Grinding noise from passenger rear brake

[sdgdf]

In the past week I've suddenly noticed a grinding noise coming from the passenger drum. It only happens when using the brakes, and only if I've been braking hard, like in traffic and the brakes are hot. Its not a constant noise, sounds like its a certain spot as it rotates? If I use the e-brake it doesn't make the noise, and if I use the e-brake to come to a stop from like 30+ mph the noise stops for a few hours.

Any ideas before I take it apart and see? I really doubt the shoes are worn. My car has 120k on it but the front pads have around 40% life left and I'd expect the rear shoes to last longer than the pads.

 

[TitanBlue]

Drum Brake Failure - Possible Cause

If the brake cable stretched or broke, the brakes may have applied while driving. A Spring could have broken at the Shoes. Drum brakes are spring loaded. This happened to the parking brake on my truck, the cable end broke inside the drum system. My truck uses a separate drum parking brake system, not the the normal rear disc for Parking brake application. Ended up the drivers side was completely gone. Shiny Metal to Metal contact. The heat damaged my axle seal as well.

You've gone incredibly far on the OEM front and rear. It would probably be a safe bet, to purchase rear drum, pads, hardware and be ready to simply replace it all. It's very affordable. Best to do brakes on both sides every time.

 

[sdgdf]

If the brake cable stretched or broke, the brakes may have applied while driving. A Spring could have broken at the Shoes. Drum brakes are spring loaded. This happened to the parking brake on my truck, the cable end broke inside the drum system. My truck uses a separate drum parking brake system, not the the normal rear disc for Parking brake application. Ended up the drivers side was completely gone. Shiny Metal to Metal contact. The heat damaged my axle seal as well.

You've gone incredibly far on the OEM front and rear. It would probably be a safe bet, to purchase rear drum, pads, hardware and be ready to simply replace it all. It's very affordable. Best to do brakes on both sides every time.

Maybe, but even with me considering doing pads recently I was going to avoid doing the rear brakes as I didn’t think they were worn. Then this started.

Sure they don’t just need lubing or something? Seems odd that I’d be something like a lost spring considering the symptoms:

-noise is only when brake pedal is applied
-only when brakes are hot
-but doesn’t do it with the ebrake applied
-ebrake feels no different from before, would think would notice only half of it working

To me it seems like a shoe delaminating or it all needing grease or something.

I also read in another thread that there’s a bulletin out for the Cruze on noisy rear brakes?

 

[TitanBlue]

E Brake only applies one half of the shoes. 2 shoes per side, but just one of the shoes is used for parking. So, it may not make the noise of normal application. And it would not change sound if applying just the E brake. A loose spring could dig in depending on where it falls.

Best thing to do is open it up and see what the facts are. Brakes, even rear drum, are critical to personal and public safety. Not a thing to theorize too long. I'd encourage you to just go ahead pull the drums and see. It's pretty fast and easy to do.

By opening mine, I saw the broken cable end and knew what additional parts I would need to fix it. Also saw the seal leaking. Fortunately, my E Brake was totally separate from normal braking, but it ended up almost locking the axle. Eyes on, is the path to take.