Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

Hi everyone,

In our '94 6S Wagon, V6, 40k miles,I've noticed a noise over the last few days. It seems to be coming from the front end, and sounds like a light-metallic scuffing noise, NOT a brutal, metal-on-metal scraping noise. If the car is tracking in a straight line, a gentle turn of the wheel to the right will instigate the noise. Centering the wheel, and/or a left turn of the wheel, cancels the noise. It seems more apt to happen with no throttle applied. And, if I'm in a gentle right curve, with the noise present, application of the brakes stops the noise. Come off of the brakes, stll in a right curve,and the noise returns.

Do you suspect that this is a brake pad wear indicator that I'm hearing? Or has someone else experienced this, and it was something else? It's not the "clicking" sound that a dying cv joint makes. The dealer checked the brakes in November, and in June, and both times they were rated "green", meaning good. But I pessimistically wonder if they "really" checked them?. What do you lot think? Thanks,

David

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

40K miles on front brakes is quite a bit...It wouldn't surprise me at all if your pads are toast. 2mm is the minimum pad thickness.

Does itshow the noise both with and without the brake pedal applied?

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

No, it doesn't. If I apply the brakes, the noise goes away. As the brakes are released, the noise returns.

David

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

try jacking up the front end, put it in neutral, and spin the front tires by hand and see if you can hear the concern on one corner or the other.

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

Will do...and I'll check the brake pad thickness while the front end is up. Cheers,

David

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

Let me know if you need runout & disc thickness specs as well. Runout would check for warpage of the rotor.

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

Aye...will do. Thanks!

David

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

Ok...it's definitely worn brake pads. And the sound is now constant, regardless of steering wheel position, or whether the brakes are on or off. It's the wear sensor(s).So....

Do any of you have advice/tips/tricks for a guy who's doing his first front brake pads replacement on an '04 Mazda6 S Wagon?Any out-of-the-ordinary tools recommended? Or is this just as straightforward as it is on any other car? Thanks in advance,

David

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

The pistons rotate back into the calipers (can't use the old reliable c-clamp method), and there is a large phillips head screw in the face of the rotor that will take some persuasion to get out. (I used Kroil penetrant, soaked the screws for about 1 hour,my impact driverand my BFH)

RE: Front End Noise...Brakes?
 

A previous post said that the REAR pistons rotate back into the calipers, but that the front ones are traditional (you can c-clamp them back in). Is that other post incorrect? And as for the screw that's in the face of the rotor, does it have to come out in order to simply change the pads (but no the rotors)? Thanks for the continued info!

David