Brake clicking???

[southbayphoto]

Hey all,

I'm a bit confused about what's going on. I found out my fiancees brakes on her 2000 Camry CE were toast (there was slight grinding going on). So, I replaced them. I ended up having to replace both front rotors (and pads, of course) because they were beyond specs.

I took in the rear drums and had them turned one last time (within specs) and replaced the shoes as well.

Now you can hear the brakes clicking when you use them. If you use slight pressure on the brakes, the clicking is faint, but if you use them moderately to strongly, you can really hear them click. I don't know why. I've never had this problem with brakes before.

I believe it's coming from the front, but I'm not ruling out the rear brakes as a possibility.

However, you cannot feel anything through the pedal. The brakes feel solid and no pulsating at the pedal (which it was doing before I replaced the brakes). So, it feels like the brakes are okay, but I'm not sure what the heck the clicking is coming from.

Also, not sure if this matters or not, but if you go backwards at some speed and get on the brakes, there are no clicking sounds. It's only if you're going forward.

I'm going to go out and try just using the rear e-brake right now to see if it clicks with just using that. If so, then I'll know it's coming from the rear. However, if it doesn't, then I'm guessing it's from the front brakes (which is where it sounds like it's coming from).

Any ideas on what this is? I don't want the brakes failing for my fiancee (or anyone, really, but you know what I mean).

Any help would be truly appreciated. I'm going to go back out now and make sure all the bolts are tight (did the brakes last weekend) and such, but I don't think that's it. To me I'd feel a vibration through the pedal if something was that loose, but maybe not.

Thanks in advance!
Mat

[southbayphoto]

Well, as a secondary post to the original thread, I just tried stopping with the e-brake only and that is where the noise is coming from. So, I feel it's the rear brakes that are causing the noises.

Any suggestions?

Again, it doesn't happen when backing up (no noise), but if going forward by using the regular brakes or just the e-brake, the noise is coming from the rear brakes/drums.

Anything I should check? I reassembled everything the exact way I took them apart and I adjusted the manual adjusters on the rear brakes this morning (the noise was happening before I did this as well), so that there was slight drag on the drums.

I also made sure to adjust the e-brake so that it was fully engaging within Toyota specs and not causing drag when it's off.

So, I'm not sure what else to do. Is there anything inside the drum that would need lubricating that would cause clicking like this? Would something be hitting something else?

I don't even know what to check at this point.

Any help would be appreciated.

[JohnGD]

E-brake manually pulls on the same brake hardware for drum systems. I suppose you installed all the springs and shoe hold downs back correctly (not accidentally reversed) and they are still in good shape?

Clean the backing plate. Did you apply suitable brake lube to the six raised contact points on the backing plate? I don't know what other places need lube as specified. But adjuster is another place to check.

This is newer but harder to find:
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut..._Lubricant.htm

This comes in $1.2 pouches at many parts stores too:
http://www.permatex.com/products/Aut...liper_Lube.htm

Originally Posted by southbayphoto

Anything I should check? I reassembled everything the exact way I took them apart and I adjusted the manual adjusters on the rear brakes this morning (the noise was happening before I did this as well), so that there was slight drag on the drums.

I also made sure to adjust the e-brake so that it was fully engaging within Toyota specs and not causing drag when it's off.

So, I'm not sure what else to do. Is there anything inside the drum that would need lubricating that would cause clicking like this? Would something be hitting something else?

I don't even know what to check at this point.

Any help would be appreciated.

[southbayphoto]

Hey there John,

Thanks a bunch for the reply. I figured the e-brake would work the drums (just manually) as they have in my past vehicles, so that's why I tried that to see if it was the rear brakes and isolate the problem. I did buy all new hardware and matched it up with what I took off to make sure I put everything back the same way and such. (none of the old hardware was bad, but it doesn't hurt to replace it anyway)

However, I didn't do the lube this time. So, I took them back apart to lube the backing plate contacts and found out that one of the shoes was broken. The weld that holds the shoe to the center metal mounting piece was broken at the top end of the shoe. WTF?!

So, I'm sure that would cause a noise when the brakes are applied! I went back to the store and bought a new set and replaced it (after applying the lube this time, just in case. LOL) and poof...no more noise.

Now the brakes feel good and are quiet.

I appreciate you getting back to me on the thread though...much appreciated.

[southbayphoto]

Yup, that's the stuff I used...the SynGlyde. :-)

Thanks for the info.

[fenixus]

interesting, my car developed slight clicking with e-brake applied ... i really might need finally to open the drums and see what there is.

[southbayphoto]

Hey all,

I kind of have to reopen this thread because the clicking is back. I think it went away for about 2 weeks or so, but now it's louder. Any ideas what it is? I've never had this problem with drum brakes before and can't think of what the hell is the problem.

I've even put brand new shoes on, made sure the backing plate contacts were lubed w/Synglide (or whatever it's called) and that all the springs are new and such. I just can't understand what is making it click. It didn't do it prior to me going in and replacing the rear shoes.

Anyone have any ideas of what this could be? I mean, the brakes work fine, the e-brake works fine, except for the clicking, everything is working as it should. The clicking is driving me frickin' insane and it's only when you use moderate (normal) to hard braking action. If you are very light on the brakes (taking a long time to stop) then you don't hear it. Also, it's only if you're going forward. If you go in reverse and do it, it doesn't click.

