Re: Re-installing rear brake drums

Posted by ScottG On 2023/7/24 17:55:59

I'm reviving this thread as I've about run out of ideas to address the grinding of the rear brake shoe against the drum that I mentioned in my original post.

What I've done so far:

1) Checked width of brake shoe and found it to be a 2" shoe with normal wear comparable to the left rear shoe.

2) Adjusted the brakes and test drove the car. Car stops straight and in a reasonable distance but with no improvement in the grinding noise.

3) Performed rear bearing service which included new bearings, races and seals. I set the end play to .0045" with a .024" shim stack on the right and a .020" shim stack on the left. (With the original bearings the stacks of shims were .010" on the right and .025" on the left.)

4) New return springs and hold down hardware were installed while performing the rear end service. Only the adjuster spring was re-used because I couldn't find the correct replacement.

5)Installed new rubber hoses all around, rebuilt all wheel cylinders and cleaned out all hard lines. Brake fluid was flushed and new DOT3 added. Brakes were again adjusted and then the parking brake slack was taken up.

AND THE GRINDING REMAINS....nothing about the nature of the grinding has changed one iota. It still sounds the same and still occurs at speeds above 25-30 mph and almost exclusively when engaged in straight-line braking. It doesn't seem to impact braking competence at all as the car pulls down straight and confidently...just with that awful sound when the edge of the bottom of the secondary brake shoe touches the underside of the brake drum.

The only things I've haven't changed are the drum and the shoes (which don't show much wear). So other than pulling the drum and taking it to someone who can determine if it's warped in some way, I am out of ideas here.

I'm hoping that a fresh set of eyes can give me some ideas. The car was braking fine prior to this issue cropping up and I'm hoping I'm not the only one out there that has run into this.