What! AGAIN? I don't even want to look...

[YukonRog]

So, not too long ago I replaced the parking brake shoes and used the upgraded hardware. Wife says the right rear wheel is making noise again. What the heck now? The new hardware is supposed to keep the shoes from flopping off the backing plate and rubbing inside the drum. This will be the 3rd time I've gone in there. What can it be now? Last time I popped an intercostal rib and couldn't take a deep breath for a week! Those bolts are a pain. Even using the flame wrench on them!

 

[OR VietVet]

Do you need a WAHHHHHHMBULANCE!

Get a look and tell us what you find, with pics please.

 

[YukonRog]

Do you need a WAHHHHHHMBULANCE!

Get a look and tell us what you find, with pics please.

Funny. I guess I do. Or maybe I could I could just drive myself to my next breakdown in my own pitymobile. I'll get to it here in few days when the temps drop. Seeing as how she's commandeered my truck! Whiner out!

 

[YukonRog]

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. What does this mean?

 

[OR VietVet]

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. What does this mean?

I am guessing that is a rear wheel but that is end play on the axle shaft. Does not sound like too much. If is the rear axle, you are hearing the C clip, at the end of the axle, being seated and unseated in it's happy place in the gears.

 

[YukonRog]

I am guessing that is a rear wheel but that is end play on the axle shaft. Does not sound like too much. If is the rear axle, you are hearing the C clip, at the end of the axle, being seated and unseated in it's happy place in the gears.

Yes, that's a rear wheel. I was hoping that was just normal slop on the axle. I can't get any movement up, down, or sideways. Just in and out. Just starting to look at things. U Joints all seem tight too. Problem is I'm nearly deaf. My wife hears things I don't. Found the other rear wheel was "clicking" according to her. Turned out to be a loose center cap! I have parts coming in this week but the brake resetting tool isn't due until Thursday. She swears it started acting up after I changed the parking brake shoes. I drive it and it seems fine. Jacked it up and when going from neutral to drive it made some noise and did some jumping. Pressed the parking brake during wheel spin and it never did it again. So, still think something came loose inside the "hat". But this time I'm using the resetting tool! What's the measurement difference I need? I heard 25 thousands. But that's not much.

 

[TollKeeper]

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer. What does this mean?

Video Removed?

 

[OR VietVet]

Yes, that's a rear wheel. I was hoping that was just normal slop on the axle. I can't get any movement up, down, or sideways. Just in and out. Just starting to look at things. U Joints all seem tight too. Problem is I'm nearly deaf. My wife hears things I don't. Found the other rear wheel was "clicking" according to her. Turned out to be a loose center cap! I have parts coming in this week but the brake resetting tool isn't due until Thursday. She swears it started acting up after I changed the parking brake shoes. I drive it and it seems fine. Jacked it up and when going from neutral to drive it made some noise and did some jumping. Pressed the parking brake during wheel spin and it never did it again. So, still think something came loose inside the "hat". But this time I'm using the resetting tool! What's the measurement difference I need? I heard 25 thousands. But that's not much.

I have had center cap noises before and they come and go at times. I hate noises like that. When you say this, "when going from neutral to drive it made some noise and did some jumping.", what is the "IT"? Any noises that are coming from a vehicle jacked up would be different than when on the ground. Not by much but the noises can be different. The noise is likely just the engagement of torque as the gear slop is gone from being in neutral and then to any gear. When suspended, parts will flex more from hanging from springs.

Also, unless it is bad enough to see or feel when installed, some bad u-joints cannot be found till you drop the driveshaft.

 

[YukonRog]

Video Removed?

Yeah I haven't figured all this stuff out yet so I guess I accidentally deleted it. Ill try to post it again.

 

[YukonRog]

I have had center cap noises before and they come and go at times. I hate noises like that. When you say this, "when going from neutral to drive it made some noise and did some jumping.", what is the "IT"? Any noises that are coming from a vehicle jacked up would be different than when on the ground. Not by much but the noises can be different. The noise is likely just the engagement of torque as the gear slop is gone from being in neutral and then to any gear. When suspended, parts will flex more from hanging from springs.

Also, unless it is bad enough to see or feel when installed, some bad u-joints cannot be found till you drop the driveshaft.

Sorry. By "it" I meant the left rear wheel. Since I couldn't repeat it I didn't video it. I've taken an 18" pry bar and tried to make the U Joints move and they were solid. I don't think they're a problem. And yes, going from reverse to neutral and then to drive there's the usual wrap take up in the entire drive train. At least I think it's normal. With the vehicle lifted and the wheels turning if I partially engage the parking brake the wheel stutters and jerks. But fully engaging the parking brake will bring it to a stop. I think that's normal too.

