# Cruze 1LT Squealing and Grinding Brakes?



## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

If the rotor is warped, I would think you would feel it in the brake pedal. There should be some pulsing to the pedal and/or a slight jerking when the brakes are applied. If it is grinding, I'd say something is amiss with the pad(s). I don't know where the pads are sourced from, but I'd bet they are part of the 55% of a Cruze that is not domestic content. 

My next door neighbor used to work for TRW as a brake systems quality control manager. I heard a lot of "tales of woe" about the Chinese brake pads they were importing to supply the Big Three a couple of years ago. A local shop put a set of "Wearever" brand pads on our Protege5 and they gouged the rotors so badly after 3,000 miles the rotors had to be replaced. When I pulled the pads out, I saw the "Made in China" stamp on them. The pads were supposed to be ceramic pads, but they had large chunks of steel waste in them. The shop gave me my money back and I gave them their pads back. I went home and did the work myself with some Performance Friction pads.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...a faint, cyclic, squeeking could also be caused by a loose-fitting wheel cover.


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## cruze 2011 (Oct 20, 2010)

sometimes small pebbles or a small rock can get stuck near to the brake pad and grind on the rotar untill it falls out. i have had it happen before .


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...a faint, cyclic, squeeking could also be caused by a loose-fitting wheel cover.


Interesting thought -- I will check that a bit later.

Well, the major grinding has yet to reoccur, so I don't know what was up with that as I wasn't there 

Cyclical squeaking has returned and hard braking doesn't seem to help this time... hopefully it's something stupid like the wheel cover... if not into the dealer it goes.

Also, yeah, I don't think they're warped, brakes feel just like new


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

cruze 2011 said:


> sometimes small pebbles or a small rock can get stuck near to the brake pad and grind on the rotar untill it falls out. i have had it happen before .


Actually, just had this happen to me for the first time in our other car about two weeks back... sounded absolutely apocalyptic... stopping and reversing flung it out and all was well.


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## jaygeo1 (Nov 10, 2010)

*Loose wheels........*

Do put a check on the wheel lug nut tightness.......just to be sure.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

After a bit more driving, removing all the plastic caps and putting them back on and some hard braking at the track -- the sound has gone away. Conclusion is that it was most likely brake pad related and all is well. Either way, I'll have the dealer take a look at the next oil change in a couple thousand miles if the sound does not return.


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