2001 Corolla rear brake squeak

I just had my local brake shop replace the rear brake shoes on my 2001 Corolla. they also cut the drums. now there is a squeak sound most noticeably on the rear drivers side only when I release the brake pedal. it sounds maybe like a spring. anyone experienced this, or those in the know, what could be causing this? the brakes seem to be operating properly, but man is that sound annoying. I can do front brakes, but am fairly clueless to the rear system. thanks for your assistance.

Reply to
arlanvan
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Rear brakes are not so difficult if you are good at those "what's different about these pictures" games. Pull both rear drums, and keeping in mind that the left and right sides are mirror images of each other, you can usually tell what is different.

A momentary squeak can be caused by brake dust accumulation, a shoe rubbing on the backing plate, or a squeaking spring. I'd rule out brake dust accumulation because the brake job was recent, and noise from brake dust tends to come when applying the brakes, not releasing the brakes.

I would pull the drum and check to see if the metal backing plate on the shoe is rubbing on the backing plate. If it is, you may be able to pull the shoe away from the backing plate. If the parts are aftermarket, the rub could be due to poor fit, and whether the parts are OEM or aftermarket, the shoes may have been installed improperly.

Or, you can take the car back to whoever did the brake job and ask them to fix it.

Good luck!

Reply to
Ray O

Could it be the shoe material?

Wouldn't OEM be a better route?

Reply to
Scott in Florida

It could be the brake lining material, but usually, brake linings will make noise when the brakes are applied, not when the brakes are released.

Some aftermarket brake parts are fine, and some cause problems like too much brake dust, noise, short lining life, too much wear on the rotors, and poor fit. To make things more confusing, a brand that works well in, say, a Corolla may not work well in a Celica. Rather than experiment I just stick to OEM since I know how they will perform and fit.

Reply to
Ray O

I also have a 98-02 Corolla. My rear brakes aren't new like the above poster's, but they've been squeaking lately. It's always there when I first start driving, and then it goes away. Sometimes it's just more of a scraping noise. I'd guess it's simply rust, as I park outside, but it's worse than it's been in the past. Is there any one problem that would cause this symptom in particular?

Reply to
Danny Taggart

A squeak or rubbing sound that is present the first few times you apply the brakes after it has been parked for several hours is generally due to surface rust buildup on the rotors that gets rubbed off after the first few brake applications. The noise tends to be louder if the car is parked in a wet or humid environment. If the noise goes away after the first few brake applications, it is normal and nothing to worry about.

If the noise persists, then check the front pads for wear and the rear drums for brake dust accumulation and wear. If the brake fluid level is near the low mark in the master cylinder, that is a hint that the brakes are getting worn.

Reply to
Ray O

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