Sorry, the post got long. . .

Alright, when I bought my Classic in June I noticed some squealing when applying the brakes and assumed I needed new pads. So, when I installed the new pads, I found that there were no brake shims on the front and the pads were actually okay. I replaced the pads anyway along with the shims.

Well, I still get a squealing noise from the front of the car. It is most noticeable at lower speeds under light braking, and it now occurs when turning(especially right turns). I started to wonder if I might have a bad wheel bearing because it was happening without the brakes being applied and while turning. However, when I put the car up, I couldn't move/wobble either wheel any appreciable amount. This combined with the fact that it really does sound like brake squealing makes me wonder if maybe my calipers are bad.

Finally a question. . . How can I tell if my caliper(s) is/are locked up? What other ways can I check the wheel bearings? How different are the noises made by wheel bearings and brakes? Any other help would be appreciated as well.

I wanna upgrade to the AD22s, but I want to make sure that will fix my problem.

Thanks,
Ben
92 SE-R

You could try greasing up the guide bolts - the ones that the calipers slide on. If they aren't lubed up, they wouldn't slide; which would allow the pad to bind to the rotor. That would cause a slight squeal - I assume. If this is occuring, one of the pads would be thinner than the other.

Worth a shot,

Josh

my front brakes used to squeal at all speeds(w or w/o my foot on the pedal). it was the shims! i threw them in the garbage. fixed my problem with no ill effects :).
one sign of a wheel bearing going bad is a groaning sound that comes and goes when turning one direction or the other.
about the caliper...pull the pins. ensure they're straight, corrosion free and lubed. reassemble the caliper. temporarily install on knuckle without the rotor in place. try sliding the caliper in and out by hand to check for binding.

Ric

this happened to me also, and it was my fault too, when putting the brakes on the last time, i didnt install the inside pad correctly and i drove around for a while like that, eventually i heard a squeking / humming noise from the car, i took the wheel off and looked at it and wanted to smack my self, it was the pad to the inside of the rotor, the slot wasnt lined up with the caliper right so it was only touching a cornoer of the pad, i felt like a jackass

I had the same issues. At first I thought it was the pads, but when I checked them, they were OK. I realized the calipers were dragging even after lubing up the pins. They were impossible to get out. So I fixed the whole thing by upgrading to AD22VF's. The brakes are awesome. The swap is easy, just a lot of grinding since I am using stock wheels.

The bearings make a weird sound. When you are driving as you speed up the grinding gets louder now when you step on the clutch it stops or you may here a slight rubbing sound. No back streets as you slow down and the girls are on the corner looking as you slow down to spit your ( Mac Daddy Vibe ) The grinding starts again and now the whores on the corner laugh at the Nissan.

Well pop your hood and on the left side and right sides of the car ( 1 side at a time don't hurt yourself ) and push the car backwards and put your ear next to the tire ( Besure not to roll over your head * WE ALL NEED PARTS ) if you hear a grinding sound trust me thats it.

The bearing will run you a $50+ Dollars. Seals too.
The only problem is if you have anti-lock that sensor is a mutha4k@.
Go to a shop if they do any harm to the lower control arm like use a torch to get the anti sensor off get a new ball joint or control arm on them ( I've been there already - Try to replace both at the same time if not 1 a pay check. GOOD LUCK!!!

Let me know what happens.