Brakes give a metallic creaking sound

Question

2005 Lexus LS430

I have an issue with the front brakes that I'm trying to narrow down.

The left front caliper seems to be inducing some creaking when pressing the brakes. The sound is metallic, but otherwise very similar to a creaky door moving slowly, albeit not as severe in frequency. It happens when moving or stationary when the car is warmed up.

For example, when stationary and pressing the brake, there is a range of pedal travel (and thus, brake pressure) that causes these creaks. It does not seem to happen to the right side.

I don't have someone to press the brakes while I inspect. What could be the issue? Missing/defective brake pad shims? The caliper bolts have been checked for the correct torque.

Answer 1

There is not a lot of specific information here, but there are a number of things this could be. You have to take into consideration the condition of the brakes, the age of the vehicle, what was the quality of parts used on the last brake job, how much corrosion has built up, etc.

Right off the top of my head I am thinking of a binding caliper. It is possible that corrosion (rust) has caused parts to no longer move as they should. When pressure is applied, the binding can cause all kinds of noise at the parts move under great resistance.

The best thing to do is to inspect the brakes. If there is nothing evident, take them apart. If there are a lot of miles on these brakes, I would get the parts and do a complete brake job (including new caliper pins) to ensure all is well.