Jay-SS

So after weeks of wanting to change my breaks due to squeeks and squeels along with what i thought was lessened stopping power, I came to realize how little I really know about my car (or cars in general). I pretty much know how to change my tail lights, turn signals, and my oil.

We took off the wheels and I already started becoming enchanted with what I was looking at...oooo inner workings behind the rims haha. Unfortunately thanks to some cross-threading punk at the local Firestone I now know what a breaker bar is and how to use it (I still have yet to watch and learn how to get a broken-in-half stud out of my damn rotor and put a new one in. Thank you Firestone for making my first experience go smooth...) So after watchin HOW to get the caliper off (further enchantment, lol ), we only came to find the pads in near perfect condition and the rotor in nowhere near anything that can be turn worthy. So why am I squeeling and feel less stopping power?

After notably less noise after putting the wheels back on and driving around I chalk it up to dusty pads and rotors and simply taking them off clearned it off a bit (Figures... o well at least i have spare pads now). The lessened stopping power feel though, whats up with that? OH YEA! this happens to be the first ABS car I've ever driven! Feels weaker to me but im told its better. Im not going to bust out the 100ft tape measure and start doing stopping tests so i'll take their word for it.

So anyway after picking up some lugnuts for when I get the new stud in and some break cleaner I wanted to ask my buddy one other thing. We get on a straight, foot meets the floor, and the tach meets the red. Right at around 5k+ rpm comes my question. What the hell is this noise? It sounds like somthing rattling around in an empty can. Sounds to me like its coming from the driver side and to him sounds like its comin from the passenger side... so I gather it must be centered somewhere. It only makes the sound in gear and moving. If I rev up to 5k in neutral I get nothing but normal engine rev. My buddy is unable to identify the noise.

He's gonna ask around so I figured i'd to the same. Anyone have any ideas?

Lol so tonight felt like I took one of my first looks at a pair of bare boobies. HAIL TO THE MIGHTY

FirebirdFlyboy

iTrader: (2)

The sound of something rattling in a can at high rpm while the engine is under load? Welcome to the wonderful world of detonation.

Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_knocking

chavez885

iTrader: (12)

Changing the pads makes the brakes weak until they are broke in. The rattling noise could be detonation, which is extremely bad. What all is done to the car mod wise? Mileage? Whens the last time you did reg maintenance?

blown03mustang

i had the same problem with my car when i bought it, even though the pads looked ok and had enough meat to last a few more months of aggressive braking, i changed them anyway and it solved the problem...8 months later im still sqweek free

Jay-SS

oil's been pretty on schedule every time. last one was a little over 6 months but less than 1500 miles ago. Bout 47k miles. and as far as I can tell the only mods are the FIPK and slowmaster muffler the prev owner slapped on.

Edit:
so is detonation the same thing as engine knock? I dont put low octane fuel in it and my buddy says if it was knock it would be louder and more constant below 5k. He's saying it could be somthin with the drive shaft.

my bandit

iTrader: (10)

it could be denotation or it could be the y pipe rattleing around because of the tension that the trans is putting on the car.

twitchtwice

iTrader: (12)

i had the exact same noise in my car after a brake install. i just bought some new wheels, and i made sure to torque them down real nice. i now longer have that noise. go outside and tighten down the wheels as much as you can and say good bye to the noise.

i went through the same thing as your. i tried sfc's new bushings. then i just left it. now that i did the wheels, NO MORE NOISE AFTER A GOOD TORQUE =]