What causes squeaky brake shoes?

Gareth Magennis wrote:

Vibration.  Fine vibration at that.


Copper based grease on pivoting components helps.  Also getting rid of
dust (including break dust) can help too.

:-)
Hope it helps before those who know the ins and outs of Focus come along.

Charles

Gareth Magennis wrote:

do the brakes squeak when the vehicle is moving only, or do you mean the
squeak you get when applying and releasing the brake pedal when stationary
(handbrake off) ?  if when moving then a good clean out will almost
certainly stop it, if it does the stationary squeak then applying a tiny
amount of suitable lube (brake grease or copperslip) on the sliding points
between shoe and backplate will fix it.

The squeak is only when the vehicle is moving, sorry, should have clarified
this!
I was asking because the mechanic showed me the car on the ramp with one
drum off, and and was rabbiting on about there being metal bits on the brake
shoes, which I took to mean the cause of the squeaking.  His English isn't
very good so I may have misinterpreted what he was saying.
My friend the ex mechanic said that the metal flakes are an integral part of
the lining material, so some wires are crossed there somewhere perhaps.

I don't know if removal of the drum constitutes a good cleanout or whether
the mechanic cleaned out anything or not, but you would expect he would have
done, surely, just through habit? A quick brush out and/or a blast of air?
Or is it more involved than that?  Anyway, they still squeak in exactly the
same manner as before.   Unless its the other side thats squeaking and he
didn't remove that drum.    (Ping?)



Thanks MrCheerful.

Gareth Magennis wrote:

a good cleanout should involve removing the shoes and washing the whole lot,
preferably with hot water, but few places do that in this country, most will
blow the dust out , maybe spray around some brake cleaner and wipe out the
drum, often that is enough, if they still squeak then chamfer any sharp
edges, as a last resort renew the shoes.

Little brass coloured bits in the lining material is normal.

Yes, do both sides.