Grinding/rubbing Noise/feel From Front End ?

[01es300]

I have a 2001 ES300 with 29000 miles. Within the past month or so my wife has said that when she applies the brakes their is a slight grinding low pitched noise coming from the front end when applying the brakes at low speed and almost to a stop. It is intermittent and only happens occasionally. We took it into the shop (independent brake & suspension) yesterday (because it felt like when the front brakes first start to go out and you feel a grinding) and I felt it just needed new front brakes) and the mechanic said the brakes (front & rear) are better than 50% and the front end looked okay. My wife says that it still does it occasionally and intermittently. Does anyone have any ideas ?

The mechanic said that it could be if the brakes are touched lightly that the calipers float around and shift a little bit. He even took the calipers off to see if a rock was lodged somewhere. About a month or so ago we had after market rims put on and they did have to go back and rebalance them because of a wobble in the front end at about 65-70mph.

If anyone has any ideas, please share. I have felt it a couple of times and it feels like something is rubbing/grinding when you are almost to a stop (about 5 mph).

[Toysrme]

... Tell you wife she's wearing her brake pads out & needs to stop driving like a woman!

:D j/k

If it's a hard brake pad, it'll make noise if you use it hard for a while afterwards, until the pad/rotor surface goes back to being whatever it was before the noise.

If you're tired of it, get better pads & change the rotors.

[sovietlexus]

nah i have the same thing after i haven't driven for a while. i live near the ocean so the humidity leaves a thin film of rust on the rotors. so the first couple of times i brake i hear a grinding sound, then it comes off and its fine.

[01es300]

Thanks for the replies. I know if I let it sit for a few days while it is damp outside that it will reub due to the light surface rust and this is different. It does it after it has been driven on occasion and not just first thing.

[PattyAtT]

Thanks for the replies. I know if I let it sit for a few days while it is damp outside that it will reub due to the light surface rust and this is different. It does it after it has been driven on occasion and not just first thing.

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I had the same problem not too long ago with my '00 Gs400.. turned out to be the ball joints (i do have 120K on my car though...)