the most obvious answer is "you need new brakes and/or rotors," and that's fine...but since i can't really do anything about it at this very moment, it's worth it to me to make a thread

a couple of days ago, my right left brake (i think) started making an awful squeal...i've heard cars that needed new brakes before, but this is higher than what i've heard and it seems to persist a bit even after i let off the brake...i replaced the brakes about 40k miles ago and i'm pretty sure these are the original rotors...it's a 2002 saturn SL1 and i've had it since about 80k miles (it's got a bit over 140k now), so i assume i'll probably need to replace them as there's not much left to resurface (again, i assume)

my concern was more in the high squeal, if there is a reasonable chance that it's anything except new pads/rotors...if not, then this thread will slowly die with just a couple of posts and that's fine, too

11/9/2009 9:05:21 AM

why don't you pull the wheel off and see if the pad is worn down to the metal?

[Edited on November 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM. Reason : if you dont need new rotors now, you will soon]

11/9/2009 4:14:09 PM

Quote :

"my right left brake "

There's your problem, they have to be adjusted like those newfangled front rear brakes.

11/9/2009 7:07:40 PM

^ LOL [WIN]

11/9/2009 7:38:29 PM

^^ hah, d'oh

it was trashed...i needed new rotors, new pads (obviously), and i had a leaking cylinder (or whatever it's called) on one of the rear drums...went ahead and replaced both cylinders and the pads since they needed it, too

$495 for new rotors and new pads on the front, new everything (except drums) on the back, brake line flush, oil change, and tire rotation

11/10/2009 7:40:07 AM

thats expensive as hell

11/11/2009 8:44:30 AM

yes, i think so, too...but i most certainly don't have time to do it myself (and besides, i've only done disc brakes, never drum), and while i love all of you mechanics on here (truly, i do...i trust you over almost everyone else), none of you were going to be able to do it for me monday night when i HAD to have them done (well, i don't suppose it was absolutely necessary, but i knew i was going to be driving all day yesterday and i wasn't sure what the rain situation was going to be...all-in-all, i felt that i needed to have some working brakes)

it's about $50 less than tommy quoted me, though, and i got it done that night

[Edited on November 11, 2009 at 9:38 AM. Reason : .]

11/11/2009 9:30:41 AM

11/11/2009 1:33:28 PM