2003-2009 Nissan 350z Brake Noise: Squeal, Grinding and Pulsation Causes

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

Most 350Z brake noise falls into three groups: a squeal from worn pads, dry or missing hardware, or glazed pads; a grinding noise that usually means the friction material is gone and the backing plate is touching the rotor; and a pulsation that comes from rotor thickness variation or runout. Nissan's own brake noise bulletin, which covers every Nissan except the GT-R, sorts these out and also lists several noises that are normal and need no repair at all.

How the 350Z Brakes Are Built

Every 2003-2009 350Z uses power-assisted vented disc brakes at all four corners, with ABS, Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. There are no rear drums on this car, so any rear noise is a pad-and-rotor issue, not a shoe issue.

There are two distinct brake packages, and knowing which one you have matters before you buy parts:

Nissan's 2006 press material also notes that the Brembo package uses larger pads and rotors, and that rotor size was increased for non-Brembo cars that year. The practical takeaway: Brembo and non-Brembo pads and rotors do not interchange, and early and late non-Brembo cars can differ too. Look for Brembo lettering on the calipers behind the wheel, then match parts to your exact year and package. Our GiroDisc 2-piece slotted rear rotors for the 350Z with Brembo calipers, for example, are listed only for Brembo-equipped cars.

Squeal and Squeak: Which Ones Are Normal

Nissan's bulletin draws a clear line between noises you can ignore and noises you should fix.

• Squeak on the first few cold stops in the morning. Nissan calls this normal. No service is needed.
• Loud, continuous squeal with or without braking. This is the pad wear indicator touching the rotor. It is doing its job: the pads are worn out and need to be replaced. Power Stop notes that wear indicators typically make contact when roughly 1/8 to 1/4 inch of pad material remains.
• Squeak once the brakes are warm. This is not considered normal. Nissan's fix is correct pads installed with correct hardware and lubrication.
• Rear squeal. Usually brake dust and dirt packed between the pads and rotors. Cleaning the pads, rotors and caliper area with approved brake cleaning equipment is the first step. Brake dust should not be inhaled.

The most common fixable squeal causes on a Z that has had pads replaced before are the same ones Power Stop lists: missing or worn pad clips (spring hardware loses tension and is meant to last only one set of pads), no lubricant on the pad ears and caliper contact points, loose components, and pads that were never bedded in. On the Brembo cars, pad retaining pins and anti-rattle springs play the same role as clips do on other calipers. Replace them with the pads rather than reusing tired hardware; our brake hardware kits are the place to start.

One caution from both sources: lubricant goes on the pad backing plate edges and caliper contact points only. Never let grease reach the friction surface or the rotor face.

Grinding: The Noise You Should Not Drive On

A grinding or scraping noise when braking is a different problem from squeal. On a 350Z the usual cause is pads worn past the wear indicator until the steel backing plate is contacting the rotor. At that point the rotor is being cut, stopping performance suffers, and the rotor almost always needs replacement along with the pads. Power Stop separates this metal-on-metal sound from ordinary squeaking and recommends a professional inspection when you hear it.

Less serious grinding sources worth checking first:

• A light scraping for the first few stops after the car sat in the rain, which is the pads cleaning surface rust off the rotors.
• A stone or debris trapped between the rotor and the dust shield.
• A dust shield bent into the rotor during a tire or brake job.

If the noise does not clear within a few stops, pull the wheel and measure pad thickness. If the backing plate has cut a shiny groove in the rotor face, plan on new brake pads and new brake rotors for that axle.

Groans, Clunks and ABS Noises

Nissan lists several other sounds owners often report:

• Groan when easing off the brake after a stop ("creep groan"): normal, no repair needed.
• Groan during stopping: usually glazing of the rotor surface from heavy or frequent braking, common on Zs that see spirited driving or track days. Nissan's repair is new pads plus resurfacing the rotors.
• Single clunk from the front when you first touch the pedal: the pads shifting in the direction of rotor rotation. It is more likely with light pedal pressure. Check that pads and shims, springs and clips are installed correctly.
• Several clunks or a pedal pulse once after starting the engine: the ABS self-check. Depending on the model it runs on the first brake application or the first time the car reaches about 5 mph. This is normal.

