Break Squeal!

[blueninja1]

Think this seems to be a common problem on Toyotas with drum brakes at the rear (had the same with my Carina), its driving me mad, despite cleaning the drums out and re-adjusting the shoes, its still doing it, does anyone have any suggestions

Please :( :)

Ps just noticed incorrect spelling in Title, oops!

[gazza1286]

Never had any problems myself.

Do you know if the shoes are genuine? If so replace them with a good quality copy. You will have seen from other threads that there are problems with genuine Toyota pads on the early Avensis range - maybe the shoes have similar issues.

[215 compressor]

Think this seems to be a common problem on Toyotas with drum brakes at the rear (had the same with my Carina), its driving me mad, despite cleaning the drums out and re-adjusting the shoes, its still doing it, does anyone have any suggestions

Please :( :)

Ps just noticed incorrect spelling in Title, oops!

you could try get some emery paper and take the glaze of the drums and of the shoes this usually does the trick{well for so long anyway}

[blueninja1]

Thanks guys, far as I know it has the original shoes on as I bought the car with 11k on the clock and I certainly havnt changed the shoes, will try some emery cloth, shame its not just a little newer, would have had discs at the back!

[parker]

Thanks guys, far as I know it has the original shoes on as I bought the car with 11k on the clock and I certainly havnt changed the shoes, will try some emery cloth, shame its not just a little newer, would have had discs at the back!

[parker]

I had this problem with a '99 avensis and did all the things that have been suggested.

I removed the glaze from the shoes, the rust from the edges of the drum surface, lightly greased the metal to metal areas, and even chamfered the edges of the shoes where they contact the rust build-up. Despite all this, I only got 2 or 3 weeks silence before the squeal came back. In the end, as the drums appeared to be in good order, I suspected that it was the friction material itself causing the problem and was about to fit a set of good aftermarket shoes, when fate took a hand and the car was written off. I now drive a T3s Avensis with rear pads, and when they wear they're just as likely to rattle instead of squeal.

[Ray99]

Hi Blue

The usual problem is the very sharp leading edge to the front shoe. Toyota in their wisdom never chamfer their brake shoes (economy). If you take off a drum, look at the shoes and where the friction material sits on the shoe. The front shoe needs to have a low angle on it, not square as most of the shoes I've seen. Take a large file, the coar ser the better and file away the friction material so that the leading edge is tapered. This should do the trick. BTW "deglazing" doesn't work, the shine on the shoes and drums will return in a very few applications of the brake. Let us know if you get it to go quiet. Cheers Ray

[Ray99]

Hi folks

This is a picture of a brake shoe. It's waiting to go on my son's Peugeot, when I get a minute. I used it to illustrate the chamfering of the leading edge of the friction material.

Cheers Ray

[blueninja1]

Have just chamfered all the edges on the rear shoes and rubbend them down but unfortunatly brakes are still squeling, might have to go down the new shoes route!

[Ray99]

Hi Blue, are you sure the noise is coming from the rear brakes? Is there any sign of brake fluid on the shoes or inside the drum? Have a look at the wheel cylinder- is it damp around the black dust caps at the ends? The wheel cylinder is the aluminium thing at the top of the backplate with the pistons coming out each end and pushes on the ends of the shoes to apply the brake. Sorry if you've made these checks already, but it's worth mentioning. The slightest trace of brake fluid on friction material makes it very sticky and it will squeal quite badly, as the amount of leaking fluid increases, the noise diminishes, until it goes quiet. The disadvantage is that there is no braking effort. If the noise is from the front brakes, the solution is different. Remove the pads and clean all the dust and rust from the lugs of each pad, where they sit in the carrier. Apply some high melting point grease or anti-seize grease, such as Copa-slip. Use only enough to wet the metal contact areas. Don't get any on the friction material, or no brakes! Make sure the pad will move in its housing , you may have to remove the anti-rattle clips and clean beneath them, again a little copa-slip under the clip will help.Use a thin smear on the back of each pad, where the caliper and piston contact the pad. This allows the pads to move without making a noise. Each pad can be chamfered in a similar fashoin to the rear shoes. The leading edge is filed away at about 45 degrees. Hope this helps. Please let us know how you get on. One last thought- it's worth checking that the friction material on the rear shoes is bonded along its whole length. Try lifting the leading edge with a thin bladed screwdriver. If any of the friction material isn't bonded, then replace the shoes as a set. One of the brakes on my sons Peugeot jammed on last year when one of the friction materials came unbonded and slid around to the other shoe and acted like a wedge. Had to replace the shoes. Cheers Ray