changed out my rotors and pads a week ago. the front passenger side piston didn't go back in perfectly straight, only a slight angle (i think it was always crooked), and now the side of the piston that is farther in has the rubber seal coming out past it probably a couple of millimeters. i tried to push the other side of the piston in more to compensate, but it didn't want to budge. so i figured ok, i hope everything will be fine.

about a day later, at only highway speeds now, i hear a kinda high-pitched metal whining noise that sounds like its rotating, coming from my front passenger wheel area, i suspect. never had this noise b4. I take wheel off, undo brakes, check for trapped rocks, dust shield etc., everything seeems fine, put back together. Next day, same noise from wheel area.

Tires are pretty new, rims are straight, no torn boots, brakes work good, car drives straight and doesn't shake. The noise goes away when i step on the brakes, then resumes a couple minutes later, while still driving at highway speeds.

Could it be the crooked piston making this noise or is it something else? plz help.

1999 civic ex - 105k

 

no...piston doesnt touch your rotors so why would it make the noise? im thinking its your brake pads. i've learned that brake pads have a wear indicator that screeches when you're pads are worn too much or when you have it on wrong then it will make that noise. not a lot of people can tell how to put it on right...try taking the pad off and switching it with the other one.

or it could that your piston on the caliper is still holding the brake pad onto the rotor and making the noise. so uh..its grabbing. did you use brake clean on your rotor?? grease and crap could make your brakes squeel so spray some brake clean on it and wipe it, make sure there's no grease or anything on it. thats all i can think of for now..i'll let you know if i find anything else out.

 

could just be the pads breaking in. what kind of pads are they?

 

pads are the cheapo duralast ones from autozone. i did notice some cracking on the inside pad where the pad is connected to the outer part of the pad (dont know what its called), where they meet there is a crack. cheap crap, but i dont see how this would make the sound i described?

i will try brake clean on the rotors, thanks ninja. and i checked the positioning of the pad, its not the wear indicator.

IhateJDM - if it were the pads breaking in, wouldnt it happen when i was breaking? this is happening when im at high speeds and stops when i brake.

 

if it happens all the time, the screws on the rotor might be loose.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Redciv99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">IhateJDM - if it were the pads breaking in, wouldnt it happen when i was breaking? this is happening when im at high speeds and stops when i brake.</TD></TR></TABLE>

the pads are still touching the rotors when you're not on the brakes, there's just no force behind them. Usually its the ceramic pads that make noise until the top layer has worn off though (in my experience anyways).

 

Modified by CardDealer at 4:36 PM 11/16/2006

 

i used a packet from autozone on the shims, forgot the name.

IhateJDM - i see, i have semi-metallic pads, but i hope its just a break-in thing.

MiMik- the rotors screws were just hand tightened, i didnt want to torque them down too much because they are a pain to get out.

 

Modified by CardDealer at 4:35 PM 11/16/2006

 

ok thanx guys

 

Why is it seem like nobody on this forum knows what they are talking about.
If the piston on the front passenger side would not go back in when you tried to compress it back then the piston is seized and the way you described the piston position seems to be telling me that that caliper is damaged and that you would need a new caliper buddy. If you are on a budget go to the junk yard. And you should always lube up the caliper pins with some sort of grease; not shim grease; get some caliper grease or bearing grease cause the pins need to be free so the caliper clould return to its original position when the brakes are not applied. and shift toward the rotor when the brakes are applied. Ok good luck and be safe. Don't forget to bleed the brakes after you change the caliper and make sure all the seals for the brake lines are put back before reassembly

 

http://www.hondaautomotivepart...0.gif

If your caliper piston is improperly seated, it might be allowing for too much movement of the pad when brake pressure is not applied. This might cause the pad to rattle or otherwise make noise if it cannot maintain the correct distance from the rotor. If the piston adjuting bolt (#27) or the piston bearing (#10, the part that screws into the adjusting bolt) is misaligned,, this would cause an angular seating for the piston assembly.

If the adjusting bolt is off angle, more PITA... you have to go deeper into the caliper bore to find out what's causing it, and/or determine if the bolt itself is bent. If the piston bearing is off angle, you might have some luck resetting it. If the adjusting bolt is straight and unstripped, and you can't straighten out the piston bearing, you might have to replace the entire piston assembly (about $40-50). Since my pistons are ok, I haven't looked at them closely enough to see how easy the bearing is to replace...

If you are willing to re-bleed your brakes, first try to re-seat (re-screw) the piston back all the way out and in. If you are patient enough, you might be able to do so without having to re-collar the piston bushing.

If you have OEM calipers, the piston head should have a sunken cross pattern. You can use needle nose pliers to twist the piston back to a more appropriate level (or even take it completely out). Be careful not to score the flat surface of the piston head, and keep an eye on the (hopefully re-lubed) piston seal to make sure it does not bind.

If the piston seal is damaged or you damage the seal while fixing it, replacements are available (as well as the lube). They are a bitch to get back on properly, even when fully lubed. Raybestos and Beck Arnley have piston and/or caliper seal replacements, and your local Honda dealership should be able to order you some caliper repair kits (which are more extensive and more expensive). Based on the assumption that your brake pedal travel remains relatively normal, I'm thinking your seals are working OK... for now. But since you mentioned that the seal and piston didn't seem flush to you, it's always best to make sure everything's properly set. The OEM piston head should have a circumfrential groove into which the outter piston seal is seated. Make sure things are tight, but not binding.

And the final disclaimer... I have never done a brake job in my life. Rather.. I am in the process of my first one. For the past month, I've been rebuilding the rear calipers from a 99/00 Civic SI (or compatible), and the above all comes from my experience thus far. Always remember to work with a buddy and to have things checked out by a pro you can trust when you have doubts.

So, PLEASE, if there's anything I've mentioned that is incorrect, incomplete, or in'norant, *kindly* say so. Other than that, keep us in the know as to how things go, and I'll do the same.

JasonGhostz

Of course, you can always buy new calipers, or (if you have the luxury of non-operation) get them rebuilt. Check out this place if you want them rebuilt: http://www.goldlinebrakes.com/index.html. They quoted me around $175 to rebuild each caliper, including their POLYMER coating (I told them I had a 1999 Civic SI rear calipers)... around the same price as a cheaply rebuilt caliper + unreturned core. They also claim to have quick turn-around. Lemme know how things go if you/anyone tries them out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Redciv99 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">pads are the cheapo duralast ones from autozone. i did notice some cracking on the inside pad where the pad is connected to the outer part of the pad (dont know what its called), where they meet there is a crack. cheap crap, but i dont see how this would make the sound i described?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dang. Didn't even see this one... If your pads are broken, replace them.

The thinking is this... you have to fix what you know is broken, and see what else must be done. If your elbow hurts, don't bother replacing your fingers. Keep in mind that an off-set piston will apply pressure to the pad unevenly, and will likely cause the pad to crack.

If the pad that cracked is the one closest to the off-set piston, I would be as close to certain as one can be (over the internet) that properly setting the piston will remedy this problem... still, get new pads (after you reset your piston), and try to avoid triving this car until you are sure the brakes are good.

Again, get things checked by a pro you trust if you are unsure of anything. Take 'er easy!

JasonGhostz

 

thanks alot jason! im gonna just try to find a caliper at a junkyard, will save lots of aggravation for me.