I think there'* possible merit on the cross reference idea.

Do you have a receipt or part number that was supplied to you. I'll say it again...Napa bearings are good bearings.

A brake like grinding noise can be from a bad bearing... however it doesn't mean that it is from them.

I assume you checked inner and outter pads on all four wheels?

Don't have the part #'* handy as this took place about 3 months back and I've been just living with the problem. It is intermittant, however very annoying when it is active. I also was quite pissed to replace a steering rack on the recommendation of the local dealer with absolutly no result. Now that I've simmered down a bit I may just try the NAPA route again (different branch) and see what happens. The bearings are fairly easy to replace so I don't mind the time, it'* the money. I've checked the pads at all 4 corners and all seems good, but I guess a faulty pad isn't impossible. I have often wondered if a piece of grit or stone isn't trapped or imbedded in the pad, but again I've inspected the pads multiple times with no apparant problem. Might just replace pads at the same time, of course than I won't know difinitively what the root cause was.

I just started getting that same noise at low speed braking. Just like you, just sometimes. I'm writing it off to cheap pad replacements I did a couple of months ago. I did not have the noise before replacing the pads. My noise is more like a groaning sound. When I first hear the noise if I apply the brakes harder the noise goes away...... agian, only on light braking. How long have you had the pads?

Hi Ted, my pads are probably 1 year old now. It very well might be bad pads, but if the pads were in fact defective enough to cause the grinding noise, you'd think that the rotors would also show signs of degredation due to bad pads?

<<you'd think that the rotors would also show signs of degredation due to bad pads?>>

Not necessarily. The rotors are a heck of a lot tougher than the pads. I'm just thinking that the pads are doing a slip/grap on the rotor surface when they are in mild contact. Not enough to really mess the pads up, but enough to make a heck of a racket when conditions are right. Do you experience the grinding noise when you press hard on the brakes? I'll bet not because the pads are so tight against the rotor that the pads have no play left to create the vibration you feel when braking lightly. Just a hunch. I've also noticed, especially in damp or wet weather, when I'm backing up slowly (like when backing out of a parking space in a shopping center parking lot) and slightly apply the brakes, those rear pads can set up a hellacious moaning noise. Not all the time though. Just like the front pads the conditions must be right.

I got the pads at AutoZone. I think they are crap because:
1. The moaning, groaning, and scraping sounds.
2. Pad wear is ferocious. I get black dust like crazy on those chrome wheels and I noticed just today, while checking a wheel bearing, that the front pads are wearing even and smooth but after 10k miles they appear to be wearing down an awful lot.
3. The rear pads are a little two narrow for the rotor width. I have about 3/16" of rotor on the outside that the pads don't even touch. I figure that is about a 10% loss in braking efficiency even though the brakes seem to grab really well.