is sway bar link. Thats usually more or a clunk sound and you normally only hear it when going over bumps and stuff.

 

This is rotational so I would recheck the brakes and make thats all put together right. If you apply the brakes while turning in either direction, does the sound go away?

No it doesn't. Where I'm driving straight or turning, the sound is there when I apply the brakes. If I apply them very lightly, I don't hear it. But if I put enough pressure on brakes to actually stop, I hear it.

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It's definitely related to your speed, so it's something rubbing. 

 

Did you use caliper lube on the rails ?   It's possible the caliper is hanging.

 

Have you had any panic stops lately?  Despite common usage, brake rotors don't "warp".   They get hot in a hard stop and people keep their feet on the brake.   The pad then transfers pad material to the rotor and now it pulses when you stop.  It's a permanent transfer and can only be remedied by replacing or resurfacing.   If you ever do get into a hard stop, take your foot off the brake and go into park or use the e-brake ASAP.  This will help prevent pad transfer.

Yes, I used lube where there should be lube. What do you mean by caliper hanging? As in I didn't tighten it down enough? Haven't had any panic stops since I've replaced them. I'm hoping you guys are right about it having something to do with the brakes. It's very possible I screwed up somewhere and didn't realize it.

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Yes, I used lube where there should be lube. What do you mean by caliper hanging? As in I didn't tighten it down enough? Haven't had any panic stops since I've replaced them. I'm hoping you guys are right about it having something to do with the brakes. It's very possible I screwed up somewhere and didn't realize it.

 

Sometimes if there's rust or some debris gets between the caliper and the rail it rests on or the pins are stuck/rusty, the caliper doesn't retract all the way.   So you run down the street with the pad in contact with the rotor, it gets hot, pad material transfers to the rotor and you get thump thump when you stop.

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Hangs on the pins. Or a piston is hanging.

Did you clean pads with brake cleaner pre install?

How many pistons on your caliper?

Yes. Cleaned and pads and rotors. Rear caliper has a single piston.

 

Sometimes if there's rust or some debris gets between the caliper and the rail it rests on or the pins are stuck/rusty, the caliper doesn't retract all the way.   So you run down the street with the pad in contact with the rotor, it gets hot, pad material transfers to the rotor and you get thump thump when you stop.

I'm pretty sure the rotors are not warped. I've driven with warped rotors before. I do not feel anything in the brake pedal at all when I brake. I just hear that damn noise. But the more I read what you guys are writing, I'm thinking it is brakes related. Hopefully, I'll be able to isolate the problem easily.

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It's definitely related to your speed, so it's something rubbing. 

 

Did you use caliper lube on the rails ?   It's possible the caliper is hanging.

 

Have you had any panic stops lately?  Despite common usage, brake rotors don't "warp".   They get hot in a hard stop and people keep their feet on the brake.   The pad then transfers pad material to the rotor and now it pulses when you stop.  It's a permanent transfer and can only be remedied by replacing or resurfacing.   If you ever do get into a hard stop, take your foot off the brake and go into park or use the e-brake ASAP.  This will help prevent pad transfer.

 

The e-brake bit only helps if your car doesn't use the disk brakes for the parking brakes. 

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Yes, I used lube where there should be lube. 

Did you use the special Caliper Lube / Brake Lube... It's special High temp lube that can withstand the temps generated by the brakes.  Normal lubes break down quickly and then the calipers don't slide on the guide pins properly.

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The e-brake bit only helps if your car doesn't use the disk brakes for the parking brakes. 

 

True.  That said, most cars use the rear for emergency brakes, in fact, I can only think of old subarus that used the front discs for e-brake.     Most cars that have 4 wheel disc have drum e-brakes inside the disc rotor and if you have rear drums, they probably aren't getting that hot anyway since drum brakes are essentially useless anyway ;).   Trust me, I owned several 60s era cars that were 4 wheel drum. heh.   I'm not sure they ever came to a complete stop.

