PSA: A pebble between the brake rotor and the dust shield sounds terrible
I was driving home today and I heard a super loud screeching sound. It was so loud that I thought it was a garage truck or something. So I rolled down my window to hear it better.
Lo and behold, that screeching was coming from my car. I pulled into a parking lot to make sure nothing was obviously wrong or hanging from the car.
I was only a few hundred yards from home so I kept it slow and went home.
After a quick internet search, my first place to inspect was between the dust shield and the brake rotor. Since I was home in the garage, I pulled the wheel and took the opportunity to clean the wheel. and sure enough, there was a little stone lodged between the brake rotor and the dust shield!
If this happens to anyone else, the easier solution is to drive backwards at low speeds and tap the brakes.