will5885

This is my first post so please be kind. I have searched through many other posts and cannot find a solution or peace of mind. Either of which would be appreciated at this point in time.

So I have a 02 TL Type S with 190k miles on it. It was time to change the rear brakes so I changed the pads with OEM pads and the rotors with Napa Premium Plus. The job went simple, the cylinder went back in the caliper with minimal effort on both sides and the rotors came off without too much elbow grease. Everything seemed great until I took it for a spin. The left rear brake started making a scrubbing noise. The noise is not loud by any means and requires you to roll the windows down and have something beside you to reflect it. Needless to say I am quite anal with this kind of stuff so I jacked it back up and gave the wheel a spin. The pads were clearly rubbing against the rotors and making a loud scrubbing sound. The scrubbing sound was consistent and didn't come in or out as I would expect with a warped rotor. I compared it to the other side which had no noticeable noise. Giving the wheel a hard spin I got about 12 rotations with the good side and about 5-7 out of the bad. So I took it apart. With the entire caliper assembly off, it was as quite and smooth as can be while spinning it. The splash shield wasn't bent or rubbing. So I put each piece back. The bracket that pads sit on made it make no noise, then when i put the pads in no noise, when i put the caliber over which required no retraction, noise. So I took the caliber back off and pressed it back in with a c clamp. It went back with no effort and slid it back over. Everything was as smooth as butter, no noise. But not to be fooled twice I started the car and pumped the brakes a few times and let it settle. Went to spin the wheel again and sure enough scrubbing again. I took it for a ride, everything seems smooth, stops great, but as soon as you roll the windows down you can hear it. I have tried to seat the brakes, multiple brakes in a row from 30 to a rolling stop and the noise is still consistent. I have put about 100 miles on them and still no change.

So it appears the caliper is not fully retracting and putting some pressure on the pads. Should I have someone replace the caliper or should I just ride it out and let the pads wear a bit in hopes that they won't continue to rub. I roll down gentle inclines in neutral with ease and don't have any pull on the highway and it stops on a dime. Is it safe to let my wife drive it (it is her car)? Could it harm any other components?

Also for thought, if the caliper was bad or seized wouldn't I have trouble getting it to reset. It almost seemed too easy. In the past with other cars/trucks I really had to crank the c-clamp to get it to retract. The carrier pins on top that connect to the caliper move out freely so I didn't bother to replace them or break the rubber seal and lube them.

I'm really out of ideas and don't won't to take it to the shop to let the diagnosis begin while the money racks up. I would really appreciate any advice.

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

BLADE RUNNER

Try adjusting the parking brake so that there is no resistance.

will5885

That was one of my first thoughts. However the parking brake is a drum in the disc. It would still be rubbing when I took the caliber off. Any other thoughts?

3.2TLc

Make sure that all the contact points are clean and lubed. The pad's ears should float freely on the caliper with no binding. Pull the pins, clean and lube them also. Heat, rust and residue play havoc with the moving parts. The rubbing may be just the way the new pad is bedding into the rotor disc edges. Give it some time and recheck.

Check the wear pattern of the old pads, it may give ya a clue.

BLADE RUNNER

There should be a wheel with cogs that move up and down to expand and contract the position of the parking brake. Tighten it up around 5-7 clicks to contract the position of the parking brake.

I am assuming that the caliper is not making the noise but it is coming from the parking brake as the new rotor has smaller tolerances on the inside since it is unworn.

will5885

Bladerunner, I think that I have confused you. With the caliper off and the rotor still on, there is no sounds. Since the parking brake is in the disc I am assuming that it would still make noise this way. It is clearly coming from the pads rubbing the rotor. Without the pads in and everything else on it has no noise.

Thanks, for your continued suggestions I really appreciate them.

3.2TLc

Compare the pad's backing shims to the old ones and make sure that the SS pad retainer hardware is fitting well. Clean and relube if necessary. If it really bothers ya, interchange the L & R rotors to see if the issue follows.