2004 camry grind/tick hitting brake going slow turning

[rogerranger2122]

Pads and rotors are good. I just took the wheel off and re lubed where I should behind the pads, where the tabs of the pads sit the clips, and the two slide pins in the rubber boots slide freely and re-lubed. I've replaced pads and rotors on like 10 different cars total of like 15 times never had a problem but is father's car suggested do this and inspect but didn't solve. Camry has about 115k.

Previously thought might be where axle meets transmission in front on bottom, good mechanic said it should be fine and looks good (was hoping he'd open it and check for worn gears), but the noise only happens when hitting the brake anyway so maybe it's not that.

It's been happening for about 9 months but seldom, but when it happens and drive more in the same session it tends to happen more often. I drove around for hours trying to find the sweet spot how to make it happen so I can drive the mechanic around or have him drive it so maybe if he heard it he'd know what it is. But it's really seldom but turning left into the driveway seems to make it happen a lot esp if you get it to start making the grinding noise already from driving around, it's like a tick grinding noise and can feel the brake pedal pulsate. It comes sorta from the front driver side wheel but I think it's a bit more centered and not from anything of the wheel. Foot must be on the pedal for it to happen but it usually happens when slightly letting off the brakes, it's a very small margin of what motions and actions make it happen, sometimes it happens not turning though and it happens in reverse sometimes, it sometimes keeps ticking/grinding after letting go of the brake but never without using the brake. If I get it to grind and keep my foot barely on the brake it'll sometimes keep going for a few seconds then fade out. Sounds like coming from low under the car. Dust shield isn't hitting anything.

I was thinking has something to do with faulty ABS but I'm not sure. I did go about 50 mph then slam on the brakes a few times and abs didn't kick in and expected them to but maybe wasn't even going fast enough or slam brakes hard enough but I did almost skid out but it wasn't wet/icy to help ABS kick in (which I wouldn't risk anyway).

the brake master cylinder is high in the engine bay and close to the wheel so I doubt it's that even if it could make this grinding ticking noise. Brake pedal isn't spongy seems fine. The ABS pump doesn't seem to be down in that area where the sounds noise seems to come from either but maybe it's that. I said maybe lines need to be blead father says no the pedal would be spongy if so.
There's no ABS dash light or any other dummy lights other than check engines which it's had for years from an O2 sensor which hasn't been replaced and it's Fl registration no need to pass inspection.
It's quite a loud grind/tick not a buzz or hum and can feel it in the pedal. He's worried to even drive it as if something will strip out and be stranded like pulling into an intersection and stall out type scenario.

[Mike Gerber]

I would have the car checked for fault codes. Most auto parts stores like Autozone do this for free. You may get an ABS code. The noise you are describing may be an ABS sensor activating, especially if it happens at low speeds while turning. Sensor may be defective or simply have rust on it.

Mike

[rogerranger2122]

Originally Posted by Mike Gerber

I would have the car checked for fault codes. Most auto parts stores like Autozone do this for free. You may get an ABS code. The noise you are describing may be an ABS sensor activating, especially if it happens at low speeds while turning. Sensor may be defective or simply have rust on it.

Mike

we have a code reader but I doubt it's ABS, even if the dash isn't showing an ABS warning light the ABS module is high up in the engine bay and closer to the wheel for it to be making this sound. It's strange that it basically only happens when hitting the brake but seems to have nothing to do with the braking system. Also the symptoms of bad ABS module don't mention this grinding/ticking, it says instead:
Unresponsive brake pedal
Spongy brakes
Loss of braking power
Brakes locking up

I'm guessing it's the CV axle which I specifically brought it to a good mechanic to check and open up and see if gears are worn but he only looked at it from the outside and said 'looks good to me looks new' and then charged a few hundred while he had it there to replace a strut/shock or something he noticed was bad.

Suggestions elsewhere so far were :

CV Axle

Wheel bearings? Look for interference between the caliper/bracket and the inside of the wheel.

I was thinking half shafts, but it really doesn't have enough miles to be that...



I'm not sure even the names of the parts but as mentioned the rubber boots are all ripped on most the cv (on the other side) and some vertical thing in the wheel assembly area and some ball/knuckle joint thing looks beat too, so IDK