Within two days of picking up my RL a pebble got stuck between the rotor and backing plate of the front driver's side disc. It made a god awful screeching sound just as I was coming to the final part of a stop or just as I started to accelerate from a stop. I took it to the dealer a couple of days later but of course the pebble fell out and it wasn't making the noise anymore. They said the brakes checked out fine, the backing plate was correct, etc.

Today it sounds like it has happened again. I live at the end of a gravel road and driveway so this is bound to happen repeatedly. It's quite annoying. Can't believe they designed the backing plate so that pebbles will easily get trapped there.

I drive Ford Explorers on unpaved roads at my place of employment and the same thing happens occasionally.

I also had this happen with a Ford Explorer when driving through mud off road on a couple of occasions. I would put it in reverse and then gently bring it to a stop and it always seemed to be able to clear the stones that way.
I have not had my RL do it yet and I have been in mud deep enough to get pebbles that high a couple times.

Pave the road...I'll also keep it cleaner!

Look at the bright side, you are saving money on brake pads.

Look at the bright side, you are saving money on brake pads.

How so? At the expense of the rotors? I haven't taken anything part to look at the situation but I'm thinking that the lip on the backing plate is causing the pebbles to stay in there until they get to an opening where they can fall out. I think the backing plate needs to be modified.

Gonzo: As to paving the road... I think I can find better things to spend $30K on.

Mine has over 22,000 miles... not a single problem. PLENTY of gravel roads travelled.

The backing plate is actually there to help direct air into the rotor for cooling. I would like to know how you think it should be modified. If you take it off, it won't cool as effectively. If you close it up, again it won't cool as effectively. Open it wider? Now a more pebbles can actually get in there, instead of a small piece of pebble that just happens to bounce in the right way to wedge it self in there.

Perhaps we should go back to drum brakes. ;)

I don't know if it was a pebble, but I just recently had this problem. As it was happening I was turning into the Post Office and there were a lot of people walking around. It made such a loud, terrible sound that it was embarrasing.

The pebble, or whatever it was, fell out after a while.

-Joe

These gawdawful screeching sounds should be bottled and then let out only around Halloween! :eek: :D

Mine has over 22,000 miles... not a single problem. PLENTY of gravel roads travelled.

The backing plate is actually there to help direct air into the rotor for cooling. I would like to know how you think it should be modified. If you take it off, it won't cool as effectively. If you close it up, again it won't cool as effectively. Open it wider? Now a more pebbles can actually get in there, instead of a small piece of pebble that just happens to bounce in the right way to wedge it self in there.


Sure, removing the backing plate would solve the problem and create another one. Why is it that no previous vehicle I have owned (all with disc brakes) has had this particular problem? Yet, in the past 4 weeks this has now happened to me twice. The pebble is still in there....going on to two days now. There is something wrong with the design of the backing plate or there is something wrong with mine.

Maybe the only difference between me and you is that I'm on gravel roads *every* day. :confused: I can understand that most of the folks on this forum don't drive on gravel roads at all so that's probably why I haven't seen any previous reference to this problem.

Either way, it sure doesn't make a good impression when your brand new shiny truck comes to a very loud screeching halt at an intersection. :mad:

I had this happen on a previous vehicle (03 MINI). I just stopped and backed up and the pebble fell out.

Weird. The Volvo I traded in for the RL did not do this a single time. Neither did our Civic Hybrid, neither has my wife's new Element. Yet the RL continues to do this. And I think it's only on the driver's side front. :(

Backing up doesn't seem to help. In fact, the first time this happened I could go back and forth, back and forth, and the sound was just god awful. It seemed to better or worse if I turned while moving. This only happens at hyper slow speed while applying the brakes.

Had this happen on my old Dodge Dakota many times. Never has happened yet on my ridge. Same driving habits and same places. I think you are just lucky I guess.:rolleyes: