Why Are My Brakes Grinding?

You know it when you hear it. The sound of brakes grinding as you travel throughout Henrico is unpleasant and unmistakable, but it often leaves drivers to wonder, why are my brakes grinding? If your brakes are grinding when stopping, consider it a clue that the larger brake system needs an inspection. Brake service should never be delayed, so don’t wait to schedule an appointment at our service center.

If you’re at all tempted to delay an inspection when you hear your brakes grinding, consider this: the National Highway Safety Administration reports that bad brakes could be a factor in as many as 25% of all road accidents. Keep yourself and other drivers in Glen Allen safe by scheduling an appointment right away if your brakes are making a grinding noise.

Brakes Grinding When Stopping: What It Could Mean

To get to the bottom of the brakes making a grinding noise, consider when you hear it. Are your brakes grinding when stopping? Here are the most common reasons:

• If the grinding sound starts when you’re stopping or slowing down, it’s probably your brake pads. As you accrue mileage, your brake pads’ thickness dwindles. This usually creates that awful squealing sound, known by many as “brake scrubbing”. Eventually, the squealing sound turns to a grinding noise when the brake pads wear down even further.
• Would you describe the sound of your brakes grinding as being ‘sharper’? This is often caused by the brake disc and calipers. You might also feel a vibration or rumbling from the brake pedal. In this case, you need both a brake pad replacement and a disc or rotor replacement.
• If you don’t hear the brakes grinding until you’re stopping at full force, it might be an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) problem. The ABS only activates when you do a sudden full-stop. In addition to the grinding, you might also feel the brake pedal vibrate when you press it.

Are Your Brakes Making a Grinding Noise When Driving?

It’s possible that your brakes could be making a grinding noise when you’re driving in Goochland, not when you’re pressing the brakes to stop. This might be as simple as rocks or debris bouncing off the caliper and rotor — an easy problem to mend. However, you should have it fixed quickly because it can cause damage down the road.

Schedule Brake Service Today

Stop asking yourself, “Why are my brakes grinding,” and let Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Richmond answer the problem once and for all. Contact us or schedule your service online to fix your brakes and put an end to that pesky sound of the brakes grinding!