Brakes issue Does this sound/look right (VIDEO)

[bman6074]

I have been complaining to the dealer about my brakes just not sounding right. They squeal all the time and sound and feel as though they are dragging.

The car doesn't roll back on hills unless it is a very steep hill.

Any ideas?? Here is a video of me spinning the wheels and you can listen to the brakes drag. Passenger rear to passenger front to driver rear to driver front.
The rears hardly spin. emergency brake is fully released
Is this normal or do I have an issue with my brakes??
Thanks

Your Tube Video

[E_Swift]

The rears probably seem worse just due to the friction in the diff.

Fronts seem fine.

Car should roll down hills on its own, however.

[bman6074]

I don't think thats the diff holding them up. You can definitly feel the pads holding/scrapping the rotors. causeing the very little spin and no rollback on hills.

[Mr.C]

They seem to spin more freely than mine.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with your brakes...

[surferpkt]

Check all your bolts on the calipers, I had one back out on mine last year and when it did all I heard was a cringing metal on metal grinding sound when the brakes were applied, though with out being applied I could hear a slight rub inside the car. Just a thought if it seems bad enough it could be somethings loose. I never heard a thing though until the bolt was gone . Doesn't hurt to double check.

Also if the car has been sitting and the air is humid it can cause a slight bit of rust to form which will produce a similar result to what you hear in the video. If bad enough it could even lock your discs until you break free by moving the car forward. I've never had this happen unless its been parked outside or caught in rain.

[bman6074]

ok, so most seem to be stating, this is normal operations for a lotus??
I have checked the bolts and all is fine the dealer actualy replaced the rear rubber boots as they were torn. I thought the wheels would spin a bit free'er then that. Compared to my 135 in which the wheel spins quite easily and very freely. Just doesnt seem right?? Anyone in the CT Hartford area would meetup to compare cars?? Mine is an 07 exige s. Just want to make sure evrything is ok before warranty runs out. Thanks

[apk919]

Originally Posted by bman6074

ok, so most seem to be stating, this is normal operations for a lotus??
I have checked the bolts and all is fine the dealer actualy replaced the rear rubber boots as they were torn. I thought the wheels would spin a bit free'er then that. Compared to my 135 in which the wheel spins quite easily and very freely. Just doesnt seem right?? Anyone in the CT Hartford area would meetup to compare cars?? Mine is an 07 exige s. Just want to make sure evrything is ok before warranty runs out. Thanks

Normal. As far as not easily rolling down a hill, the stock pads seemed to show that behavior more than race pads. I'd also check to see that there's brake caliper grease on the contact points between the pads and the calipers.

[JohnZ]

I don't think that's normal.
I had the same problem several years ago, but just with the rears.
I took the pads out and put them back in, just as if I were changing them. Problem went away.
But I don't use stock pads. Perhaps if the pads are new they are just a little too thick to allow the wheels to spin freely?

[bman6074]

Originally Posted by JohnZ

I don't think that's normal.
I had the same problem several years ago, but just with the rears.
I took the pads out and put them back in, just as if I were changing them. Problem went away.
But I don't use stock pads. Perhaps if the pads are new they are just a little too thick to allow the wheels to spin freely?

Yea i have taken them out to add some antisqueal. didn't seem to make a difference. I may give it a try again.

[Rainier]

I got a squeal from my rear brakes when I put new stock pads in
(squealing when driving, not when braking)

The squeal has been getting less over time.

I think performance pads are supposed to slightly touch the rotor and over time as they match the rotors surface, the squeal goes away. (I could be completely wrong, but thats what I understood from reading around.)

[bman6074]

Well I have put 4K miles on these brakes. I would think that would be enough to wear them in.

[40mmBrakes]

You mentioned the car doesn't roll back; would it roll forward down the same hill? That would give you a clue that the pads are cocking one way when braking forward and cocking the other direction when resisting rearward motion. Could be the lip on the rotor is formed from one direction and gets caught when going the other. You can check the brake pin, anti-rattle spring, and the shoulders of the caliper where the pad makes contact.

The dealer replaced the rubber boots - on the slide pin or on the piston? If the slide pin boots were damaged, road grit might have gotten stuck inside the bore that the slide pin passes through, which would then resist the "floating caliper" motion. It would tend to rub, but really only on one side.

You could remove the pads and repeat the wheels up/spinning exercise. That would tell you how much resistance is due to the differential vs. brakes.

Does the parking brake handle move enough to seem normal? That would indicate the pistons are retracting enough. Perhaps if you try the spinning experiment without pads you could also rotate the pistons and re-seat them.

I'm near Poughkeepsie, but the car I have with these brakes is a Viper. I don't visit here often, but have set the PMs to send me an email notification (I think!). Let me know if I can help.

