Squeaking from rear.......

1989 Thunderbird Standard V6.

I've noticed a squeaking noise coming from somewhere in the rear of my Bird. I've noticed when the noise only occurs while driving, and the noise goes away the moment I apply the brakes. My first thought was some type of brake sensor. I know I have drums and brake shoes in the rear of my Bird. But I'm not sure if theres any sensor on the rear brake shoes. It's been over a year since I've last changed the brakes in the rear of my Bird. I plan on changing them in the next few days, but I just want to know if this squeaking noise could be something else. Anyone have any ideas?????

Thanks all, I appreciate any and all help..............

How hard are you on the brakes?! They should last 40-50 thousand miles unless you do all city driving or apply them hard all the time. A piece of grit could be lodged between the shoe and drum causing the noise. A band of rust can develop around the edge of the drum and start rubbing on the backing plate, also. Jack the rear wheels up and spin the tires and you will probably here the sound you describe coming from one side at least. If you find the shoes still have some life in them, clean them off with brake cleaner and do the same with the drums. If the drums have grooves in them, have them turned or replace them. If the drums don't need to be turned then at least make sure you knock off the rusty lip that develops with a hammer. Be sure to wear eye protection.

thanks Original 97Bird. the brakes still feel fairly hard. the only thing ive noticed with the brake pedal is that it is positioned a little lower after replacing the brake booster. but i would say it has been about 12,000 miles since ive last replaced the rear shoes. the mechanic at the shop i took my Bird to those 12,000 miles ago told me the rear shoes should be replaced every 12-15,000 miles. i would have to say, about 75% of my driving is city driving. if the shoes are worn, would it be normal considering ive driven around 12,000 miles, and 75% of those miles have been city miles?????

thanks again..

They might need to be adjusted but unless they were a real cheap set of shoes I doubt they need to be replaced. You'll find out when you remove the drums. My wife has a 95 Bird and I didn't have to do the rear brakes until 65K miles. The front brakes need to be replaced more often then the rear because they do most of the braking.

I hear you Original 97Bird. unfortunately I have no idea what type of shoes were put on my Bird. I just took it to a shop and had them work on it. but thanks, i'm going to take your advice.

Just another quick question. I've been told the front brake pads should be replaced every 6 months or 6,000 miles for the average driver. Is that about right?

Stay away from whoever is telling you this crap! They are no friend of yours but just want your money. To find someone reliable to take your car to for service, ask people in your area who they go to for service. You should be able to get 20-30,000 miles anyway on front pads unless you ride the brake or make hard stops all the time. Learn to anticapate your stops so that you apply the brakes gently several times to slow down before coming to a stop. By applying and releasing the brakes gently several times to slow the car down before coming to a stop you also don't heat up the drums or rotors as much. Overheated drums and rotors can warp which will cause a pulsating brake pedal when you apply the brakes.

OMG, I don't know what kind of mechanic would say to change brake pads every 6,000 miles. He must be a 16 year old that loves burnouts and driving 90 then slamming on the brakes. Whoever he is, I definately would not bring it to a shop that he works at. When you think about it you are paying 70 dollars an hour(or whatever the labor rate is where you are) for someone to work on your car that has no clue what he is doing

Im sorry but I agree with 'Bird and Crasen who ever is telling you this stuff is off their rocker! They want you to change your brakes like you do oil! I just did all four of my brakes, although I have 4 wheel disks the rear brakes had never been done before which means they lasted 115,000 miles! I think your rear shoes should last at least 20,000. remember rears dont wear NEARLY as fast the fronts.

I gotta tell you, you guys have definitely educated me. I hate to admit it, but the shop where i had the read brake shoes replaced did charge me what I thought was a pretty hefty penny. Original 97Bird, you are most likely right, the mechanic I went to does just want my money. About 16 months ago, I heard grinding whenever I applied the brakes. I took it to the previously mentioned mechanic. He charged me for a bunch of stuff like ABS hose, and a few other things I had no idea what he was talking about. I'm starting to think now I got ripped. Lesson learned I guess.

Thanks guys. At least I know theres some people out there who got my back......

If you heard a grinding sound then you probably did have brake linings worn down to nothing! See my post in the Tech help thread about repair manuals. You can learn a lot from them and even if you don't do the work yourself, you will know whats involved to fix something. With the right tools and some mechanical ability, you can do your own brakes the next time. When you remove the drums to check out that squeak it would be worthwhile to take them to a machine shop and have them checked to be sure they aren't oversize. From the sounds of the sleazebag that did your brakes I wouldn't doubt that he turned them (on a lathe), if he did at all, and didn't bother to see if they were still within safe specs. There shouldn't be any grooves in the braking surface of the drums. I can guarantee you had grooves in the drums before that brake job if you heard a grinding sound. Let us know what they look like when you take them off. We got your back and will try to help you hold onto your money!

thanks Original 97Bird. back when i had the original brake job done, the mechanic said he replaced the drums. but i never believed that because the drums didnt look new. if i have to replace the drums, can i install new drums right from the auto parts store, or do new drums require some type of servicing before installing?????

i'll be sure to keep u informed... thanks again...

A lot of people will just put them on but I like to take a very light cut off of them to be sure they are true. If the drums didn't look new then maybe he got them from a junk yard and had them turned to clean the braking surface. Depending on how much he took off will determine if they can be turned again or if you have to replace them. The machine shop can measure them and tell you if they are still good. If you've only gone 12K miles then I think you should only have to take the drums off, spray the drums and shoes with brake cleaner, get rid of the rust that develops on the open edge of the drum and then put the drums back on. When you look at the brake shoes you will notice at the bottom in between them is a star wheel with a lever (it has a wire cable and a spring attached to it) resting against it. Pull the lever away enough from the star wheel so that you can turn the star wheel. See if you can turn it in the direction that the lever would be pushing it and then return it back to where it was originally. It should rotate freely. This is the self adjusting mechanism and there is a rubber plug in the backing plate that lines up with the star wheel. Once everything is back together and the car still on jackstands, start it up and hit the brakes a few times to align the shoes. Shut the car off and spin the tire. If you don't hear a slight rubbing between the shoes and drum then you will have to adjust the brakes by removing that rubber plug and using a brake adjusting tool to turn the star wheel in the direction that the lever would be trying to turn it. Looking in from the backing plate you are going to be turning the star wheel upwards. You will hear the star wheel click as each tooth goes past the lever. As you turn the star wheel turn the tire also until you hear and start to feel a drag between the shoes and drum. Start the car and hit the brakes a few times, shut the car off and turn the tire again. If you don't hear and feel a slight drag then you will have to turn the star wheel more and keep repeating this until you still feel and hear the drag after hitting the brakes. If you've never done this (which I think is the case) then only turn the star wheel a few clicks at a time. Once you have both sides adjusted with about the same amount of slight drag then you should be able to keep them adjusted by driving in reverse and hitting the brakes every once in a while. Good luck!