Pulsation and Steering Shake: Thickness Variation and Runout

If you feel a pulse in the pedal or a shake in the steering wheel when braking, the cause is almost always rotor thickness variation, runout, or both. Nissan explains it this way:

• Thickness variation: the two rotor faces are not flat and parallel, so the pads move in and out as they follow the high and low spots. That motion feeds back through the caliper pistons into the pedal.
• Runout: the rotor is not running true to the hub. The pads touch one spot on each side every revolution even with the brakes off, and over time that wears the rotor unevenly and creates thickness variation.

Nissan also names two causes owners can control:

• Storage. A car that sits, which describes plenty of weekend 350Zs, rusts on the rotor area not covered by the pads. The rusted and clean areas grip differently, and the bulletin says this can cause judder even after the rust wears off.
• Lug nut over-torque. Hammering lug nuts on with an impact wrench is a known contributor. Torque the lug nuts by hand to the value in the factory service manual, in a star pattern.

Nissan's own repair for judder is to turn the rotors with an approved on-car brake lathe. For a DIY owner, replacing the rotors is the practical equivalent, but new rotors need to be installed correctly or the problem comes back: clean the hub face of rust so the rotor sits fully flat, and check runout with a dial indicator. Nissan measures runout 10 mm (0.39 in) in from the rotor edge and indexes the rotor one stud position at a time until it finds the lowest reading, using 40 ft-lbs on the lug nuts for that indexing check only. The runout limit itself is in the factory service manual for your car.

The Fix and What to Replace Together

Match the repair to the noise:

Replace pads in axle sets, both sides together. Inspect caliper pistons and dust boots while the pads are out, and make sure the calipers are installed correctly and moving freely, which Nissan also lists as a check for poor pedal feel. If the fluid is dark or the pedal feels soft, bleeding the system with fresh fluid of the type printed on the master cylinder cap is a sensible add-on. Browse our full brake parts selection, or ceramic brake pads if low dust and low noise matter more to you than track bite.

Finish every pad job with a bed-in. Nissan's procedure: drive at about 30 mph, bring the car to a complete stop with medium pedal effort so the stop takes 3 to 5 seconds, then drive about one minute at 30 mph without stopping to cool the brakes. Repeat 10 times. Power Stop points out that skipping or cutting short the break-in is itself a common cause of noise.

Difficulty: a pad and rotor job on a 350Z is a moderate driveway job with basic hand tools, a torque wrench and jack stands. Rotor replacement on either package means removing the caliper, so take your time with bolt torque on reassembly and use the factory service manual values.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my 350Z brakes squeak only in the morning?

A squeak on the first few cold stops is normal according to Nissan and needs no service. Overnight moisture also leaves a light layer of rust on the rotors that the pads wipe off in the first few stops.

Are my 350Z rotors warped if the pedal pulses?

The pulse comes from rotor thickness variation or runout. Rust from storage, over-torqued lug nuts and a rotor not seated flat on a rusty hub all contribute. New or resurfaced rotors installed on a clean hub with correct lug torque fix it.

Do Brembo and non-Brembo 350Z pads interchange?

No. The Brembo package uses four-piston front and two-piston rear calipers with larger pads and rotors. Confirm which calipers your car has before ordering.

What does grinding from the front brakes mean?

Most often the pads are worn to the backing plate and metal is contacting the rotor. Stop driving on it and replace the pads and rotors on that axle.

How do I bed in new brakes on a 350Z?

Nissan's procedure is ten cycles of a medium-effort stop from about 30 mph taking 3 to 5 seconds, each followed by about a minute of driving at 30 mph to cool the brakes.

Sources

1. Nissan bulletin NTB00-033I, Brake Noise/Judder/Pedal Feel Diagnosis and Repair (NHTSA) - normal vs abnormal noises, judder causes, rotor indexing, burnish procedure
2. Nissan USA, 2006 350Z Coupe and Roadster Press Kit - four-wheel vented discs, ABS/EBD/BA, Brembo trims and piston counts
3. Power Stop, What Causes Brake Squeal and How to Solve It - wear indicator thickness, pad clips, lubrication, break-in