The Grinding was coming from the cracks in the pads. The cracks are there because they got hot. Those pads appear to be 90% gone. For some reason I was thinking you lived off of Hwy 60 or in that area anyway Highway or not the mountains put a lot more stress on the brakes than living in Joisey or floriduh. I'm not going to get to pissy with a dealer over a forty dollar set of brake pads. I'll save that for when there is a real legitamate defect in the car, not one that is a product of the enviroment it is used in. Again JMO
Yeah, thats more of a northern thing... Not a whole lot of rust induced brake noises in the southeast, especially on a car that see's 28K miles in 18 month's.
really, living in a mountain area? thats actually pretty good, i prefer factory pads, but overheating glazing cause noises, its a product of semi metallic pads
It actually states to inspect the braking system and reject if: the bonded brake pad material is less than 2/32" at the thinnest spot.
If I remember correctly, Toyota has a part number for the brake pads and a second part number for the shim kit, anti squeal. It is helpful to install this kit to quiet the brakes.
Pretty sure all the Toyota's come from the factory with the shim kit installed. Thats normally only a issue after they have been to budget brakes for the 15.99 lifetime brake special.
Only because you have based your perception of what is "normal" from living in a area where the biggest hill's you ever see are overpasses on the interstate.
We sometimes see where the pad will wear its own trail in the rotor (across the whole swept area) and on the very outside will cause ridges, inside and outside, from wearing into the rotor so much. This doesnt take much and its not rust, but can make a hell of a noise. I assume the pad moves and slides up against the ridge here and there and causes the noise.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSuENlYD2dzd4Grvi3d27kjYVQPburti0ajQRyCMiKY6VHG8YnrYHMbXZEzTg
Yep! I hate those shops that throw away the shims when they put their lifetime pads on. Fwiw- Toyota does offer just pads, and a kit with the shims as well.
This is a 08 RAV4 we just had in, the pads are probably about the same wear as the OP's at 34k. Best pic I could get with my cell but you can see the ridge. It's probably 3-4mm above the rotor surface. I'd look for a shiny spot on the bottom of the pads somewhere? Unfortunately many aftermarket pads have a backing design that cannot accept the stock shims.
I think it's funny people are talking about normal with brakes. I've known people who go through brakes in 20k miles in the flatlands. I've known others in the same exact vehicle go 70k. It's all in how you drive along with the terrain.