Merry Christmas. A potential new problem with my HHR. When I put on the brakes there's a scraping noise. Its not that loud and might be the brake shoes and/or pads. The car might need new brake shoes and/or pads. When I looked through the front wheels, I could see that there are some brake pads left, but are getting thin. Any advice on this? I haven't jacked it up yet to look at the brakes. I was thinking of just taking it to a mechanic to have it taken care of.

 

When you replace the pad, soon, hopefully, specify ceramic pads. Metallics or semi’s are noisy for the first several braking events when the car has been parked for awhile, as little as overnight if outdoors and the weather is damp. Ceramic are the best for a daily driver. Well worth the slight extra cost.

 

Advice? Jack it up(support with Jack stand) and take a wheel off. Inspect.

 

You have only verified that there is some pad material left on the outside pads. No way to see the inside pads unless you look through the observation holes in the edge of the caliper. It could be the "squeal clip" that rubs against the rotor when pads are very low, or an inside pad could be down to the metal backer (rotor is then likely damaged). I have rarely seen the same wear on all four pads.

Steve

 

You may be hearing the wear tab that is used to let you know it's time for new pads or it's beyond that. You need to replace your pads.

 

With these brakes , if you’re gonna replace them go big or stay home! And adjust the rear drum brakes


https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/brak...ard-hhr-42938/

 

If there is no groove in the pad it is worn out.(PERIOD)
Anywhere past that you are asking for big trouble.

Usually, the screechers (audible wear indicators) start making sound all the time, but get ignored until the pads rip into the rotors.

 

I haven't driven it for a while. I've been turning it on once or twice a week to keep the battery recharged and keep it parked in front of my house to keep other people from parking in front of my house and blocking my driveway. I noticed the scraping noise about two weeks ago when I tried backing up the HHR and moving it back to the curb. I rode my bike to the nearest gas stotion (less then a mile from my house) and talked to the cashier about it and he said bring it in today. I said "how about tomorrow?" and he said OK. It might be best to have a professional mechanic work on it. I have replaced pads and brake shoes on other cars, but not an HHR.

 

Not really any different! Two 14 mm bolts to get the calipers off , two 15 mm bolts to get the brackets off, then you can remove the rotor , reinstall the caliper bracket, tighten those bolts, push the piston back into the caliper, install the brake pads and hardware, install the caliper over the rotor, install the bolts , put the wheel back on!
caliper bolts torque to 25 ft lbs bracket bolts torque to 85 ft lbs.
Theres photos in the link I posted!

 

If the car has been sitting for a while, maybe it’s just surface rust on the rotors. My SS sits for long periods. Weeks at a time. If we have damp weather, rust will form on the rotors. Then when I do drive it, the 1st time I hit the brakes it will grind terribly until the rust is wiped off.
If it wasn’t doing it before you parked it for a long period, no way the brakes wore out just sitting still.