Passenger side rear brake noise

April 22, 2017, 02:30:06 AM

The passenger side rear brake on my '85 T-Bird has made noise ever since I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. I've replaced everything (drum, shoes, hardware, and wheel cylinder) over the course of the time I've owned it and it still makes noise. It's always been kind of a grinding/chirping noise, sounding like the lining isn't even and it's only hitting the high spots. The problem is that it made that noise with the old components and it still does it with new ones. I replaced the drums and shoes last week, and when I took the old drum off, there was a lot of brake dust inside the drum. I took the driver's side drum off to compare, and there was no dust to speak of. It seems to me like there is something hanging up, but I don't know what it could be. The entire rear braking setup has less than 3000 miles on the hardware and wheel cylinders, and the drums and shoes have less than 100 miles on them. Any advice on tracking down a mystery noise would be greatly appreciated.

Passenger side rear brake noise

Reply #1 – April 27, 2017, 08:51:22 AM

Sounds like the e-brake is dragging. Check your e-brake cable by disconnecting it from the rear brake assembly and then where it connects to the front cable that goes to the e-brake pedal. The cable should slide easily inside the sheath. That is about the only thing left I can thing of other than you having a bent axle but that could be checked with a dial indicator for run out.

Passenger side rear brake noise

Reply #2 – April 28, 2017, 02:32:42 AM

Thanks! I hadn't thought of the e-brake.