Clicking noise from Parking brakes?

[Mobius1]

About a year ago I totally re-did all my brakes (calipers, Pads, rotors all 4 wheels)



I have an intermittent clicking noise from the parking brakes (I suspect). I get the noise when I am coming to a stop, and when I am backing up sometimes. It does it cold or warm, wet or dry. I heard the noise from my right rear so I took off the tire to investigate. Pads and rotors looked ok. Parking brake assembly looked ok as well, but I noticed I could take and twist the whole assembly forward and back and doing that, I recognized that as being my noise.



When I re-did my brakes I did not replace the rear P-brake shoes or did I adjust them. Should I get new shoes and a rear brake hardware kit and re-adjust the rears? Or re-adjust the rear breaks or just completely back-off the parking break so I do not get the noise? Has any one else had a problem like this?



TIA

 

[jelag]

Most brake pads have tabs on the edge of the pad... the intent of the tab is to prevent it from moving when you change direction... the tabs are to fit tight to the caliper so that they can't ride forward or rearward when they contact the rotor... thus the click. . in some cases new pads don't fit like they should and need to have the tabs tapped with a hammer so they can't slide forward or rearward... .

In you comment you mention the click when nothing is going on with your e-brake or parking brake... when the parking brake is off, there is nothing moving or touching the drum... unless the shoes are loose in the housing and I'd assume they'd drag excessively if they were loose... I don't think its the parking brake...

We only replace the parking brake shoes when they are worn out. . but will adjust them during their life...

Hope this helps. .

 

[Mobius1]

Sorry Jim I forgot the mention, that I can engage the P-brake while driving the noise can be heard. Its a very difficult noise to diag.



Just a question I have. If the P-brake was/were loose how would they be dragging?

 

[jelag]

If one of the retaining springs on the parking brake shoe were loose the drag would be noticeable... that drag usually gobbles up an emergency brake shoe in no time...

Emergency brake shoes and parking brake shoes are mounted the same as many styles of drum brakes and are operated by a mechanical cam instead of a wheel cylinder. . I can't remember ever seeing a parking brake shoe come loose by its self... its usually because the parking brake pedal was left depressed and wore out the friction and metal shoe... if that happens, the steel shoe usually gets turned loose inside the drum and usually will lock the drum and skid the tire... . OR someone has worked on it and assembled it incorrectly...

I have seen in the winter, someone setting the parking brake and having the cable freeze so that when you pull the release the frozen cable can't let the shoe go back with spring pressure thus it wears out... so we don't set the parking brake on our trucks in the winter when it can freeze... .

These are very simple systems that have operated under the same design for lots of years... If you have a clicking sound while moving and the parking brake is not set... what makes you think its in the parking brake system and not the brakes... or are you correcting your self and now saying that you only hear the sound when the vehicle is moving and the parking brake is set?

Without correct information diagnosis can't be obtained... What I would suggest is that if you can hear the noise at very slow speeds (walking) have someone walk along the side the the truck and listen... to determine which side of the truck the noise is on... than disassemble that side only and repair...

 

[Mobius1]

If one of the retaining springs on the parking brake shoe were loose the drag would be noticeable... that drag usually gobbles up an emergency brake shoe in no time...



Emergency brake shoes and parking brake shoes are mounted the same as many styles of drum brakes and are operated by a mechanical cam instead of a wheel cylinder. . I can't remember ever seeing a parking brake shoe come loose by its self... its usually because the parking brake pedal was left depressed and wore out the friction and metal shoe... if that happens, the steel shoe usually gets turned loose inside the drum and usually will lock the drum and skid the tire... . OR someone has worked on it and assembled it incorrectly...



I have seen in the winter, someone setting the parking brake and having the cable freeze so that when you pull the release the frozen cable can't let the shoe go back with spring pressure thus it wears out... so we don't set the parking brake on our trucks in the winter when it can freeze... .



These are very simple systems that have operated under the same design for lots of years... If you have a clicking sound while moving and the parking brake is not set... what makes you think its in the parking brake system and not the brakes... or are you correcting your self and now saying that you only hear the sound when the vehicle is moving and the parking brake is set?



Without correct information diagnosis can't be obtained... What I would suggest is that if you can hear the noise at very slow speeds (walking) have someone walk along the side the the truck and listen... to determine which side of the truck the noise is on... than disassemble that side only and repair...

No Jim I hear the noise when driving and I apply the regular brake. I also hear the noise when driving and I apply and disengage the P-brake Which leads me to believe its something in the P-brake assembly (shoes, hardware etc... ) I have had someone drive the truck with me walking next to it to get it to make the noise described and it is coming from my passenger rear. I disassembled everything down to the backing plate and did not notice anything physically wrong. The only thing i notice is I could take the P-brake shoes and move them forward and back along the backing plate and that was the noise I was hearing. Everything else looked physically ok. Which is why I'm drawing a blank on this one...

 

[Mobius1]

Update

I just replaced my rear parking brakes and hardware, re-assembled and the noise still persists! I am starting to think it is something from the leaf springs. I have the lorenz dual purpose leafs. EVERYTHING I could possibly check is tight any more suggestions?

 

[Mobius1]

Update #2

JUST did all new rear brakes (Pads and Rotors) noise still persists. I think it is coming from the front leaf spring shackle. The one that takes the big T60 Torx socket. Any suggestions on what do to, try next? lubricate? if so with what, how? Just what the problem fixed. Its kind of embarrassing driving it around and having that noise...