Rear Brake Noise

I replaced my rear brake shoes a few months ago. The drums were fine, but just needed cleaning all round. Everything was OK until a couple of weeks or so ago when I noticed a sort of "thrum, thrum, thrum" noise from the back under braking at about 20mph and lower. The regularity of the noise slows with road speed and definitely only does it under moderate braking. Notably the noise goes away if I brake very hard - normal braking afterwards is then free from "thrumming".

I'm guessing it's one of the shoes not quite located where it should be, but I wondered if anyone has any bright ideas before I have a look at it? Anyone experienced this before? The nights are closing in now and it would be nice to sort this out before it gets too dark and the weather gets any ****tier...

If you think that one of the shoes (or springs) has been fitted incorrectly I would remove the drums as soon as possible and have a look. If one of the shoes has moved (shoe retaining clips should prevent this) then the piston in the cylinder could be forced out resulting in a total loss of brake fluid to that part of the split braking system.

Hi Creeeg,

Did you ever sort out your brake problem, as i have the same sort of noise too....sending me mad!

Mines done the same since replacing my shoes though it isn't too bad. A new set of drums would probably cure it but I'm not too concerned as braking is much improved & it only does it under light braking.

Mine has got worse, every time you brake it sounds like a loud throbbing squeek / creaking noise in time with the road speed. Have had drums off (changed one) can't see anything rubbing, greased backplate, WD40 the rubber bushes, but nothing stops it. doesn't seem to do it if you pull up handbrake though..now wonder if it could be bearings, driveshafts or diff?

Could be your brake wheel cylinder have you looked at it could be only pushing out on 1 side causing the noise that you described

I did manage to fix the noise coming from my rear brakes a few weeks ago, just before I was going to be doing a couple of weeks of long drives, which was good

Turns out all I needed to do was take the drums off again and chamfer EVERY edge of all four brake shoes. I achieved this with a piece of 120 grit sandpaper with the shoes still in-situ. Just a light sand on the side edges and a heavier go on the ends. Plus I cleaned up the inside of the drums again with 400 grit paper. Job done: no more noise since

I. or rather my mechanic friend has solved mine too. It appears that the brake shoes that he was supplied with were too hard a compound, and would not bed in. the supplier swopped these for some bosch shoes and to touch wood They are noise free....fingers crossed.

New brake shoes didn't cure it, however eventually my mechanic friend found the cause.
Whilst putting great pressure on the brake pedal when the car was stationery, their was a cracking / creaking noise from the brakes this made him investigate the action of the brake, and found that the pistons were not free in the cylinder, and the creaking was coming from the rubber seals sticking. Pulled back the rubbers poured a small quantity of brake fluid in the bore, pushed them back and fore a few times, and hey presto not a noise since.
Anybody want the name of a good cheap freelander mechanic in the West Midlands ?

If the wheel cylinder seals were sticking in the bore there's a good chance that either the seals or bore are scored, safer option (if it were my car) would have been to replace the wheel cylinders.

We had the problem too! Got breaks all sorted and then weird noise started and it only came on when t was raining or cold and suddenly the cylinder burst and I had no brakes. Lucky I wasn't driving. Now the brake releases with a clonk on that side. Will get it checked again I guess. Something is off with the brake just can't find the reason, since shoes, hub and everything else been checked and was alright.

Annica, do you mean the handbrake releases with a clonk...it may be handbrake linkage seized.