Gareth writes:
Good afternoon Sajeev,
Read your latest and I’m determined to help you out. I recently had a bone-stock 87 CRX Si follow me home from an impound auction and, if I can get the damn thing through an Ontario Safety Inspection, I’ll let TTAC’s very own Derek K drive it.
Therein lies the rub, or brake rub really. The front discs were rubbing, a lot. Constant grinding sound as the wheels turn. I have since removed/lubricated the caliper sliders (they were a bit stuck from sitting) and measured the discs and pads using a measuring tape and straight edge, everything is above min specs.
With the pin lube the grinding noise has abated somewhat but continues, worst is passenger side.
The discs don’t feel warped (no front shudder under hard braking).
Your thoughts?
Sajeev answers:
OMG SON, why can’t someone find ME a nice CRX in Houston? What’s so wrong with giving the Piston Slap Guy a ride in your whip, huh? I care not of the distance between us, I can still feel the pain inflicted upon me! How could this happen to me? It must be my fault!
Perhaps less self-loathing and more self-lathing is in order.
Your situation reminds me of an old road test of mine, where the subject’s rear brakes rusted shut waiting for a test drive. Popping them free was fun, actually. That said, I don’t know what’s out-of-place on the CRX. My gut says that driving more will wipe off the rust/squeaks like a lathe in a machine shop. Assuming you’ve only driven it a few yards…sorry, meters for you Canadians.
So either replace the discs/pads/calipers now (and flush all the brake fluid) OR drive it slowly another 0.25 to 0.5 miles kilometers to learn more. This depends on the population density nearby and your faith in this machine. Driving the CRX it will either clear things up or the offending part will come forward as the brakes continue to lathe themselves.
Who knows, it could be a bad hub! But I bet you have rusty/sticky calipers, so flush the brake fluid and put fresh pads/calipers/new or turned rotors on too.
Cheap insurance, totally worth it. Don’t mess with rusty brake systems, DK will appreciate it.
[Image: Honda]
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Can he still buy the one brand of different gold-blue-whatever colour brake juice up in Canada? Just curious.
He can’t. We have that same stupid law here too.
Great car, and I hope it has some life left in it. If you end up doing a full rotor/caliper/pad job, don’t forget to do the hoses as well.
Check and replace the brake hoses, with age they can fail internally and become a one way valve for the brake fluid. Pump the brakes a couple times and crack the bleeder, if that releases some pressure you’ve found the problem.
Also check and replace the anti-rattle clip, they can get rusty can make noise. Finally, check the wheel bearings, they might be the source of the noise. Better yet, put the front up on jackstands and “drive” it and try and pinpoint the sound.
Check for a bent backing plate while you’re down there.
Definitely agree with that, given age and rust. Worth checking the dust/heat shield. The rotors might be rubbing against the backing plate. Seems the build up of rust will warp the shield out of shape and cause it rub. Especially in a turn when there’s more camber.
I also agree. Have a Maxima that does that every few months and it’s always the dust shield behind the rotor. It’s rusty and grows every few months, just bend it back until it won’t go any more.
OP, did you check the caliper pistons for free movement? You should be able to compress the piston into the bore easily with a 4″ C-clamp. If not they are likely corroded and a rebuild or replacement is in order.
How sure are you it’s the brakes? If you are going by sound, it may be wheel bearings. Depending how bad they are, they can cause drag in the front wheels, so it feels like the brakes are rubbing.
In the front, the part is only 20 dollars a side, but it can be a pain getting them in/out of the hub, even if you have a strong press. I think a cheap mechanic will do it for ~$110-$150 a side. Good luck, I really like those little origami hatchbacks.
Correction, “but it can be a pain getting the bearing in/out of the knuckle”.
Agreed. I have the whole front end looked at, and new rotors, pads, etc. are a no-brainer. These parts are pretty cheap and vital to running the car.
The rims on the pictured car offend me.
The 95 Firebird “salad shredders” think those look weird.
Those are the stock rims.
That doesn’t make it ok.
I love those rims. Weird geometric 1980s and 1990s alloys are the greatest.
Those wheels, and their inspirational counterparts from the Countach, are totally awesome.
Porsche had similar rims on the 944 and 928 – I seem to remember the Mercury LN7 had something similar
@APaGttH – Jinx.
The Porsche 928 had something similar too, right? When are they going to make a retro comeback, like the Bullitt wheels did in 2001? I remember my mom’s 1984 Pony had some alloy-look hubcaps with crazy geometric designs too.
” sorry, meters for you Canadians.”
Actually, we measure in “metres”, just like the rest of the world.
You see, a “meter” to us is the display face and indicator of a measurement device. Like a speedo-meter, alti-meter, ohm-meter and so on.
Factoid of the day.
Learn something new every day!
So the pads should have some retaining clips and springs holding them in place, check those to. They keep the pad in place and allow it to move away from the disk because the pad, when not pressed against the disk, literally floats, but, the wheel has to be moving.
I to think wheel bearings could be worn out, possibly due to the dragging brake/s.
Sajeev’s advice is sound though, replace the entire assembly (pads, disks and caliper) + bleeding for peace of mind.
I would advise genuine Honda parts or good quality generics from a reputable brand.
Seriously – nobody has asked the obvious here. HOW MUCH?! Great find. Great rims. Great advice.