Please help. I don't want to have to pay bukuu bucks to take this thing to a dealer because you know they won't help on the phone if you call and describe the problem. Even if they know exactly what it is. :-(

Thanks!

[JohnGD]

Beside the contact points were the adjusting bolt (disassemble it and clean/lube) lightly lubed as well? Recheck the adjustment on the self-adjuster.

This is a simplex drum brake design. Nothing fancy. So the front shoe gets worked harder going forward.

Did you flush the brake fluid?? If not maybe consider it before going back into the drum again.

Originally Posted by southbayphoto

Hey all,

I kind of have to reopen this thread because the clicking is back. I think it went away for about 2 weeks or so, but now it's louder. Any ideas what it is? I've never had this problem with drum brakes before and can't think of what the hell is the problem.

I've even put brand new shoes on, made sure the backing plate contacts were lubed w/Synglide (or whatever it's called) and that all the springs are new and such. I just can't understand what is making it click. It didn't do it prior to me going in and replacing the rear shoes.

Anyone have any ideas of what this could be? I mean, the brakes work fine, the e-brake works fine, except for the clicking, everything is working as it should. The clicking is driving me frickin' insane and it's only when you use moderate (normal) to hard braking action. If you are very light on the brakes (taking a long time to stop) then you don't hear it. Also, it's only if you're going forward. If you go in reverse and do it, it doesn't click.

Please help. I don't want to have to pay bukuu bucks to take this thing to a dealer because you know they won't help on the phone if you call and describe the problem. Even if they know exactly what it is. :-(

Thanks!

[southbayphoto]

Yup...I made sure to take apart each adjuster and make sure it was cleaned and relubed.

I also made sure to adjust the "self adjuster" after I put the drum on so that it had some drag when turned by hand.

Nope, haven't done anything with the brake fluid. However, how would the fluid make things click back there?

Plus, before I replaced the shoes & had the drum resurfaced, it sounded fine. No clicking or anything weird. Just a little grinding up front due to the pads being worn way down.

Unless the auto store screwed up the drum when they resurfaced it. I don't know...I've never had this happen to me before, so it's driving me up a wall. LOL

[JohnGD]

Well, running out of ideas.

Ok, so just one side clicking or both sides? Do you feel any speed variation when you hear the clicks?

Otherwise I suspect first the front shoe(s) because you hear only going forward and this should be a simplex drum system, so the rear is not really energized going forward.

As far as brake fluid goes, I was just thinking maybe there were some air in there and so they're not grabbing as hard as they should. But if they weren't clicking before, then fluid may not be it. Dunno.

Another thing, about the adjustment. The "slight drag" method hasn't been used for a while. You might want to back out the adjusters, and then use the E-brake to tighten them. And then they should apply within the specified number of clicks. (Just don't drive off before it's adjusted, but you already knew that.)

Originally Posted by southbayphoto

Nope, haven't done anything with the brake fluid. However, how would the fluid make things click back there?

Plus, before I replaced the shoes & had the drum resurfaced, it sounded fine. No clicking or anything weird. Just a little grinding up front due to the pads being worn way down.

Unless the auto store screwed up the drum when they resurfaced it. I don't know...I've never had this happen to me before, so it's driving me up a wall. LOL

[touringcamry]

I think I had the same issue a few years back on my 2000 I4 LE with rear drums. The clicking noise from the rear drums varied depending on speed and verified with the parking brake lever. I ended up fixing it by touching the drums. Not sure why it even started because my shoes and drums were not yet expended and it started abruptly.

There was no pedal pulsation that I could discern.

[southbayphoto]

Exactly...it does vary with speed...the clicking slows as the car slows down and it does the same if you use the e-brake by itself. That's how I found out it was in the rear drums.

When I put the new pads on, I did have the drums turned. They said it was their last time they could be turned, but they turned them. Unless they didn't turn them correctly...I don't know.

Supposedly my fiance doesn't hear the noise now. I thought I still heard it when I was testing the brakes. Maybe it just went away? If so...why? Not that I'd be complaining, but I'm the type that wants to know why, so it doesn't happen again.

Touring - How do you mean you fixed it by "touching the drums"? Do you mean you had them turned? If that's the case, maybe I have to go out and buy new ones. Ugggghhh

Maybe I'll try to back off the adjusters and see what happens.

[JohnGD]

When you do use the parking brake lever to adjust them back in. Check that brakes work before you drive off.

Originally Posted by southbayphoto

Maybe I'll try to back off the adjusters and see what happens.

[fenixus]

one thought. what exactly makes you think that drums are clicking ? is the sound coming directly from drums ? is it literally clicking ? ... or rather ticking ?

asking because something started clicking in the rear of my car too recently ... but it's not the brakes in my case, all are properly adjusted and front ones are lubed on back side of pads...

also when you say that clicking changes with speed (engine revs) it makes me think the clicking you hear at the rear of car could be a ticking noise of e.g. engine and sound/vibration getting transferred through the exhaust pipe to the rear where you hear it, etc. just a thought. haven't figured out yet why exactly it started ticking, something got worn off obviously ...

[touringcamry]

By touching the drums, I meant that I turned them but only removing a small amount of material (per the tech who did the work). My drums had not been turned before that so my drums had plenty of meat left in them at the time.