Splash shield.... you are correct as my misuse of terminology is not uncommon these days (more pronounced as I age)


Personally, I would pull the tire and looksey. This way, you can hand spin the rotor and look at the spacing between the splash (dust) shield to see if it's close to the rotor or not. If it's touching, then just pry it back a bit to where it looks as though the spacing is uniform over it's length against the rotor. Simple fix if that's all it is.

 

I have always heard them called dust shields.

 

I've had an issue lately of smoking too much crack on Monday mornings. Messes me up all day afterwards.....

 

If the tire and wheel aren't picked up and pulled out fairly straight and allowed to fall against the rotor the splash guard can get bent pretty easily.

 

I dropped and broke my crack pipe so I am screwed..

 

x2. As a side note, Ive taken my driveline off numerous times changing the phasing 180 degrees out (trying to get rid of the shudder) and it NEVER made the noise you're describing? Seems like it would only be an extra vibration that you'd be dealing with....

 

Thanks, Diesel40. At this,point, I'm all ears. Latest update on this:
After work I took the drivers side wheel and tire off. Checked the splashe shield, and all is good. Equal gap from the rotor thru out. So that can be ruled out. Swapped that DS front wheel and tire with one of the rears, to see if the wheel was out of balance, compromised, etc. to see if that was it. No. Still have that harmonic, whine, which comes on at braking, at slow roles to a stop, and sometimes at turns. Now I'm starting to wonder if my bearing in the hub are shot. Just weird how this came about after a wheel and tire replacement. Thee sound doesn't happen on th rest of the 3 tries and wheels, only drivers side. I am totally stumped, and concerned. My plan was to have the tire shop replace the wheels given to me and go back to my original wheels. But, something tells me that may not fix it. What could possible cause that whining noise? How does one know that the bearings in the hub are going out?

 

One more thing I noticed while I had the from tire off and while inspecting the dust shield- I noticed the metal plate, the light gage metal that comes on new brake pads, was loose on the outer brake pad. I grabbed one end of it and it was sliding back and forth between the pad and the caliper. Is this normal? Still had about 3/8" of pad material left. Also, should you be able to grab the outer pad and slightly shift it sideways? Movement is parallel to the rotor. Very slight movement, but want to know this is normal.
Been doing a search on symptoms of hub bearing failures and can't find any. Hopefully someone chimes in. This is causing me to wake up in the middle of the night and snack, LOL!!

 

You're experiencing brake noise.

During use, rotors will warp, which causes the brake pads to shift around. Pull the caliper off and make sure the tabs on the outer pad, and the small spring clip on the inner pad are tight. No play on that outer pad at all. Those outer pads are supposed to fit tight on the caliper preventing movement, which every brake replacement I've ever done on these trucks required adjusting those tabs. Movement is not normal.

Fwiw. I've been through every brand of brake pads on my dodge, and the one and only pad that has not eventually begun to squeak is Wagner premium with the integral molded shim. No lubricant required, and no metal shims. They're the only pads I've ever used which didn't squeak. All my vehicles are being swapped over to them as they need be

Final note:
Some tire places/ mechanics shops are guilty of generating future work for them by altering pads or squealers making their customers believe that it's time for a brake job. Not saying all of them, but at least here the big chains have been caught doing so.

 

Well in the 23 years i've been driving these i've used numerous brands with no issues (currently on napa's as I work there), but you do have to peen the "ears" on the outer pad to make them tight. Also (learned when I was wrenching and doing 10+ brake jobs a week) some pads need anti squeal goo and some don't. Have you looked at the locking hub itself? When one of mine recently went it made a noise and felt like a driveline vibration that was only noticable at slow speeds.

 

So, if I I pull everything apart, re hammer down on those tabs to tighten them, what about that metal plate piece that's loose on the brake pad? Can I just trash that piece or somehow get it reattached?

 

Would the light gauge piece of metal be a wear indicator? Does it come out from the backing plate and have a 90 degree bend towards the rotor?
Something of this nature?

 

The "shim" is supposed to dampen brake noise or squeal. You can discard it and use noise suppressing compound, which turns into a rubber like consistency, or brake moly grease instead.

 

JMartin, anyway of epoxying it back on, if there even is such a thing

 

Danged if I know. My brakes get used pretty hard on occasion, with the heavy tow and all. I haven't seen one of those shims stay put yet.

I don't mind sounds if I know their source and the function they indicate. The resonant whine of slightly floating disc brake pads does not indicate any malfunction, it's just the parts singing a little under stress.

I understand the rubbery brake noise goo is pretty effective. Put it on real thin, though, or it will affect performance by giving a little too much under braking pressure.