Creaking rear brakes

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TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Saturday 17th July 2021
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Hi guys and girls

Video here... https://youtu.be/YU4vc0a_qfg

The nitty gritty..

I have a creaking under light braking at medium slow speeds as shown in the video. It is pretty loud. Doesn't appear under heavy braking but will creak as you lift off pressure on the pedal.

It also creaks with the handbrake on when you rock the car. Handbrake off, no creak.

Last year this problem was here and I replaced rear discs and pads. It went away completely until recently and it's back with a vengeance.

My thinking is that new discs and pads and grease holding pads in many it was all working nicely and smoothly, but ultimately my calipers are sticky and a bit old and tired and do this problem comes back??

I'm thinking of I replace the whole lot, calipers and all out has to fix this??

Anyone have any ideas??

Dynion Araf Uchaf

4,881 posts

238 months

Saturday 17th July 2021
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you need to take it in small steps to identify the problem

first jack the rear of the car up and spin the wheel by hand, can you hear the noise. If you can it's possibly warped discs, which could occur if the callipers are sticky and are leaving the pads against the discs as the car is on the move.
It could be a wheel bearing
It could be a spring.

Noises have a habit of not being from where you think they are from as they resonate around the cabin, so check the front as well.

The Wookie

14,150 posts

243 months

Saturday 17th July 2021
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If the creaking is repeatable with the car completely stationary just coming on and off the brake then chances are it’s either something sticky in the abutment area (ie wear plates) or more likely worn out piston seals. Sliders don’t tend to creak.

If it only happens as the suspension moves, even when releasing the brakes at a standstill and allowing the car to effectively release from the load of braking and its anti-dive geometry, then it’s bushes. Easiest and most likely ones to start with would be to grease the ARB bushes.

Handbrake makes me think the latter of the two main options

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Saturday 17th July 2021
quotequote all
The Wookie said:
If the creaking is repeatable with the car completely stationary just coming on and off the brake then chances are it’s either something sticky in the abutment area (ie wear plates) or more likely worn out piston seals. Sliders don’t tend to creak.
No applying and re applying the brake when stationary doesn't cause the noise

The Wookie said:
If it only happens as the suspension moves, even when releasing the brakes at a standstill and allowing the car to effectively release from the load of braking and its anti-dive geometry, then it’s bushes. Easiest and most likely ones to start with would be to grease the ARB bushes.

Handbrake makes me think the latter of the two main options
You get the noise in the video in any braking, and will do it on a dead smooth road with a consistent creak-creak-creak as per video from 30mph right down to a standstill. So it isn't affected my bumps in the road surface.

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Saturday 17th July 2021
quotequote all
Dynion Araf Uchaf said:
you need to take it in small steps to identify the problem

first jack the rear of the car up and spin the wheel by hand, can you hear the noise. If you can it's possibly warped discs, which could occur if the callipers are sticky and are leaving the pads against the discs as the car is on the move.
It could be a wheel bearing
It could be a spring.

Noises have a habit of not being from where you think they are from as they resonate around the cabin, so check the front as well.
The wheel bearings aren't that old, they were all replaced not that long ago, as were the rear springs.

I get what you say about noise travel but it is 100% coming from the rear of the car.

Warped discs and interesting point, although would that cause a creak? I've warped from discs before and that just caused horrible juddering braking from speed but no noise.

E-bmw

11,089 posts

167 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
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The issue is suspension, not brakes.

When the hand brake is on you say if you rock the car the noise appears.

Assuming the brakes/wheel are actually holding, that is.

You need to have someone rock the car to replicate the noise while feeling various suspension joints in the area to feel the vibrations caused by the noise.

phumy

5,796 posts

252 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
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Dry suspension bushes, go around them and give them a squirt with some "dry lubricant".

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
quotequote all
A lot of people saying suspension. How can you explain the creaking only with braking, and on a smooth road???

I'm open to all ideas!

voram

6,309 posts

49 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
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TheBALDpuma said:
A lot of people saying suspension. How can you explain the creaking only with braking, and on a smooth road???
Weight transfer.

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
quotequote all
voram said:
Weight transfer.
So the creaking in the video is a constant creak creak creak under steady, smooth, light braking?

The problem also went away for nearly a year after replacing pads and discs.

rustednut

807 posts

62 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
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TheBALDpuma said:
So the creaking in the video is a constant creak creak creak under steady, smooth, light braking?

