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Groaning/creaking sound when releasing brake pedal

Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 125,000 MILES
I have this weird groaning/creaking sound whenever I slowly release my foot off the brake pedal, it makes this groaning sound. I have been having this issue for about a year now. I installed new brake pads, calipers and rotors in the front about three months ago. New brake drums were installed at Firestone about a year ago. What is this?
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Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 12:05 AM

26 Replies

Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,461 POSTS
If you mean the sound like an old hinge, that is the sound of the bellows on the brake booster and the pivots on the brake pedal as it moves. You might try spraying the brake pivots with a bit of white lithium grease and spray the rod and bellows with some silicone spray.
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Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 5:33 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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Is the brake booster right behind the brake pedal in the firewall or where exactly is that located? Also the bellows?
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Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 7:57 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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And you are referring to the tie rods correct?
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-1
Friday, May 4th, 2018 AT 7:57 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
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The booster parts to lube will be up under the dash. There will be a pivot point part way up the brake pedal where the actuator rod connects, then another at the top of the pedal. The rod part way up goes into the brake booster bellows.
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+5
Saturday, May 5th, 2018 AT 1:29 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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Well I went ahead and sprayed the joints and pivots with a bunch of lithium grease, sprayed the stuffing out of the rubber rod boot with silicone spray just today. I also forgot to mention that I had the full set of shocks and struts replaced a few months ago, ever since then, the brake pedal sunk in a bit more than usual, I am guessing it is because of the rear struts being replaced and the brake line needing to be disconnected, thus some air entering into it. Also, whenever I drive over bumps while pressing the brake pedal, the pedal will kind of push back at my foot, do you think that is the brake booster or simply air in the brake lines?
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2018 AT 9:20 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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I will hear how the brake pedal sounds tomorrow morning since I have not driven the car after lubricating everything, and I will also bleed the brake lines.
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2018 AT 9:24 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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So I drove to work this morning and took a few videos of me slowly moving my foot off the brake pedal. This first video is a few minutes out of the driveway when I came to a stop, you can clearly hear the groaning noise coming from the brake pedal area.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 7:03 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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In this second video, the groaning noise drastically dropped, this was taken literally only a few minutes after the first video after a couple of stops. Also, lots of creaking coming from the brake pedal whenever I step down on it. It seems as if though after some driving, the groaning noise that is produced from slowly releasing the pedal, goes away.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 7:06 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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I think I might just have to replace the brake booster.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 7:06 AM
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
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The creaking is not from the booster, it sounds like the upper pedal bushing. The sort of hiss that you hear is the valving on the booster as it lets air in to create the assisting force. If it has been driven a while with the various points rubbing it may take removing the brake pedal to get the lube in where it is needed. It is also possible the bushing in the pedal is damaged after fifteen years.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 4:20 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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So I would need to replace the bushing in the pedal? Is there a part number for that? And how hard is the job?
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 4:37 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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It depends on which pedal assembly you actually have. Some the pin can be removed and the pedal arm removed to work on it. Others are welded and not repairable. You should be able to see the pivots if you look at the top of the brake pedal arm. If it has adjustable pedals it will be repairable. Fixed pedals, you have to remove the pedal assembly and replace it. However, Ford does not show parts for either one so you would end up with used parts most likely. I think I would try a bit more lube first.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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Sorry for the super late response. I still have this issue with the brake pedal. Really loud groaning noise when slowly releasing, I have the sprayed the metal joints and entire assembly with chain lubricant and also white lithium grease. I found a pedal assembly on eBay but I just wanted to show you the picture to find out what specific parts I need to lubricate. If I did not mention it before, probably five months ago I replaced the front disc, pads and calipers and the rear drum brakes were completely replaced at Firestone a little over a year ago. I have had the issue for over a year now.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2018 AT 9:19 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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I have been reading plenty of forums very similar to my symptoms and a lot of people are saying this is normal, or it could be lack of grease/lubricant on the metal plate behind the brake pads that make contact with the caliper. I put silicone grease on these when I installed my pads not too long ago, but the noise has been present, like I said, for over a year.
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2018 AT 9:47 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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If you have someone set in the car, close the door and step on and release the brakes can you hear the noise outside? How about if you set in the car and with the engine off, pump the brakes to use up the vacuum in the booster. Does the sound still occur? If not start the car with your foot on the brake and listen as the vacuum refills the booster, then let the pedal up fast, what do you hear?
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Thursday, September 6th, 2018 AT 8:00 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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The noise only happens when the car is in drive, not park or neutral, and you can hear it from outside but you can also hear it very clearly from the inside as if it is literally coming from below the steering wheel, you can feel the groaning, it is definitely coming from the front of the car.
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Thursday, September 6th, 2018 AT 8:46 AM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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People in the forums I was reading were having the same issue, that the noise only occurred when the car was in drive, or in motion, and that this was simply the brakes stopping the car from moving so that is why it makes the groaning noise, that it is “normal”. But I have had this car over two years now, this problem started about a year ago.
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Thursday, September 6th, 2018 AT 8:47 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
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It sounds like the brake pedal pivot it dry or you have a sub frame that is cracked. Can you get a flashlight and look up under the dash to see if you can tell if something is moving more than it should? It does not make sense that it does not to it in drive or reverse, strange.
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Saturday, September 8th, 2018 AT 12:42 PM
Tiny
JGONZO2398
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It only makes the groaning noise when in drive, not in reverse, that is the weird part.
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Saturday, September 8th, 2018 AT 12:46 PM
Tiny
STEVE W.
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Ken, that was my first thought, had him lube the pivots, still noisy. However, if you can hear it outside the car and feel it as well I would look at the sub-frame mounts where they bolt to the rest of the chassis. It could be the bushings are shot and the groaning is the sub-frame shifting in relation to the rest of the chassis as the car moves.
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Saturday, September 8th, 2018 AT 6:24 PM

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