Brake “stretching rubber” sound

[Dustin]

I’ve never experienced this before, I’ve inspected the brakes and they seem to be just fine. When I depress the brake pedal the front left seems to make a sound that could only be described as stretching rubber. It’s rotational, so it occurs at a certain point with each spin of the wheel. Not sure if it could possibly be bushings or what. Any guesses?

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[Mike]

When you checked the brakes, did you check both the inner and outer pads for any abnormal wear?
You can have a very thick outer pad, while the inner pad is worn down to the metal backing, for example.
It may be that snow or ice accumulated on the wheel or wheel well and is contacting something.
Also a possible culprit is a tire defect.
In cold weather the upper strut mount could start making a stretching rubber sound but that would be related to turning the wheel, rather than braking.
The guesses could go on but your best bet is to do a thorough check of all possibilities.

This is the ETCG section on brakes including brake noises.
https://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-brake-problems

If you thoroughly inspected the brakes for anything abnormal, then a worn bushing or other suspension part could be to blame.
In areas where road salts are used, the k-frame/subframe can rot around its bushings, allowing it to shift.

These pages break down the various noise causes and how to pinpoint them
https://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/diagnosing-noises-in-your-car

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