[Bleu Omdurman]

So I have a 2006 Exige with Ultra disc rotors. I have been through one set of very aggressive metallic pads and I recently went to my second set of pads. I have 3 track days on these pads now and they went through a good bedding in procedure.

My current problem never occurred on the first set of pads but I have the same type of pads that I ran before. Here's the problem.

When I brake (either on track or at a stop light) I get the squeaking, creaking, metallic scraping you would expect from pads like these. They are super aggressive. I'm fine with those noises, they can stay and have always been there to some degree though they are perhaps a bit louder now. The noise I can't stand and that I am fearful of, is this moaning sound. Even under threshold braking on the track there is the moaning that drowns out the ENTIRE PLANET. I can't hear anything else on the track in the braking zone. Every turn, every direction.

Now at a stop light it still happens but a little differently. When I go to the brakes initially there is no noise, then the squeak/creaking comes in as I slow down, then finally, right at the end of the stoplight braking zone (the part where you are coming off the brakes) it starts to moan very loud.

Can you tell me what this sound is and how to fix it? There has been no loss of braking at all. I've checked and rechecked the brakes on all for corners. I can't find anything that is not torqued to spec I don't have any wheel bearing play that I can see. I am this close to going to a pro and have them sort it out. Before I do I have a couple of things to try. I might go buy a set of stock pads and bed them in.

Oh yeah, all of my braking sounds go away if I clean all of the brake dust off of everything but it comes back after about 5-6 laps on track or about 30 minutes of street driving. These do through a lot of brake dust.

My current thinking would be that it is just the pads and the brake dust but, again, the last set of pads did not do this.

Your thoughts are welcome.

Cheers,

Trevor

 

[Illumiloti]

check if your rotors are cracked (cracks coming off the holes). My brakes did this exact same thing (in front) and on close examination, there were tiny cracks eminating of the edges of the drilled holes. rotors were also blue in places.

 

[Bleu Omdurman]

Thanks Randy. I have ultra discs so no holes in my rotors. I do not have any cracks that I can see either. I should have mentioned that.

 

[Illumiloti]

You did say you had the Ultras, sorry. Since I just replaced my cracked OEM rotors with the Ultra's (5000), I'm really interested in what you figure out. Your description is exactly what my brakes sounded like when they cracked. I just assumed the cracks were the cause.

 

[Lotusmotion]

My '06 Exige does the same thing only occasionally under prolonged braking duty on the street. Groaning was not an issue with the stock pads and Porterfields previously on the car.

My car now wears Pagid Blacks on the origial OEM rotors. The brake pads have one track day and 3,000 street miles on them so far, and the rotors are well within their service thickness and do not have cracks, splits, warps or other issues. I have taken my brakes apart to inspect, measure specs, and test, and I have not found any mechanical issues.

The pads were properly bedded when new and are periodically rebedded. The moaning started after the first track day, but the brakes never moaned on the track and only occurs after extended street stop and go driving. Also, I believe (but have not confirmed) that the groaning originates from the rear pads, only.

The brakes moan (sometimes) when under light braking coming to a stop light. However, the moaning stops for a while after I put them to moderate + use and really heat up the pads (such as an extended downhill canyon run in the Malibu hills). Then, the brakes are happy for quite a while until subjected to the drudgery and relative light duty of stop and go driving on the street for a couple hundred miles.

So far - and due to lack of further indications from my diagnosis efforts - I attribute it to either glazing of the pad surfaces or insufficient operating temperature of the pads because of their aggressive track compound. :shrug:

I plan to try Pagid Blues next - a slightly less aggressive compound - to see if that eliminates the moaning issue.

 

[MyFutureSelfnMe]

I have the exact same moaning during braking under 3-4mph, with my second set of stock OEM pads/rotors. I don't know if I screwed up, missed a step, if I should have applied antisqueal in addition to the backing material already on the pads, or what, but that makes three of us. Heating up the pads doesn't really make a big difference for me.

