3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Having just replaced the axle carrier (knuckle), backplate, wheel cylinder, hut & bearing assembly, abs (speed) sensor, drum, and trailing arm (strut rod) on the right rear wheel, there is now a thunking (thump thump thump...) when I apply the brakes. The thunking gets louder the harder I press. The thumps get further apart and a little louder as the vehicle slows. It's very noticeable.
This just started. It didn't happen the first several days after the repairs, though I did a lot of stop and go driving. I thought I was done after weeks of work.
It almost sounds like something hitting the bottom of the car. However, nothing is visible. I removed the wheel and drum, but there is nothing visible there either. There is some slack at the top of the rear shoe. If I pull and push it, it makes a noise a little like the thumping. All of the bolts and nuts appear to be tight. The abs light is not lit. I checked the abs wheel on the rear of the hub & bearing assembly and it appears normal (no missing cog, etc).
I haven't had the rear end re-aligned yet.
I'm going to switch the drums on the rear wheels to eliminate the drum as a source. Similarly, I will rotate the tires. I will also closely compare the drum brake assembly on the left rear with the right rear to look for discrepancies, e.g. the slack at the top of the rear shoe.
Other possible causes I am considering:
-- the abs sensor?
-- an alignment issue?
-- bearing problem?
-- wheel cylinder?
My first thought is that the brake shoe self-adjuster hasn't taken up the free-travel yet. Try jacking up that wheel, apply the brakes, and see if you can spin the tire.
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1992 Camry LE, V6 (3VZ-FE), ABS brakes, 330k miles, dark emerald pearl, owned since new.
1996 Avalon XLS, ABS brakes, moonroof, white, acquired w/ 139k miles, now at 261k.
2001 Yamaha FZ1, Ivan's jet kit, resprung all around, Ohlins in the rear, Race Tech cartridge emulators in the forks, 45k miles.
My first thought is that the brake shoe self-adjuster hasn't taken up the free-travel yet. Try jacking up that wheel, apply the brakes, and see if you can spin the tire.
Thanks, but I adjusted the brake shoes and the thumping continued.
that was the sound i had when my lateral arm bushings went bad. any play in them?
None that I can find.
With my clicking torque wrench, I also checked the torque on all the bolts & nuts, including that which holds the lateral arms to the knuckle/axle carrier, as well as the trailing arm/strut rod to the knuckle/axle carrier. I couldn't torque (134 ft-lbs) the interior bolt & nut on the lateral arm, as it risked knocking the vehicle off the jacks. But they felt very snug.
I will double check tomorrow to see if somehow the rear lateral arm could have been rotated 180 degrees, though that is doubtful. I didn't remove either of the lateral arms from the interior long bolt holding them to the underside of the car.
The thumping is loud enough that some wear should be at least starting to show someplace if something was hitting something else. I can't see it.
The brake shoe assembly looks fine and is the mirror image of the left rear assembly. There is nothing that I can see that could be being pushed by the brakes out into the way of the stud heads in the brake shoe side of the hub.
If it were the bearings, it would probably (but not necessarily) happen when the brakes weren't applied. It doesn't. However, the brakes do put a lot of torque on the hub & bearings through the drum.
The slight looseness at the top of the rear brake shoe is the same on the other wheel, which doesn't thunk.
I will rotate the tires to see if the noise moves with the tires. It didn't move with the drum, when I switched left and right.
I checked the rear lateral arm to see if it had gotten rotated 180 degrees at the knuckle. It hadn't.
I rotated the tires, but the thumping continues.
I removed the hub assembly and the light coating of grease between all mated surfaces from the knuckle to the wheel. The thumping continues.
The thumping is almost a cuhlick, when I slow it down. It appears to thump/cuhlick every rotation of the wheel.
Tomorrow, I will have Firestone align the rear end.
If that doesn't fix the problem, I will then:
-- replace the brake shoes (I already replaced the hardware).
-- contact the vendor that sold the hub & bearing assembly to me.
-- contact the vendor that sold the backplate to me.
-- contact an exorcist.
One more thought before Father Flanagan arrives... try running it with the hubcap off. I've had weird clicking noises come from a hubcap before. Not sure why it would only be noisy when you're on the brakes, but hey, it's easy to try it.
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1992 Camry LE, V6 (3VZ-FE), ABS brakes, 330k miles, dark emerald pearl, owned since new.
1996 Avalon XLS, ABS brakes, moonroof, white, acquired w/ 139k miles, now at 261k.
2001 Yamaha FZ1, Ivan's jet kit, resprung all around, Ohlins in the rear, Race Tech cartridge emulators in the forks, 45k miles.
Before the alignment, have you rotated the tires? It's worth a shot. And usually you will have to do a 4 wheel alignment because adjusting the rear toe will affect the front toe.
One more thought before Father Flanagan arrives... try running it with the hubcap off. I've had weird clicking noises come from a hubcap before. Not sure why it would only be noisy when you're on the brakes, but hey, it's easy to try it.
Yes, that's a great suggestion. But, I tried it last night when I switched both rear tires AND their hubcaps to the front end and the thumping/knocking/cuhlicking sound cuhcontinued.
Come to think of it, my wife interrupted me while I was doing this, so there is a slight possibility I put the same wheel and hubcap back on the same location. I may also have just assumed the noise was still coming from the same wheel, when it had actually moved to the front end. As you can see, I'm getting desperate, but it's worth double checking.
Before the alignment, have you rotated the tires? It's worth a shot. And usually you will have to do a 4 wheel alignment because adjusting the rear toe will affect the front toe.
Yes thanks, I think I rotated the tires (see my prior message).
And thanks, I will have Firestone do a 4 wheel alignment. That's a great suggestion too.
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