Here's the deal ...

... I've got a 97 GSR with 98k miles, stock suspension & brakes etc...

the car was parked in my garage with the emergency brake on for a little over a month (July 1st - August 10)

the first time i took the car out after being parked, i smelled something funny after about a mile ... i stopped the car and looked to find my driver's side rear brake rotor glowing red hot ... i proceded to drive back home (another mile), and when i got there the rotor was hotter than the others but not glowing
... i simply assumed that since it sat so long the e-brake froze up and the rear brake dragged ... no big deal

... now yesterday, about 3 weeks and 500 miles later, i was driving back from a buddy's house and i began to hear the brake screech ... i lasted for 10 min and throughout the rest of the day it went on and off for about 10-20 min at a time

... today, it's constant, not on and off like it was yesterday ... it definitley sounds like a metal on metal screech, and the brake dust guard is not causing it (i checked that already) ... also, this rotor is significantly hotter than the rest; you can feel the heat anywheres near the rim with your hand

... my theory is that when the rotor got red hot, it warped slightly, and has finally worn away the brake pad to the metal

... provided this is correct, and provided my e-brake does not freeze up again, should i theoretically be safe by replacing both rear rotors and pads?

please throw out any possiblilties, suggestions, or follow up comments ... any help is appreciated ... also ... what brand makes good pads for regular daily driving?

... thanks again

 

when you say "constant, not on and off", you saying it makes noise when youre not even braking? is the caliper still siezing?

 

yes, the sound continues at all times, even when i am not braking ... however, the volume of the noise increases when i do brake

 

i think you got a bad wheel bearing dude. you over heated the bearing. changing pads and rotors arent going to fix it. you need a new hub/bearing.

 

is there any reason that this would take 3 weeks to surface?

if that is indeed the problem do i still need new rotors and pads?

... and lastly what am i looking at for the parts you mentioned?

thanks again for the imput

 

sure, what likely happened is you overheated the wheel bearing grease. friction built up and destroyed the ball bearings and races inside the bearing over time.

order parts from the online dealer. the rear wheel bearing is part of the hub and bought together as one piece.

you probably need new pads anyway since theyre over heated anyway. the rotor should be fine if theres no visible cracks or warped and still enough thickness.

 

alright i'll definitley look into that ... thanks for your time!