after months of searching (and waiting to sell my Subaru WRX) i finally purchase my first vette in the form of a 99 FRC. the first few days of driving were fine, no unusual noises, but now i am hearing a squeaky noise coming from the rear of the car. im thinking its the brakes but i wanted to get some input on other possibilities. all feedback is welcome.

 

Without any description of what causes the squeeks, the best I can do is tell you it's coming from those "doodads that hold the thingie".

 

i apologize for not being too descriptive on my first post. the squeak comes from the rear of the car as i come to a complete stop pressing on my brakes of course. however as i accelerate from a complete stop, i hear the same squeak coming from the same place even without pressing on the brakes. the squeak definitely sound like a piece of metal scraping against another piece of metal. i thought it may be the brake pad sensors rubbing on the rotor that was making the noise, but i think it may be something else because the same noise comes as i accelerate. i do not hear the squeak at cruising speed above 15 mph. hope this helps for some feedback.

 

Is this a continous squeek, or does it squeek once when you (de)accelerate and then go away? If it's the latter, I suspect you had your rear subframe removed recently, possibly to do clutch, tranny, or differential work. The metallic sound would be aluminum against steel. If it is the latter, I suggest jacking up the rear end and retorque the four subframe bolts with a torque wrench. My situation was worse earlier this year when the dealership worked on my differential and didn't even torque those bolts halfway!


If it's a continous sound, chances are you just can't hear it when you drive faster. This may also be a continous intermittent sound that sounds off with each rotation of the wheel. If it happens no matter which direction (left, forwards, right) you're going, then I'd guess it's the e-brake. Have a buddy stand on each side of the vehicle as you go by to help you confirm if the sound is coming from one side only. The clip that holds it together can brake, causing it to rub against it's drub, which is also the hat for the brake rotor. I believe this breakage is usually caused by not properly releasing the e-brake before yanking off the rotor. You can check this yourself by jacking up that corner of the car and removing the brake rotor. If the e-brake hoop can fall away from the hub, then it's broken...it should be snug enough to stay next to the hub.

Another continous intermittent sound may be caused by the wheel bearings. Check it the same way you'd check the e-brake problem, but also try turning during the tests. Many people describe the sound as a growl while others describe it as a screech. You can also confirm the problem by jacking up the suspect corner, grabbing the wheel/tire and trying to wobble it in any direction. There should be NO play. If there is play, have someone watch the tie-rod for movement as you wobble it. If it's not that, it's almost certainly the wheel bearing. The wheel bearing can be purchase from the dealership for $600, or you can buy the same exact thing from Autozone for less than $150.


Anyway, post back when you can post more information. Most of these problems are easy to fix when you know what to do.


Eugene

 

thanks for input leaftye! the squeak is continuous and i can't hear it as i drive faster. first i will check the e-brake and go from there.

 

When brakes get low, the indicators you mentioned can, and will, make a continuous metal rubbing sound. In other words, when the brakes get down to a certain point, the noise does not necessarily show up only when you brake, it can be continuous.