 

[OR VietVet]

I really don't think you are going to find a problem in the park brake area, again IMO.

 

[YukonRog]

Well here's the complaint. My wife claims there's a grunting noise that sounds like it comes from the right rear wheel. Usually after she drives up and down a long winding road with several sharp turns and stops. The way down has a long downhill stretch and I'm sure she rides the brakes on the way down. Then she says it feels like "something" is dragging and holding it back. Enough so the mileage noticeably suffers. She was pulling out of the driveway one day and yelled "you hear that?" What I heard sounded like the brakes being barely applied after the discs have gotten dirty or rusty. Basically, brake groan. I can't duplicate it. But like I mentioned, I can't hear anything! Brake pads, rotors, and calipers all appear in good shape. I even just serviced the caliper guide pins. Cleaned them all up and relubed them with silicone brake grease. I can force the calipers in without a great deal of pressure too. I don't think I have a choice but to look into the parking brake shoes again.

 

[OR VietVet]

I am not saying not to look, I was going to say, make sure you look no matter what my guess is. Pics if can

 

[YukonRog]

I am not saying not to look, I was going to say, make sure you look no matter what my guess is. Pics if can

I'll look. And take pics. What should I set the shoes at in comparison to the drum? I've watched a lot of videos where they just adjust them to where they partially drag. To me now it seems they're getting hot and dragging.

 

[OR VietVet]

I would set it for a light drag and see where it goes if you then park on a grade and see if will hold solidly in neutral. You may have to adjust to a sweet spot but it is what it is.

 

[YukonRog]

I would set it for a light drag and see where it goes if you then park on a grade and see if will hold solidly in neutral. You may have to adjust to a sweet spot but it is what it is.

Yeah "it is" a bad design. LOL!
But I got one of those resetting tools. Figured I give that a try. What feels like a light drag to one person is different to another. It holds on a hill now but it may be tight enough to drag and heat everything up

 

[YukonRog]

Update. Spent a couple hours this morning pulling the rear wheels and brake assemblies off. Everything looks fine. The only thing I could comment on is the rotors and tophat drums looked a little heat glazed. I expected to find the new upgraded hold down clips broken or something. But nothing. I did use my new brake resetting tool though and I gotta say I liked it. It took all the guess work out. I set the brake shoes about 1/16" under the size of the drum. It all works fine. The only thing I can think is she's hearing brake groan when they are barely applied. But she's been driving this since 2005 so you'd think she'd know all the little quirks by now!

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, I was just not thinking you were going to find anything major. Glad it was still all together. Any time you pull down brakes like that, if you see a glaze or heat marks you can use sand paper and even better if you have something that would spin it, and clean up those surfaces. Make doubly sure that you use brake clean and very clean rags/towels to wipe clean several times to remove the little tiny bits of metal that is removed by the sandpaper. That stuff will imbed in the friction material and ruin them.

 

[YukonRog]

Yea, I was just not thinking you were going to find anything major. Glad it was still all together. Any time you pull down brakes like that, if you see a glaze or heat marks you can use sand paper and even better if you have something that would spin it, and clean up those surfaces. Make doubly sure that you use brake clean and very clean rags/towels to wipe clean several times to remove the little tiny bits of metal that is removed by the sandpaper. That stuff will imbed in the friction material and ruin them.

I have small disc that I can attach any kind of abrasive to and I use that in a drill so it makes kind of a swirl mark. And O'Reilly's sells the least expensive brake cleaner. I always buy several cans at a time. And my German Shorthaired Pointer is great for providing me household bath towels for the shop. For some reason she thinks every towel needs a tug of war. LOL!

 

[OR VietVet]

I have small disc that I can attach any kind of abrasive to and I use that in a drill so it makes kind of a swirl mark. And O'Reilly's sells the least expensive brake cleaner. I always buy several cans at a time. And my German Shorthaired Pointer is great for providing me household bath towels for the shop. For some reason she thinks every towel needs a tug of war. LOL!

When I was running shops I had to tell several techs to make sure they clean those freshly turned rotors/drums with brake clean and clean rags. I don't even install new rotors without a swirl finish and a thorough cleaning. I also scuff the friction material, very very lightly, and again clean with brake clean. Scuffed/cleaned surfaces, IMO, seat better when you do the first road test.