Wedge TR8 Rear Brake Squeal

[GBRandy]

It is a banner day in Green Bay. The TR8 is on the road for 2009. Although a forecasted Saturday snowstorm may delay future drives. :frown:

I have a lingering issue with a squeal in the rear bakes...at least i think it is in the rears. Sure sounds that way.

The brake pads in the rear were replaced about three seasons ago. Late last fall they started squeaking but after a few applications of the pedal, they would stop....not anymore. They squeak constantly....

What can cause that...and how does one eliminate it?

 

[kodanja]

Do your Drums need to be turned?

Make sure theres enough meat on them, or you may have to replace them like I did.

LINK

 

[bgbassplyr]

You might try:

1. Pull the drums and derust them, if there is any rust. Take the glaze off by lightly sanding the brake surface on the drum.

2. Using a grinding wheel, angle grinder, belt sander, or bastard file, slightly bevel the leading edge of the brake lining. This squeel is sometimes caused by a harmonic set up by the vibration of the lining on the drum, much like finger nails on a black board. Beveling the lining changes the angle of attack between the shoe and drum, stopping the vibration, thus the squeel. Clean the brake lining with rattle can brake cleaner and remove any glaze found on the lining.

 

[GBRandy]

Excellent suggestions. Thanks. Never thought about having to have the drums turned...or the pads needing a bit of tending.

I'll work on that next.

Thanks!

 

[DNK]

WD 40

The rear brakes do squat on these cars anyway.

 

[chrisc]

I've got the same problem on mine. I replaced the shoes but not the drums. It was ok for a few hundred miles but is now back. The squeal only starts when I've driven the car for awhile (20 minutes or so). The squeal will go away when I slightly press the brake, but comes back quickly. I took a drum once to the local auto parts store, and he said the drum was close to the "run-out" point (but the car only has 50k miles on it). Cutting a bevel in the leading edge of the shoe has some promise. I'll give that a try also.

The five speed drums seem hard to get and expensive, am I right about that?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[bgbassplyr]

Cris,

If the brakes squeel with your foot off the pedal, you will want to back off the adjuster a little (1/4 turn at a time) until the squeel stops. This type of squeel may indicate shoes are dragging slightly. If you have a place that you can drive w/o applying the brakes, start with a cold brake drum, drive a few miles and see if the drum has gotten warm. That would be another indicator of shoe drag.

Do both drums squeel? Does the drum have a lot of brake dust in it?

You could also check that the shoes are sitting squarely on the pivots and wheel cylinders and that neither are bent or misalighned. Also check the drum for out of round.

Let us know what you find.

Jim

 

[DNK]

Change your axle to a Ford disk brake one.

 

[GBRandy]

Change your axle to a Ford disk brake one.

4 wheel drive too?

 

[Mark Jones]

Cris,

If the brakes squeel with your foot off the pedal, you will want to back off the adjuster a little (1/4 turn at a time) until the squeel stops. Jim

The 5 speed rear end has automatic adjusting brake shoes; no manual adjuster.

 

[chrisc]

Jim, thanks for the suggestions, I did see a fair bit of brake dust when I took the drums off to replace the pads. Put new springs and hardware on (including cylinders)....pretty sure both are squealing now when driven for awhile.

Mark, yep -- no adjusters!

Chris