Edit: or contact me via my website

[Cthulhu]

Originally Posted by bman6074

ok, so most seem to be stating, this is normal operations for a lotus??
I have checked the bolts and all is fine the dealer actualy replaced the rear rubber boots as they were torn. I thought the wheels would spin a bit free'er then that. Compared to my 135 in which the wheel spins quite easily and very freely. Just doesnt seem right?? Anyone in the CT Hartford area would meetup to compare cars?? Mine is an 07 exige s. Just want to make sure evrything is ok before warranty runs out. Thanks

The pads on my '07 Exige S rubbed very slightly on the front rotors. The only time I tried to spin the rears was when I first got the car and wanted to see if I had an LSD (I'm now aware that this isn't a valid way of testing that). The rears didn't spin easily at all, and the car didn't roll backward on small hills.

The wheels on my 135i spin more easily too, I think it's because of the electronics that graze the brake pads against the rotors whenever you take your foot off the gas. The 135i also does this in the rain to keep the pads hot and dry.

Maybe the pads rub a little on the Exige to remove play when you first touch the pedal. BTW, Storm Ti is the best color ever Don't tell me your 135 is BSM/coral red, too (mine ended up BSM instead of Montego because I needed a replacement car ASAP).

[bman6074]

Originally Posted by 40mmBrakes

You mentioned the car doesn't roll back; would it roll forward down the same hill? That would give you a clue that the pads are cocking one way when braking forward and cocking the other direction when resisting rearward motion. Could be the lip on the rotor is formed from one direction and gets caught when going the other. You can check the brake pin, anti-rattle spring, and the shoulders of the caliper where the pad makes contact.

The dealer replaced the rubber boots - on the slide pin or on the piston? If the slide pin boots were damaged, road grit might have gotten stuck inside the bore that the slide pin passes through, which would then resist the "floating caliper" motion. It would tend to rub, but really only on one side.

You could remove the pads and repeat the wheels up/spinning exercise. That would tell you how much resistance is due to the differential vs. brakes.

Does the parking brake handle move enough to seem normal? That would indicate the pistons are retracting enough. Perhaps if you try the spinning experiment without pads you could also rotate the pistons and re-seat them.

I'm near Poughkeepsie, but the car I have with these brakes is a Viper. I don't visit here often, but have set the PMs to send me an email notification (I think!). Let me know if I can help.

Edit: or contact me via my website

Yes it will roll forward.
Dealer replaced the rubber boots on the slide pin (both sides).
I will try the removing pads and take new video of the spinning difference.
Brake handle moves enough to be normal.
I have re-seated the piston when I took the pads out to add some anti-squeal to the pads.
Thanks for your suggestions and help. Are you attending the Foxwoods car show this sunday. SupercarRoadTrips.com
Car is going to the dealer this Monday for radio replacement and a small gasket. So going to try and test the spining without the pads

[bman6074]

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

The pads on my '07 Exige S rubbed very slightly on the front rotors. The only time I tried to spin the rears was when I first got the car and wanted to see if I had an LSD (I'm now aware that this isn't a valid way of testing that). The rears didn't spin easily at all, and the car didn't roll backward on small hills.

The wheels on my 135i spin more easily too, I think it's because of the electronics that graze the brake pads against the rotors whenever you take your foot off the gas. The 135i also does this in the rain to keep the pads hot and dry.

Maybe the pads rub a little on the Exige to remove play when you first touch the pedal. BTW, Storm Ti is the best color ever Don't tell me your 135 is BSM/coral red, too (mine ended up BSM instead of Montego because I needed a replacement car ASAP).

Thanks I like the color too.
I have Sedona Red with black interiro 135i

[Cthulhu]

Originally Posted by bman6074

Thanks I like the color too.
I have Sedona Red with black interiro 135i

your_exige=my_exige;
your_135=inv(my_135);

[40mmBrakes]

Originally Posted by bman6074

Yes it will roll forward.
Dealer replaced the rubber boots on the slide pin (both sides).
I will try the removing pads and take new video of the spinning difference.
Brake handle moves enough to be normal.
I have re-seated the piston when I took the pads out to add some anti-squeal to the pads.
Thanks for your suggestions and help. Are you attending the Foxwoods car show this sunday. SupercarRoadTrips.com
Car is going to the dealer this Monday for radio replacement and a small gasket. So going to try and test the spining without the pads

Unlike drum brakes, the disc brakes should work (or not) equally in both directions. Maybe you can spin in each direction and see if the pads shift.

I get a "groan" upon the first application of the brakes in reverse. I don't know what it is, but it does mean something "re-sets" when the brakes are applied in each direction.

Foxwoods sounds great, but not my for my car. I'm just short of 100K miles (leading edge for Vipers) and therefore my joy is having it be my daily driver.

[Toad]

That scraping sounds like worn rotors. Mine made the same noise after I replaced the pads. After replacing the rotors the noise went away.

[actc26]

I am in the Farmington area often. Let me know if you want to compare. I have had soft pedal issues in the rain wondering if it is a bleed issue as it is not worn pads.

[bman6074]

Ok I took the pads out and the wheel spins a bit more about 1-1/2 turn. I am going to have the dealer do this with me on Monday just to verify everything is ok before the warranty runs out.
The rotors are still in spec and the pads have plenty of meat. So maybe the rotors are defective.
Thanks to all with help and suggestions