Dragging rear brake
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,226
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
Dragging rear brake
I have a base model '08. I've heard a fairly quiet, speed sensitive wish, wish, wish sound that I've narrowed down to the passenger wheel. After a drive, the passenger brake hub is 8-10 deg f hotter than the driver side. The wheel bearing is tight and quiet when spun by hand.
So, my best guess right now is that a brake pad or shoe is dragging.
At 78k miles, there was some gunk in the em brake. I cleaned it out.
The pads are good--GM ceramic. 1 side of the rotor is scored significantly with a ridge around the outside edge. After reassembly, the sound is reduced but not gone.
What would be the cure for a tight brake?
The only thing I can think of is to exercise the piston in and out a few times.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
So, my best guess right now is that a brake pad or shoe is dragging.
At 78k miles, there was some gunk in the em brake. I cleaned it out.
The pads are good--GM ceramic. 1 side of the rotor is scored significantly with a ridge around the outside edge. After reassembly, the sound is reduced but not gone.
What would be the cure for a tight brake?
The only thing I can think of is to exercise the piston in and out a few times.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
I have a base model '08. I've heard a fairly quiet, speed sensitive wish, wish, wish sound that I've narrowed down to the passenger wheel. After a drive, the passenger brake hub is 8-10 deg f hotter than the driver side. The wheel bearing is tight and quiet when spun by hand.
So, my best guess right now is that a brake pad or shoe is dragging.
At 78k miles, there was some gunk in the em brake. I cleaned it out.
The pads are good--GM ceramic. 1 side of the rotor is scored significantly with a ridge around the outside edge. After reassembly, the sound is reduced but not gone.
What would be the cure for a tight brake?
The only thing I can think of is to exercise the piston in and out a few times.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
So, my best guess right now is that a brake pad or shoe is dragging.
At 78k miles, there was some gunk in the em brake. I cleaned it out.
The pads are good--GM ceramic. 1 side of the rotor is scored significantly with a ridge around the outside edge. After reassembly, the sound is reduced but not gone.
What would be the cure for a tight brake?
The only thing I can think of is to exercise the piston in and out a few times.
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,631
Show me a photo of the rotors, and if we are talking Rear, then E brake drum sides as well.
Hence if you have enough meat on the rotors, they can be turned, and regarding the E drum on the rears, they really don't need to be fully turned, but if they have an entry lips to them, then the drum sides can be turned to just remove the lips. Hence lip needs to be removed so you can adjust the rear E shoes correctly, which requires to to install and remove the rotors a few times.
Since the rear E brake does not have an auto adjuster, you really need to adjust the E shoes by hand.
Hence jack up the rear end, pull the calipers, start on once side of the car, install the rotor and turn it one full turn one way, then one full turn back the other way, which listing for the E shoe pads making any contact to the drum. If no contact (light hiss noise in a spot of two) adjust the adjuster to open the shoe a little more, put the rotor back on, and do the rotor turn test with listening again. Hence you want the E brake to make the hiss noise in a spot of two as you are rotating the rotor by hand for the turn and back, then from this point your going to click the adjust back closed about a 203 clicks. Once you have one side down, go to the outer side and adjust T e shoe correctly as well.
Once both sides are adjusted correctly and rotors on both side, go pull the e Brake lever slowly and count the clicks. you should be between 10~12 clicks, and trying to get the 13 click should feel like your going to dislocate your shoulder. After the click count, put the lever back down and go spin the rotors one more time to make sure that the pads are not contacting the drums (no hissing noise as you spin them).
Hence if you have enough meat on the rotors, they can be turned, and regarding the E drum on the rears, they really don't need to be fully turned, but if they have an entry lips to them, then the drum sides can be turned to just remove the lips. Hence lip needs to be removed so you can adjust the rear E shoes correctly, which requires to to install and remove the rotors a few times.
Since the rear E brake does not have an auto adjuster, you really need to adjust the E shoes by hand.
Hence jack up the rear end, pull the calipers, start on once side of the car, install the rotor and turn it one full turn one way, then one full turn back the other way, which listing for the E shoe pads making any contact to the drum. If no contact (light hiss noise in a spot of two) adjust the adjuster to open the shoe a little more, put the rotor back on, and do the rotor turn test with listening again. Hence you want the E brake to make the hiss noise in a spot of two as you are rotating the rotor by hand for the turn and back, then from this point your going to click the adjust back closed about a 203 clicks. Once you have one side down, go to the outer side and adjust T e shoe correctly as well.
Once both sides are adjusted correctly and rotors on both side, go pull the e Brake lever slowly and count the clicks. you should be between 10~12 clicks, and trying to get the 13 click should feel like your going to dislocate your shoulder. After the click count, put the lever back down and go spin the rotors one more time to make sure that the pads are not contacting the drums (no hissing noise as you spin them).
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,226
Likes: 643
From: Orange County Ca
