'00 XLT 4x4 pulsing brake noise question PLEASE HELP!

[sormerod]

Well... I've about had it with more explorer and mechanics in general.
I'll try to keep this as short as possible.

This past winter I slid almost head on into a curb going about 5-10 mph (front passenger wheel). The wheel struck the curb and my alloy had a piece chip off (but the tire did not go flat, to get an idea of the severity of the impact).
I thought the only effects I would see was a ruined rim.... boy was I wrong.

Whenever I stop I hear a pulsating noise from that wheel (note the rim has been replaced). I took the vehicle to a Ford dealer and they said the rotor needed turning (which sounded odd to me but... ). So they bent me over and charged me around $100 to turn the rotor. The noise DID go away for about 1 1/2 weeks, then came back. Took it back to the shop... they said their might be some "glaze" from the rotor being turned the first time so they needed to turn again. So they did at no additional charge, but the problem was still there. The mechanics at that shop didn't seem to want to conceed that it might be something else causing the rotor to warp (or wear unevenly), or they weren't willing to spend a lot of time troubleshooting on their dime. So I said the hell with it and I went and bought a NEW rotor (3rd party) and new OEM brakepads and replaced the old. Again the problem went away for about 1 1/2 weeks. Now the noise is back again!!!!!!

Where do I go from here? What could be causing my rotor to wear unevenly (or warp)? Do I have a bent spindle or something? Your help is appreciated.

Sean

 

[yob_yeknom]

Are the rotors being warped?

Could be a stuck caliper causing the pads to push on the rotor all the time, which would make the rotor so hot that it warps.

 

[Billy177]

sounds like a bent caliper mounting bracket

 

[sormerod]

I was wondering the same thing about the calipers. Just got my explorer back from a different mechanic tonight and they turned the rotors and said that they had to straighten out some of the clips on the brake pads. That seem to cut down on the noise quite a bit but I can still hear the noise a bit.
Anyways, I fully anticipate the noise being back full force within the next week. Do you guys (gals) think my next step might be to replace the caliper assy and/or caliper bracket? If I remember right there is the caliper assy and then another bracket. How much will that set me back? Is it cool to buy something like that from the salvage or would it prolly be wiser to buy new?

Is it pretty unreasonable to think that the spindle/axle would be bent because of the collision. I would think they should be able to withstand a blow bigger than that (being an offroad-type vehicle) but I don't know....

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Sean

 

[Majisto]

You know, there is always one part that seems to always get over-looked, but is very important...make sure the lug nuts on your tires are properly torqued, and that ALL of the lugs and other tires are at the same torque rating. Trust me, if one is out of balance, it can throw off your entire vehicle's braking system.

 

[sormerod]

I'm now entertaining another theory. A guy that works at Advance Auto Parts (considered a brakes expert by many people) tells me that it sounds like I hit the curb a lot harder than I think if it was a good enough impact to damage the alloy rim. That being said, he thinks that the hub assy (which houses the bearings) contains a seal which probably has been damaged due to the impact. He indicated that if that seal got tweaked in anyway, as little as .020" misalignment of that seal could have a big effect on how true the rotor spins, which makes sense to me. That would explain why the rotors have to be resurfaced so frequently. He also said there is a good chance that the "pistons" (not sure if that's what they're called) in the brake calipers could have been tweaked also. Which could play a role in the problem also.

He showed me what a new hub assy looked like and pointed out the seal he believes to be the culprit. Unfortunately, the part will set me back around $250 (not to mention all of the special tools that I might need and don't currently have).

Opinions on this theory?

Thanks.

Oh, by the way, it hasn't even been 2 days yet since the last rotor resurface and the noise is noticeable again !!!!!!!!!!!