brakes started makeing a grinding noise and ABS light came on

[brian smith]

today I was driving my 05 ford explorer and went to stop when all of a sudden the brakes made a popping noise and then started kinda grinding. The ABS light and advance trac light came on. At the next stop light the brakes made the same noise but this time I kinda felt the brake pedal pulsing. The noise sounds aweful and I'm afraid to even drive it to a mechanic to have it looked at. I replaced the driver side front wheel bearing hub assembly a few months ago so I was wondering if it could have something to do with that. I'm getting so frustrated with this piece of crap. It only has 70,000 miles and it seems like its falling apart.

 

[fordbluefamily]

Routine Maintenance needs dont make it a piece of crap. Put it in perspective. Anything at 70K could need bearings or brakes. Its that import mindset...It could be the caliper mount or caliper bolts on the front. They are critical to get tight and must have good locktite on them. I have seen several Ford vehicles where the caliper bracket works its way loose. If all that is tight then it sounds like a pad has reached its rivets. If you did a bearing already, the brakes are pretty easy.
Hopefully your brakes are not original at 70K.

 

[brian smith]

No I put new pads on it when I changed the wheel bearing hub assembly. I did use loctite on the caliper bolts, and even if it was that why would my ABS light come on. Went for a drive a little while ago to try to listen to try to pinpoint the noise and now its not doing it at all. It just doesnt make sense to me that it would be making such a horrible noise earlier today and now its not doing it at all.

 

[fordbluefamily]

The ABS light can come on when different wheel speeds are detected. I have hit some gravel a time or two while braking, and the light came on. It went away after driving for a while. I would check the other hub unit also as if one failed, the other isnt far behind and they can cause noise and ABS lights.

 

[thepotroast]

If you replaced the front hub/bearing assembly yourself, then you should be mechanically inclined enough to get down there and look around to see what seems out of place.

I don't think you reassembled your brake system correctly....personally. I doubt the truck is falling apart.

User error is the key here.

 

[brian smith]

I am very mechanically inclined and no I did not reassemble the brake system incorrectly. I have looked at everything very closely and see no problems whatsoever thats why its so puzzeling. Okay Okay the explorer is not falling apart, but I was really frustrated when I first posted.

 

[brian smith]

By the way, if it was user error then I would have noticed a problem before now. It has been several months since I changed out the hub assembly. Man you guys are intense, ya'll must work for ford.

 

[TooManyTrucks]

If you hear grinding or feel pulsation...and you did it right...then look to the parts..cheap pads may fail (friction material comes loose) and cheap bearings also fail...get the wheel off and look around...listen when you turn the wheel you will find it...

 

[fordbluefamily]

No the other way around. I work to PAY Ford for my vehicles. Anyhoo. It could be as simple as a rock. I have had rocks work their way into the rotor and make horrible noises until I stop and they fall out. Drive on any gravel?

 

[brian smith]

I jacked up the front end yesterday, pulled both front wheels, completely disassembled the brakes and found nothing wrong except that the rotors dont spin free when turned by hand. I dont know if that is a problem or if its always like that. Anyway, I took the pads out of the calipers and inspected everything. It all looked good to me and seemed to be no issues whatsoever. I have been driving the explorer and this problem seems to come and go. Sometimes it stops as it should with no grinding noise, and other times it makes a horrible noise and I can feel the pedal kinda pulsing as it stops. Yesterday it actually almost didn't stop at all at a stop sign.
I consider myself very mechanically inclined and can usually trace down a problem and fix it myself, but this one really has me stumped. I can take it to a mechanic but like i said the problem comes and goes so I'll have to hope that it happens when the mechanic is driving it.

 

[fordbluefamily]

What kind of pads and rotors did you use? I had some cheap ones from advance that would chatter when cold. Kind of felt like wet brakes. I got rid of them for some cross drilled powerstops with their pads, and its gone now.

 

[Gudde]

I had the same issue recently. The drivers side wheel bearing had some play so I replaced it. Got the bearing/hub assembly from Advanced auto parts because they were the cheapest and it came with the ABS sensor.
It worked fine for about 4 days and then started the noise, pulsating in the brake pedal and ABS light on.
I checked the codes and it showed a failed ABS sensor on the drivers side.
Fortunatly I hadn't pitched the old assembly yet and took the sensor out of it and installed it in the new hub and the problem was solved.
I guess that's what I get for buying the cheapest part!
By the way, the new sensor broke off when I tried to remove it and it was a bear to get out.

 

[Gudde]

Forgot to mention, it's not grinding that you're hearing. Its the ABS kicking in because it thinks your left front wheel is locking up due to the failed sensor. Mine would do it 3 or 4 times and then would shut the abs off. The light would stay on and the pulsating would stop.

 

[RickM]

I checked the codes and it showed a failed ABS sensor on the drivers side.

This would be my guess as well. I saved the old sensors just in case.

 

[brian smith]

well i took it to a mechanic today and he siad "I dont work on ABS but my guess would be that the ABS pump is going out" This is a mechanic that i have used before and trust, but he wouldnt even try to look at it to see whats wrong.

I did keep the old bearing hub assembly so I guess I could try switching out the sensor just to see if thats the problem. Thanks for the tip Gudde. I hope this fixes it. I'll let ya know

 

[fordbluefamily]

I doubt your pump is going out. I have had two Ford ABS pumps die on me. They do nothing at all when they go out. I hope the sensor fixes it. I still have both of my old hubs/sensors just in case.

 

[jrford]

saving those old sensors is a very good idea. I was redoing my brakes and had the caliper sitting on the a-arm, well of course it fell off and was caught by the abs wire, toasted it. Still had the old one from the old hub worked like a charm. they are not cheap.

 

[Gudde]

No they are not cheap. I looked one up and I think it was around $75.
It's pretty agravating when a new hub assembly with the sensor only makes it 4 days. I probably could have returned the whole assembly to Advanced and got it warrantied but I wasn't real excited about removing it again.
Once again, don't buy the cheapest part you can get.

 

[brian smith]

changed out the sensor and drove it around a little while tonight. So far so good! I'll find out for sure tomorrow

 

[MikeParrish]

Interesting posts. I have a 99 rear wheel drive and had to replace the front rotor. As we all know the front rotor and bearing assembly are one piece. ABS issues immediately. I should have used common sense to know it was either the pads or the hub which I purchased from OBrien Auto Parts. I did not get the cheap pads either. Still having issues after checking the hub and replacing the sensor. My friend works at the Ford store, put it on the computer and it showed the right front sensor signal dropping out. Replaced the hub and sensor AGAIN. Still having issues which seem to begin when I am braking and turning the wheel. Any ideas?