Dangerous Brake Grinding In The Rain

[blk_on_blk]

Brakes are a finicky thing. First, when you run a fresh pair of pads into new rotors, over time some of the pad begins to imbed itself into the rotor. If you change out the pads without cleaning up or changing the rotors, you can get a material mismatch that could lead to squealing and shuddering. It's always best to 'turn' your rotors or buy new ones when changing out your pads. I, personally, take off the rotors and, with an angled circular sander, I score the rotors perpendicular to the rotation path. This breaks the surface layer and pretty much ensures you won't have any noticeable harmonics during operation.

I'd also second the ceramic pads recommendation. I've run several different pads (organic, semi-metallic), and so many squeal and get dusty. Ceramics bite well, are low dust, and are quiet. They may eat into your rotors a little more, but it's not significant, plus rotors should be changed out over time anyway.

As to the ABS... it could be something going weird with ABS, but if ABS is prematurely triggering, you'd feel it in the pedal... not just hear the grinding and feel it in the steering wheel/body of the car.