So I was making a warrenty appointment for my engine light coming on and other various small things... one of which was a bent "slider" on my front passeneger brake caliper (not sure exactly what that is, that's just what the wheel shop in town told me...). I also mentioned that there was a slight squeal/rubbing from the front right wheel (thought it had to do with slider). On my drive home the slight squeal turned into a very loud squeal. So I pulled over, see nothing wrong and continue on home as the sound dissipates and goes away. It got worse and better and worse and better and sometimes wont squeal at all (handling/braking isn't affected). I took off the wheel at home and the studs that accept the lug nuts move left and right seperately from the rotor (as far as they are allowed within their holes). On both sides there are only two "washers" for 5 studs... this seems weird? Does something just need to be tightened? Also the brake pads seem to touch both front wheels at one point when you rotate the wheels by hand (not really hard) is this normal? Should I not drive the stang (my only car and warrenty apppointment 2 weeks away)? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

those washers i THINK are retainer clips for the rotors... and theres a pattern to use when torqing down the lug nuts.

hopfully sumone will chine in with more info

Paul

 

You brakes are floating rotors, known as knock off rotors. That means that they are seperate fromt he hub/bearing. Ive done a lot of brake jobs and I have never seena bent slide pin. But if in fact it is bent go down to your local autoparts store and buy one, it shouldnt be anymore than like 4 or 5 bux. Simply remove the old one grease up the new one with SILICONE LUBRICANT and install it. Dont use anything other than silicone lube, other lubricants can liquify and get on the rotor and cause you to have brake failure.
-P.

 

Those washers are there to keep the rotor from sliding forward when you pull the wheel off. And the proper sequence to tightening 5 lugs is a star pattern.
-P.

 

those clips on the studs are just for the assembly line process to hold the rotors on. Feel free to take them off.

If you are spinning the rotor, and the pads are touching/not touching off and on, you probably have warped rotors. Only way to find out for sure is to get a runout tool. How many miles are on your car? Brakes are only covered until 18k miles on our cars if you have the 60k warranty.

 

15k km's. You should feel the warped rotor when you are braking, right? Also, my main question was the studs moving? I just took her for a spin and no more squeal since I took the wheels off, but like I said it only happens sometimes with today being the first time...

 

Yes you should feel a warped rotor, but rotors can be warped without you feeling it in the pedal. I just did a brake job on a car 2 days ago, had a runout of 23 thousandths, and i couldnt feel it in the pedal (23 thousandths is a lot in case you didnt know, 6 thousands is as far as "normal" goes, u want 0-6 thousandths.)

What do you mean, the studs are moving?
EDIT i just reread your post. Thats normal because its the hub that is moving, which the studs are attached to.

 

Theyre moving seperate from the rotor, I think he means. Orion that is perfectly normal, when you bolt the wheel on the lug nuts hold the rotor firmly in place and it wont move.
-P.

 

Sorry for all of the questions, I'm just woried for my stang like its my child.... The ones on the right wheel move but the ones on the left wheel don't, that's what caused me concern.