Strange noise in rear of car...possibly a brake problem

malik641 · Mar 19, 2006

Working on a 1987 LX Notch 5.0, if that makes a difference.

Okay, here's the problem:

1. Put my car in reverse while holding the brake...so I'm in reverse but stopped.
2. Start to reverse and hit brakes when I want to stop, that's when I hear the loud noise which sounds like a deep metal-hitting-other-metal sound (sort of drowned out).
3. Put the car in drive while stopped, no noise.
4. Start driving forward (like 10 mph) and hit brakes, hear the same noise...but almost twice as loud.
5. Happens even if I coast in neutral backwards and forwards.
6. Raised the rear with a jack and 2 stands and repeated steps 1-4, replicating the noise, but it was not as loud.

I think this is a drum issue, problem is I don't know what could be causing the noise. It's as if the shoes are shifting.

Does anyone have an idea of what's going on? Or have been through this before???

Thanks in advance

malik641 · Mar 20, 2006

Also, the noise was loudest at the right rear drum. Which was also making a squeak sound after letting go of the brakes. I sprayed it with some White Lithium grease and it didn't go away, then tried WD-40 and it went away for a day.

Anyway, this couldn't have anything to do with the axle, could it???

HISSIN50 · Mar 20, 2006

Once you have initially make it do its clink thing in a given direction (i.e. you back up out of the driveway and it clinks. You drive forward down the road and it clinks). Now does it clink while going forward again or do you have to wait till you back up again to make it clink?

You can see where I'm going with this.

Good luck.

malik641 · Mar 20, 2006

HISSIN50 said:
Once you have initially make it do its clink thing in a given direction (i.e. you back up out of the driveway and it clinks. You drive forward down the road and it clinks). Now does it clink while going forward again or do you have to wait till you back up again to make it clink?

You can see where I'm going with this.

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply And I think I see where you are going with this.

Originally it would only make the noise from switching directions. But after I raised the rear and checked it that way I noticed (now) that it will still make the noise (though less apparent). But the noise is really loud when I back up and then when I brake going forward (and it is MUCH louder when I brake going forward).

HISSIN50 · Mar 20, 2006

Since it's changing/degrading, I like your idea to check the shoes. I have more experience with this kind of noise with regard to disks in the back. I could get noises like that when the calipers would load in a given direction (esp when the car was cold). Normally it was once per directional load though. FOr you, since it does it more often now, I would take a looksie at those shoes. I once had a car that somehow loaded a shoe funny (I think it was a brake-shoe-spring issue) and it wore off one corner of a shoe (the rest of the lining was pretty mint). That allowed enough slop that it would make some goofball noises in both directions at any time.

It was real apparent when I removed the drum that something was up (the way the drum came off and how that particular shoe was sitting at rest).

That's all I can think of. One of the guys who does brakes for a living might know better. Good luck and bump.

malik641 · Mar 21, 2006

HISSIN50 said:
Since it's changing/degrading, I like your idea to check the shoes. I have more experience with this kind of noise with regard to disks in the back. I could get noises like that when the calipers would load in a given direction (esp when the car was cold). Normally it was once per directional load though. FOr you, since it does it more often now, I would take a looksie at those shoes. I once had a car that somehow loaded a shoe funny (I think it was a brake-shoe-spring issue) and it wore off one corner of a shoe (the rest of the lining was pretty mint). That allowed enough slop that it would make some goofball noises in both directions at any time.

It was real apparent when I removed the drum that something was up (the way the drum came off and how that particular shoe was sitting at rest).

That's all I can think of. One of the guys who does brakes for a living might know better. Good luck and bump.

Well I took the drum off but didn't really see anything peculiar....I mean, one shoe was more worn than the other but not by much by any means. I think what I'll do is just replace the hardware again.

Thanks for the bump

I'll be posting back this weakend on the result. Thanks again

malik641 · Mar 25, 2006

Ok, well I changed the hardware (return springs & self adjusting kits) and the big noise is gone when I reverse and move forward.

BUT....I notice that when I drive forward and repeatedly hit the brakes (~5 mph) I hear a VERY low clunk in the same drum (I didn't raise the rear and closely inspect yet)....

I noticed that where the shoes were against the backing plate that they wore down the backing plate some, much more than the left side.....but I'm not sure how this could be caused. I installed the parts identical on each side (previously and this time...so I did it right). I even checked my repair manual just to double check if I installed it correctly and it's fine.

.....If no one else has any feedback then I guess I'll just report back if the noise gets worse. Thanks for the input HISSIN50

HISSIN50 · Mar 25, 2006

I have had one side sit a hair tighter against a backing plate - I dont know why it did it. I didnt want to mess with shims and stuff since it was a braking system. As I'm sure you did, I grease the contact points on the backing plate, and sometimes it seems like a fresh spring kit makes things line up better.

I really don't know why you get the low-speed clunk specifically, but I'm glad that you are able to improve the situation (I think) and ya know you are in the right neighborhood since the noises are changing.

Good luck and bump.

Mustang5L5 · Mar 25, 2006

My drums did the same thing way back in the day. I remember pulling the drum off and having peices of the drum fall out from the inside

malik641 · Mar 25, 2006

Mustang5L5 said:
My drums did the same thing way back in the day. I remember pulling the drum off and having peices of the drum fall out from the inside

Geez, what cause that problem???

HISSIN50 said:
I have had one side sit a hair tighter against a backing plate - I dont know why it did it. I didnt want to mess with shims and stuff since it was a braking system. As I'm sure you did, I grease the contact points on the backing plate, and sometimes it seems like a fresh spring kit makes things line up better.

I really don't know why you get the low-speed clunk specifically, but I'm glad that you are able to improve the situation (I think) and ya know you are in the right neighborhood since the noises are changing.

Good luck and bump.

Yeah, I really didn't want to mess with the shims either, not to mention I don't have a machinery since I moved outta my home in Jersey...

And yes, I was able to improve the situation a bit. We'll see the outcome later on in the future. Hopefully nothing will happen before I sell it (going for a 03/04 GT )...we'll see.

Strange noise in rear of car...possibly a brake problem

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