I don't really want to spend an hour or two removing all the pads from my car, sanding off any potential glazing and re-bedding them, but if that's what I need to do I will.

Any brake experts here?

 

[kestrel74]

Wow.... LT guys are slipping.....no comments yet about HER Loud Moaning ??? :shrug:

 

[Bleu Omdurman]

^^^ well, you were there to catch us though!

Back to the brake issue. I will second that the sound is coming from the rears. I can make 'er moan when I use the parking brake to slow the car. I am positive that it is not a lack of heat. As noted, this occurs at the track too. I can go a lap or two ( I do two warm up laps at 6 and 8 tenths) before the moaning starts by then the brakes are certainly more than warmed up.

To describe the sound more, it is like when you wet a window down and squeegee it. That sort of wiping moaning sound. Only this is not glass and is very metallic.

The glazing comment is interesting to me. Like I mentioned, when I remove the brake dust from the rotor the noise goes away for a while. The same when it rains, I just can't make 'er moan in the rain. but when it is hot and dry, brother, she moans like she means it. When I scrape out the brake dust from the slots, I can go even longer with out the noise.

BTW, not only does it seem to come from the rear, but for me, the right rear.

Also, on a somewhat off topic, but brake related issue, I drove an S 240 today with the track pack. My brakes are still better than what's on that car, but those brakes don't make any noise. I cannot imagine what stickier, wider tires with more aggressive pads would feel like in that car. probably head trauma I guess. :shrug:

 

[LARRY]

My new pads did all that sh*t and made all the same noises on the street only.

It quiets down after a while.

But doesn' t go away completely... :up:

 

[azac]

Lotusmotion, my symptoms are very much like your experience. However, it started after I installed Pagid Blues to replace the worn oem pads. So, changing to these pads may not help you either. Sorry.

 

[Lotusmotion]

BTW, not only does it seem to come from the rear, but for me, the right rear.

I have suspected that the groaning on my car originates from the right rear, but I have been unable to verify that. I have generally been without passenger, the groaning is not predictable as to when it starts, and it typically happens in traffic...all of which make it hard for me to duplicate, focus on and diagnose the noise when it happens.

The groaning sound reminds me of the junior high school bus I rode when living in Illinois...auditory flash backs. The bus made the same awful noise when stopping...and drove me bat sh!t crazy then, too. anic:

Anyway, I'll continue working on tracing the cause of groaning, following this thread, and reporting back with anything new.

azac, interesting comment about Pagid Blues.

 

[40mmBrakes]

If you suspect the RR, try moving the pads from left to right side and see if the sound follows. You could also flip the rotors side to side (if they aren't vaned for a certain direction.) I don't know what it might tell, but could help to diagnose it.

Chamfering the leading edge of the pads?

 

[Bleu Omdurman]

My new pads did all that sh*t and made all the same noises on the street only.

It quiets down after a while.

But doesn' t go away completely... :up:

I wouldn't go so far as to say that these are new. First, I have been through a set of these from start to finish before and this did not happen. Second, these have a few track days on them and plenty of miles. I'd say about 400 track miles and 1500 road miles.

 

[Lotusmotion]

Chamfering the leading edge of the pads?

:up:

Yes, I have considered doing that and may give it a try, and I will certainly do so with new replacement pads when installed.

 

[Bleu Omdurman]

^^^ can you explain this, what it does and why it works?

 

[lotusbrakes]

What pads are these again?

-G

 

[MyFutureSelfnMe]

Mine are stock Elise pads

 

[Bleu Omdurman]

hmm, well...technically all I know about the pads is that they are very aggressive. As you probably noted in my signature, they are AdareMotorsports pads. There are some brake companies in the area and Scott Adare apparently had these formulated for some of his race teams.

My last set of pads did not make this noise though. :shrug:

What pads are these again?

-G

 

[lotusbrakes]

Any idea if it is coming from the front /rear both?

-G

 

[MyFutureSelfnMe]

Mine sound like the front, but it's pretty hard to tell.