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No noise before brake job, and no noise immediately after it. I don't think it's brakes related.

if it's only happening when you're on the brakes, then it is brake related. pull that side apart again, and check everything. especially make sure you properly lubricated the caliper slides, and pins. also, it could be a warped rotor, walking the caliper in n out.

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All of you guys saying it was brake related were right. So when I installed the brakes a few weeks ago, I didn't line up the "pins" on the wheel hub properly. How did it go on at all you ask? The last mechanic apparently cut them off instead of punching it out with an impact driver. But they didn't cut one of them flush to the wheel hub but enough that I was able to get the rotor on. So the rotor was on but not flush with the wheel hub which is why it acted as if the rotor was warped. Good news is it was an easy fix and nothing is wrong with the brakes, shocks, or anything else. Thanks to everyone for your advice.

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

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Just curious I'm having a similar issue, but brake job is about a year old 10k miles. Slow speed braking only and like a creak sound. Turning makes no difference. Could this be the same kind of issue? Also any mechanics you guys know or trust in the wayne clifton area for an alignment and to look at the brake issue?

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Just curious I'm having a similar issue, but brake job is about a year old 10k miles. Slow speed braking only and like a creak sound. Turning makes no difference. Could this be the same kind of issue? Also any mechanics you guys know or trust in the wayne clifton area for an alignment and to look at the brake issue?

 

4 Wheel brake job or 2?   If 2, it could be the wear indicator(i.e. squealers) on the other two.  It's also possible whoever did the last job installed cheap organic pads and they're shot.

 

I had a 92 Honda that would sit a lot and if I didn't put good pads on it, they'd go in about 4k miles, which was about 2 years.   The reason being, the rotors would rust like crazy when it sat and when you braked the first few times, it'd scour a bunch of pad off.   After that happened twice, I put premium brand rotors and pads on and it went 10 years and we sold it to a friend, who went another 30k miles on those same brakes.  

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Yes all 4 were changed. I don't think it's the wear indicators different sound than I've experienced with wear indicators. Same mechanic screwed a friend a few months after he did my breaks. So don't wanna go back to him and don't have the time to change them myself. Any recommendations in the wayne clifton area?

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Yes all 4 were changed. I don't think it's the wear indicators different sound than I've experienced with wear indicators. Same mechanic screwed a friend a few months after he did my breaks. So don't wanna go back to him and don't have the time to change them myself. Any recommendations in the wayne clifton area?

Are you mechanically inclined at all? Brakes are simple to do, granted you're not making stupid obvious mistakes like I did the last time I did mine. Record the noise it's making and post it up.

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yes mechanically inclined but just dont have the time between work and family to do it. i dont think its a bearing as if it was the bearing wouldnt it be all the time not only when braking. also i noticed you cannot hear the noise from outside but very audible inside. at lunch had a buddy look at it with me quick him moving me outside and vice versa. he thinks it might be the mechanism inside the truck but you cannot hear it at high speed. 30 ish mph and under only just pulling out of park u can hear it inside the car. i took a video but it seems my video size is too large to upload any easier way to upload the video? or should i just try to record an audio clip of it without video?

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yes mechanically inclined but just dont have the time between work and family to do it. i dont think its a bearing as if it was the bearing wouldnt it be all the time not only when braking. also i noticed you cannot hear the noise from outside but very audible inside. at lunch had a buddy look at it with me quick him moving me outside and vice versa. he thinks it might be the mechanism inside the truck but you cannot hear it at high speed. 30 ish mph and under only just pulling out of park u can hear it inside the car. i took a video but it seems my video size is too large to upload any easier way to upload the video? or should i just try to record an audio clip of it without video?

Upload it to youtube, then post the link here.

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Easy test. Take break cleaner and spray rotor and pads that you can get to. Don't go nuts, it can eat stuff. Drive. Rinse

 

Truck? Off road any? Sometimes foreign debris may become an obstruction.

 

Also, can't rule out shotty mech

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