peckhammer

I have an intermittent problem that worries me. No, it's not incontinence, but it may lead to that too.

Occasionally, after 10 highway miles, when I get off the highway and am driving slowly, I hear a scraping sound. It sounds like a piece of bailing wire got caught up in the font and is dragging on the ground. The first time this happened I stopped and looked under the car and saw NOTHING. When I took off again, the sound was gone. The other day, after the same scenario (about 20 miles of highway) I entered a parking lot and heard a scrape, scrape, scrape sound. I had the girl drive the car in the lot and I walked outside. Seems to be coming from the front driver's side wheel.

I then put the car on a jack and spun the front wheel by hand. No Noise. And no noise since. I am thinking something is getting hot and expanding (brake rotor or something in the caliper). Anyway, it scares the crap out of me and I would like some suggestions as to what it might be.

Many Thanks!

mrfuzzy4

is it snowy there? is there snow/ice in your tire well? there ya go! if not, well then im stumped!
take it to ur dealer?

wagonbldr

I would jack up the front and pull the wheel off and look at the condition of the pads and rotor. Make sure that the pads arent worn down to the metal. Also make sure the rotor isn't gouged from a stray rock or worn pads. Also look inside the wheel for any scrape marks and the calipers also.

Metro273

Sounds to me like you might have a backing plate that might be expanding from the heat and possibly making contact with the rotor...

ryuji16

I would also suggest chacking the backing plate. if youve had some work done, the plate could have been snagged and bent slightly out of place. usually you can bend it back though. hope that helps

peckhammer

Thanks ya'll. The backing plate explanation sounds plausible to me. I had new wheels and lugs put on recently, and the installer may have bent something a little. Add heat and that might explain it. There are no marks on anything I've inspected, but I have not pulled the wheel yet.

BaiD

If you ever installed/ replaced your wheels or brake pads with other than stock onces. I would check and see the clearance from the caliper to the wheel. I have similar problem. It came our that the offset of my new wheels is quite not as it supposed to be and the brake caliper is touching the wheel when you slightly or sharply turn your steering wheel. If that is your case one fix would be installing wheel spacers.

tCscotty

iTrader: (1)

I have been having the same problem. It was my dust shield rubbing on my rotors. It came out of know where. I was driving in town and I heard some scrapping too. Got out and felt my dust shield was right up against my rotor! I pushed it back and it went away. The only thing I can think of is having snow being packed in there and pushing on them. But the snow has been gone here for awhile, so I don't know why it started all of a sudden.

burstaneurysm

I had the same problem... the dust shield was bent from a spring install.