"elmo" <m@vfd.com> wrote
> Hi all-
>
> Have a 99 altima (sorry, but the nissan group wasn't any help...seems like a
> universal problem), about 6 months ago I replaced my front rotors and pads
> (raybestos, chinese made), and for some reason, since day 1, when I applied
> the brakes I heard this grinding (Grrrrrrrrrr) sound come from the front
> passenger brake, I kept on driving...after 6 months of putting up with it my
> pad wear sensor started going off (the passenger front one), when I replaced
> the pads this time the passenger front ones were worn to the bone where as
> the driver side still had some meat left on em.

Can you give the approximate brake pad thickness left on the passenger side and
driver side?

> Again, 2 days after I
> installed the new pads, the same grinding noise comes from the passenger
> side (it didn't when the pads were brand new)...allbeit, its less than
> before (no I hear it right before i coem to a dead stop, not from the
> begining of the braking as it did with the pads before.
>
> Can someone tell me whats causing this? Id say it was warped rotor, but it
> was doing that on a brand new rotor as well, plus i dont feel any pulsation.
> Also, when the mechanic replaced my pads last week, he showed me how there
> was a lateral movement (play) of the front passenger side wheel, he said the
> inner tie rod has to be replaced, is that the cause of the grinding noise?

The correlation of the brake pad changes and braking application with the noise
seems like more than coincidence. I'd consider the following:

1.
Bad front passenger side wheel bearing. This would cause a grinding noise
(perhaps only when braking?) and also uneven brake pad wear. But I also think
most mechanics would know enough to identify this.

2.
A (steering) tie rod that has failed (at a juncture point, say) may indeed cause
lateral play. If you're at all handy, make sure the lug nuts are snug, put the
car's front pass. side on a jackstand (not just a jack). Grasp the wheel at the
3 o'clock and 9'o clock positions and try to wobble it. If it has any play, this
could indicate a failed tie rod or failed wheel bearing. Also, if you crawl
under the car and look at the tie rod closely while someone else tries to wobble
the suspended tire, then a failed tie rod will move a little. Look especially
for play at the tie rod linkages.

3.
New rotors can be defective. Just last week a guy posted here and found that
this was the cause of his brake vibration. One can check the thickness variation
of a new rotor and its runout to see if it's in spec (assuming the manufacturer
provided the rotor "new condition" specs.)

4.
Have you somehow checked to see that the lugnuts were in the recent past (like
since the first set of new pads six months ago) torqued to the correct spec? If
they are not, this can warp rotors and also damage wheel bearings.

> any help would be appreciated, the car has 60k miles on it...