2010-2017 Lincoln Navigator Brake Noise: Squeal, Grinding and Pulsation Causes

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Brake noise on a 2010-2017 Lincoln Navigator usually comes down to one of three things: a high squeal from a pad wear indicator or vibrating hardware, a grinding sound from pads worn to the backing plate or a rusted parking brake assembly, or a pedal and steering wheel pulsation from rotors with uneven thickness or runout. Each has a distinct sound and feel, and each points to a different fix. This guide walks through how to tell them apart and what to replace.

How the Brakes Work on This Navigator

The 2010-2017 Navigator is a heavy, body-on-frame SUV. For the 2015 model year, published specifications list a curb weight of more than 6,000 pounds and a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 380 horsepower, and it is rated to tow well over 8,000 pounds. It stops with four-wheel disc brakes and four-wheel ABS. That much mass means the brakes turn a lot of energy into heat on every stop, and heat is behind most of the noise and pulsation complaints on these trucks.

The rear brakes have one detail that matters for noise diagnosis: the parking brake is not a caliper function. It is a small set of drum-style parking brake shoes that sit inside the hat of each rear rotor. To service those shoes you remove the wheel, caliper and rotor. When those shoes, springs or the backing plate corrode, they can scrape or grind even when the disc pads and rotors look fine.

Squealing: What It Means and How to Diagnose It

A high-pitched squeal is the most common complaint. Start by sorting it into one of these patterns:

• Squeal while driving that goes away when you press the pedal, or a steady chirp that changes with speed. This is the classic wear indicator. Many pads carry a small metal tab that contacts the rotor when the friction material gets thin. It is a warning, not a failure, but the pads are due.
• Squeal only during light braking, with plenty of pad left. This is vibration. Brake manufacturers agree that vibration is the main source of brake noise: pad-to-rotor contact sets up oscillations that travel through the caliper and suspension until they reach an audible frequency.
• Squeal after new pads were installed. Look at the installation. Worn anti-rattle clips and springs lose their spring tension from heat, missing or dry shims let the pad backing plate buzz against the caliper, and a rotor that was reused without being refinished gives the new pad an uneven surface to seat against.

To check it, pull a front wheel and look at pad thickness through the caliper window, then look at the clips, the shims on the back of each pad, and the caliper guide pins. Pins that are dry, corroded or binding make the pads drag and chatter.

Grinding: The Noise You Should Not Drive On

A deep metallic grind during braking almost always means the friction material is gone and the steel backing plate is cutting into the rotor. At that point the rotors are damaged and must be replaced along with the pads, and continued driving puts the caliper at risk as well.

On a Navigator there are two other grinding sources worth ruling out before you blame the pads:

• Rear parking brake shoes. A shoe lining that has separated, or a broken return spring inside the rear rotor hat, makes a scraping or grinding sound that can continue when you are not braking. You will only find it with the rear rotor off.
• Rotor edge lip and rust. A rotor worn with a raised lip at the outer edge, or heavy rust on a truck that sat, can grate against a new pad until it wears in. Worn rotors with an edge lip also cause squeal and pedal pulsation and eat pads early.

A small stone or debris trapped between the rotor and the splash shield also grinds, usually at low speed and not always under braking. Removing the wheel and turning the rotor by hand usually finds it.

Pulsation and Vibration: Rotor Problems

If the brake pedal pulses under your foot, or the steering wheel shakes when you slow down from highway speed, the rotors are the prime suspect. The usual chain of events is this: excessive lateral runout lets the rotor brush the pads once per revolution, that contact wears the rotor unevenly, and uneven thickness then produces the pulsation you feel. What people call a warped rotor is usually this thickness variation, often combined with uneven friction from rotor hotspots after hard stops.

Things that start or speed up that process on a Navigator:

• Rust or scale on the hub face, which holds the rotor slightly crooked.
• Loose or worn wheel bearings.
• Lug nuts tightened unevenly with an impact gun. Tighten them in a star pattern with a torque wrench to the value in the owner's manual.
• Long downhill grades or towing near the rated limit, which cook the pads and rotors.
• Holding the brake hard at a stop right after a heavy stop, which can imprint pad material on a hot rotor.

A rotor with pulsation, deep grooves, or thickness below the minimum stamped on the rotor itself has to be replaced. Given what new rotors cost against machining time, most owners of these trucks replace them.

