Something wrong with the wheel - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

CCCP · 10-21-2005, 03:01 PM

Ok so my 97 Camry developed this squeak, the same one you get when brakepads are going low. So i took the wheel off, and my brakepads are still 1/2 full, i tryed spining the drivers front wheel, and that's the only wheel that makes this sound. Any suggestions on what can cause this sound?? Also my brake lamp started coming on recently. Fluid is a bit over min mark.
Any suggestions on this problem?

Mike Gerber · 10-21-2005, 03:33 PM

1. You can try taking the brake pads off, and while keeping them oriented to which side of the caliper torque plate (caliper mounting bracket) they go on, spray some "disc brake quiet" on the backs of the pads. Wait about 10 minutes and then reinstall them. The noise may be caused by the pads actually vibrating in the torque plate. This sticky disc brake quiet will keep them from vibrating.

2. Refill the brake master cylinder resevoir back up to the full line. The sloshing around of the fluid while driving, when the level is near the min line, will cause the low light indicator to go on and off.

Mike

Cyorke · 10-21-2005, 05:05 PM

you may also want to put jsut a small amount of grease on teh pads where the sit in the caliper brackets. The clips taht help hold the pads in place sometimes will cause squeaking when you are slightly applying brake pressure. I jsut had to do this on my 94 Cmary rear discs. IT sounded like a knocking almost but it was the pads moving inteh bracket and rubbing on teh clips that was the problem. You jsut need to be careful not to get any on the actual brake pad face themselves. Greason teh pads and rotors is not good. Hope this is explined well enough to understand, if not let me know and I will try to explain better.

CCCP · 10-21-2005, 05:53 PM

^^ but in my case this sound is constant, and it doesn't matter if i apply the brake pedal, or at what speed i'm going. Myabe it's the piston not going back propertly due to low fluid?????
But it doesn't look like it is, cuz car doesn't loose any speed and doesn't pull to the left

Gary_602Z · 10-21-2005, 09:23 PM

If you were spinning the wheel with the caliper and pads off and it was making a squeal I would say your front bearing is going bad.

Gary

CCCP · 10-22-2005, 01:06 AM

Is it possible that the rotor is warped and it's chirping against pads??

pk_kk · 10-22-2005, 01:36 AM

-hmm.. If the squeak only happens when you start your car and goes away I wouldn’t worry about it. Because when you start your car on a cold mourning Camry breaks tend to squeak. If not it could be a sound reduction plate on your breaks loose of faulty. Try taking the entire thing apart and cleaning it. Also lubricate the piston.

^ usually when your rotor is warped you should feel vibrations in your steering wheel.

CCCP · 10-22-2005, 02:24 AM

^^ the whole brake system feels kinda weird, sometimes pedal wibrates, or sometimes it grinds. Well during my last oil change my mechanic told me i will need new brake pads soon. But they still look good, more than half or about 1/2 is left. Maybe there is some uneven wear on them, like one side from the rotor is done and one is still good.

Mike Gerber · 10-22-2005, 12:01 PM

CCCP,

1. I was going to mention what you said in your last sentence. When you checked the pads for wear, did you look at both pads on that wheel, or just the pad that is visable on the outside? When one pad wears more than the other, it is usually the pad on the piston side of the caliper. That can be caused by slide pins that are binding up just a bit and need to be cleaned and relubricated or replaced if they have become too rusty.

2. When the brake pedal vibrates, it usualy means one or both of the front rotors are warped. You may also feel the vibration in the steering wheel. You will usually notice this more at higher speeds as the rotor is turning faster when the brakes are applied. The only cure for this is to remove the rotors and have them turned (trued) if there is enough meat (thickness) left to turn them. Otherwise they need to be replaced. Maybe it's time to just do the whole brake job including the pads, rotors (turned or replaced) and relubricating the slide pins. This is actually an easy DIY job. The generation 3 manual at the top of this forum should show you how to do it properly. The generation 3 and generation 4 front brakes are the same. You can also go on to Autozone.com for their brake information. It's a good site with good illustrations and descriptions. Again, you will have to put in a year for a generation 3 for the information. Last time I checked they hadn't uploaded the information for the generation 4 yet.

Good luck.

Mike