How to Diagnose a Car Wheel Scraping Noise: Brakes or Dust Shield?

Do you hear annoying scraping, scratching or grinding when you drive? Check out this video to see how to track down that noise and what to do to make it stop if the cause is a brake backing shield!

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⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[AAuto]

√ *Watch the Video*
√ *Do it Yourself*
√ *Save Money*

[mcronn]

Man I thought my brake pads were grinding my rotors. But I found out it was the dust shield. And my mechanic did exactly what you did. It was really a relief. Thank you for your videos.

[TheDarkestForce]

Funny how you can explain to a mechanic that has 25 years experience that you hear a scraping noise from the front brakes and after he takes off the wheel and inspects them visually... finding NOTHING wrong and charges you $60.00 bucks you then come to YouTube and in literally under three minutes can find out what the problem is! Thanks for the video.

[spanieaj]

I was having this issue with my kid's car. My daughter told me she was hearing scrapping noises coming from the left front wheel. I pulled the wheel off and inspected the calibers and rotor. Everything looked ok. When I looked at the shield, it was obvious that it was making contact with the rotor. I bent the shield away from the rotor. I was relieved that it was an easy fix at no cost.

[gosiausa]

Thank you! That noise was driving me crazy! Every mechanic told me something different was wrong with the car. You saved me lots of money. Thank you again.

[phillipyoung]

I just replaced a brake caliper and a brake hose of my wife’s car and then began hearing this awful scraping sound. Turned out I bent the dust shield into the rotor! I just used the spare tire pry hook to bend the rotor back in the circle k parking lot and now I’m very happy I watched your video

[JOEY]

Thank you! I just got done replacing sway bar links on my chevy malibu. I took it for a test drive and immediately I could hear an awful scrapping noise coming from the front, it got worse with speed so I turned around to go back home (assuming the worst) before causing further damage. Found this video and instead of taking my tires off again I just took a flathead and pushed on the dust shield through the rim all the way around both front tires then drove it again and sure enough the noise was gone. This video saved me a lot of problem solving.

[Andrew-rbgs]

It pays not to jump right to the most expensive, worst case scenario in your mind before bringing your vehicle to your mechanic. Great video guys.

[celticlightning]

Glad you guys made that point about the dust shield and rust on rotor. That's one that nobody else has mentioned. I'm having intermittent rubbing noise from front driver side and have changed the wheel bearing, new brake pads and still it persists just not as bad. So I have notice the dust shield and rust on the outer perimeter of the rotor. So, that's my next idea.

[knightghaleon]

I just had my breaks and rotors done two weeks ago and was hearing this thinking I somehow got scammed into paying for used brakes and rotors. Turns out it was just this so I bent the dust shield with a screw driver and man this was perfectly timed. Thanks so much.

[mattbite]

This was super helpful. Mechanics wanted to change almost all suspensions parts, because I was having similar issue. Simple army knife fix at no cost solved the problem :)

[duncanotema]

This is a very helpful video. It just saved me a lot of headache and mechanic extortion. Thanks, thumbs up for you.

[cookedasparagus]

thank you sooo much for your help <3 got a pebble stuck in between my rotor and my rotor shield and it sounded like the entire underside of my car was falling off LOL. thanks to your help i bent it back with a hammer, wedged some cardboard in there, and popped the rock out. ❤ now my car sounds normal again.

[nickoster]

You guys do some of the best auto repair videos on YouTube

[aaronhoppy]

My wife didn’t drive her Forester for a week.. immediately had this same sound from both front wheels. Brakes had just been checked 2 weeks ago and were fine. Couldn’t figure out where the problem was. I watched this video then went out and fixed this exact issue in 5 minutes. Didn’t even have to remove the wheel.. I was able to see the shield touching the rotor through the wheel spoke. Thanks for the great video!

[superdow]

After changing the cv axle with no results, I figured out that it was a corroded rotor rubbing against the dustplate and metallic tips of the brake paid been doing my own suspension repairs for decades and never before has this happened (perhaps because I usually change rotors when I change brake pads)! This video is a good tip that I haven't seen anywhere else! This tip should be mentioned in all of those other videos dealing with bad bearings and cv joints. My issue started on a 2015 nissan versa with 42K as a very slight clicking noise that was worse when i turned the car to a particular side. Same symptom as a bad cv axle. Within a few weeks it morphed into a loud scraping sound, especially on turns.

[miserylovesmycompany]

I just watched this, you saved me money man.. I was just about to go get ANOTHER CV joint.

Just replaced it last year.

[TycoTyrannus]

Also check to see if your lug nuts are on firmly. That happened to me once. Back wheel was making a grinding sound. Went to check for debris or hindrances and found the lug nuts were coming loose. Wow... and lucky it made noise.

[tonyneufeld]

I have used the 1A Auto videos for so many repairs over tue last few years. Thank you folks so much, with the money saved from repair bills I have been able to buy tools for the jobs and still save money

[RyTheFly]

This channel is awesome! I was fearing my driver side wheel was needing some work. Turns out, it just needed a little help is all! Thank you so much, new sub!