Pedal Feel Changes: Check the Recall First

Noise is rarely a hydraulic problem, but if the pedal feel has changed too, check the recall status. Ford recalled 2016-2017 Lincoln Navigators with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine (NHTSA recall 22V150000) because the brake master cylinder can leak fluid from the front circuit into the brake booster. Warning signs include a chime, an instrument panel message and the red brake warning light for low fluid. As the leak grows, you need more pedal pressure to stop and front braking drops off. The remedy is a new master cylinder, plus a booster if leaking is found. Run your VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup or ask a Lincoln dealer before paying for the work yourself.

The Fix: Which Parts to Replace Together

For most noise and pulsation complaints the correct repair is pads and rotors on the same axle, with fresh hardware. Replacing pads alone on a rotor with thickness variation just transfers the vibration to the new pads. Good practice on this truck:

• Pads and rotors as a set. Our front and rear brake kit for the 2010-2017 Lincoln Navigator covers both axles in one order. You can also shop replacement brake rotors and ceramic brake pads separately. Ceramic compounds tend to run quieter and cleaner, which suits a luxury SUV.
• New clips and pins. A brake hardware kit replaces heat-fatigued anti-rattle clips. Clean and lubricate the guide pins with a heat-stable brake lubricant.
• Follow the pad maker's shim instructions. Some insulated pads must not have any lubricant on the shim face, while pads without shims need lubricant on the backing plate contact points. Read the box.
• Rear parking brake shoes. While the rear rotors are off, inspect the shoes and springs. It is the cheapest time to replace them.
• Calipers if they stick. A seized piston or corroded bracket that will not let the pads float causes pull, heat and noise. Replacement brake calipers fix it.

After installation, bed the pads in. One brake maker's procedure is 20 slow-downs from 50 mph to 20 mph with light pedal pressure, allowing about 30 seconds between each one, which mates the pad surface to the rotor and cuts early noise.

How Hard Is the Job?

Front pads and rotors on a Navigator are a reasonable driveway job for someone with a floor jack, jack stands rated for a vehicle this heavy, a torque wrench and a breaker bar. The parts are large and heavy, and rusted caliper bracket bolts are common on trucks from salted states. The rear adds the parking brake shoes inside the rotor hat, which takes patience with springs and adjusters. Plan a morning per axle if it is your first time. If the brake pedal feels soft or low, or the red brake light is on, have it inspected before driving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my new Navigator brakes squeal?

New-pad squeal usually comes from reused hardware, dry or missing shims, rotors that were not replaced or refinished, or skipping the bed-in procedure. Replace the clips, lubricate the pins and contact points per the pad maker's instructions, and bed the pads.

Is it safe to drive with grinding brakes?

No. Grinding usually means metal is contacting the rotor, which reduces stopping power and destroys rotors fast. Get it inspected right away and plan on pads and rotors.

Can I just resurface the rotors?

Only if they stay above the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor and are machined on a lathe in good condition for a smooth finish. Rotors with pulsation, deep grooves or an edge lip are usually better replaced.

Why does my steering wheel shake when I brake at highway speed?

That is usually front rotor thickness variation, often started by runout from a rusty hub face or unevenly tightened lug nuts. Replace the rotors, clean the hubs, and torque the lugs in a star pattern.

What is the scraping noise from the rear when I am not braking?

Check the parking brake shoes inside the rear rotor hat. A loose lining, broken spring or rust buildup there can scrape even with your foot off the pedal.

Sources

1. Wagner Brake - Brake System Noise - vibration as main noise source, runout, hub rust, weak clips, shim lubrication rules, 20-stop bed-in procedure
2. Wagner Brake - Signs of Worn Brake Pads - squeal, grinding, pulsation, rotor edge lip and when rotors must be replaced
3. Bendix - Brake Noise In-Depth Technical Bulletin - vibration coupling, rotor hotspots, shims, heat-stable lubricants, rotor machining finish
4. Consumer Reports - Ford SUV and Truck Brake Recall - 2016-2017 Navigator 3.5L master cylinder recall 22V150000, warnings and remedy
5. Autoweb - 2015 Lincoln Navigator Specs - four-wheel disc brakes, four-wheel ABS, curb weight, tow rating, engine
6. 1A Auto - Parking Brake Shoes 2007-17 Expedition - parking brake shoes inside the rear rotor on the Expedition and Navigator platform