hey guys, when i hit the brakes, there is a sound coming from the right front tire area... it sounds like 2 pieces of metal rubbing (not a squeak, but kindof like something is dragging) it is most prominent when i'm coming to a complete stop and it occasionally does it when i just lightly apply pressure to the brakes. i checked my pads and rotor and they seem fine. any ideas? thanks.

 

bump

 

Could be the caliper... if the rotors and pads are ok, i would check the caliper

 

what could be wrong with the caliper?... i don't understand how a chunk of metal that holds pads would mess up

 

The caliper is more than a hunk of metal.... However, i would check the audible wear indicator (piece of metal that sticks out of the side of one of the pads). You could also try spraying brake quite on the back of the pads and greese the spots where the pad rubs against the caliper.

 

Is there rust on the rotors, beyond the inner and/or outer edge of the swept area? My 99 has its original rotors. A scraping sound would some times occur - not always associated with braking.

I took off the wheel and looked closely to see if anything was caught between the rotor and the backing plate. No, but the rust on the rotor was enough thicker than the swept area to sometimes rub against the plate.

I took off the rotors (impact screwdriver needed - or you can drill the heads off the rotor retaining machine screws). Using a ball pein hammer and a coarse file I removed the built-up ridge of rust inboard and outboard of the smooth swept area of the rotors. The brakes seem good as new - not bad for almost 90,000 miles and the original pads and rotors.