The problem also went away for nearly a year after replacing pads and discs.
From your original post


It also creaks with the handbrake on when you rock the car. Handbrake off, no creak.


Which suggests it is not the brakes, but the movement against the suspension. eta Or the handbrake cables, linkage system

The Wookie

14,150 posts

243 months

Sunday 18th July 2021
quotequote all
TheBALDpuma said:
A lot of people saying suspension. How can you explain the creaking only with braking, and on a smooth road???

I'm open to all ideas!
Reacting longitudinal load not vertical

E-bmw

11,089 posts

167 months

Monday 19th July 2021
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TheBALDpuma said:
voram said:
Weight transfer.
So the creaking in the video is a constant creak creak creak under steady, smooth, light braking?

The problem also went away for nearly a year after replacing pads and discs.
Under steady smooth light braking the weight transfer is slow & steady causing the creak, under heavy braking it is sharp & sudden, therefore does not appear.

(Try it on a squeaky house door, move it very slowly & it creaks, move it very fast & it doesn't)

During the change of pads/discs they undid/re-did up/greased/moved something which cured it temporarily.

Edited by E-bmw on Monday 19th July 09:47

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Monday 19th July 2021
quotequote all
I see where you're coming from but I'm still really sceptical...

The door analogy... This would just create one long slow creak from suspension as the weight transferred. Not a repetitive creak creak creak that slows with wheel speed slowing.

It also doesn't explain the creak when rocking with handbrake on, that disappears when you release the brake.

I understand replacing discs/pads and maybe loosened/tightened something else. But What? And really what are the odds?

I'll get the garage to really look at everything though.

voram

6,309 posts

49 months

Monday 19th July 2021
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TheBALDpuma said:
It also doesn't explain the creak when rocking with handbrake on,
Yes it does. When the handbrake is on one end of the car is fixed and the other end is still free to move. Rock the car and it will creak as the weight transfers around and the suspension moves a fraction.


E-bmw

11,089 posts

167 months

Monday 19th July 2021
quotequote all
Look mate, you are asking for advice, there are several people on here telling you exactly the same thing, and many have even more than my (part time) 30+ years of experience of working on cars.

If you are going to ignore it all then just go to a garage & get them to load the parts cannon & put it on maximum speed & then empty your wallet repeatedly.

If not then try listening & you will be MUCH better off at the end of it all.

Bye.

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Monday 19th July 2021
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Look mate, you are asking for advice, there are several people on here telling you exactly the same thing, and many have even more than my (part time) 30+ years of experience of working on cars.

If you are going to ignore it all then just go to a garage & get them to load the parts cannon & put it on maximum speed & then empty your wallet repeatedly.

If not then try listening & you will be MUCH better off at the end of it all.

Bye.
It's going to a garage anyway I just want to go on with an idea of what to tell them to address - I'm not handy enough to do much short of an oil change.

And I am listening but what I'm trying to get out of you lot is an explanation of how what you think is wrong creates the sound I'm hearing, because I can't get my head around it.

No need for attitude either, pal.

How u doing

28,069 posts

198 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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TheBALDpuma said:
E-bmw said:
Look mate, you are asking for advice, there are several people on here telling you exactly the same thing, and many have even more than my (part time) 30+ years of experience of working on cars.

If you are going to ignore it all then just go to a garage & get them to load the parts cannon & put it on maximum speed & then empty your wallet repeatedly.

If not then try listening & you will be MUCH better off at the end of it all.

Bye.
It's going to a garage anyway I just want to go on with an idea of what to tell them to address - I'm not handy enough to do much short of an oil change.

And I am listening but what I'm trying to get out of you lot is an explanation of how what you think is wrong creates the sound I'm hearing, because I can't get my head around it.

No need for attitude either, pal.
No harm in having an understanding of what's involved. But if you're going to a garage, asking them to diagnose and fix should give you a satisfactory result.

TheBALDpuma

Original Poster:

5,889 posts

183 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
quotequote all
How u doing said:
No harm in having an understanding of what's involved. But if you're going to a garage, asking them to diagnose and fix should give you a satisfactory result.
You'd have thought so but so far the discs and pads have been replaced, fixing it temporarily.

The handbrake cables have been replaced and adjusted. Which didn't help.

A rear shock was shot, so I've replaced both of those on the promise that that was the cause, which it wasn't.

It's been to a couple of places now, both of whom I rate and have used for years and it's proving hard to pin down.

phumy

5,796 posts

252 months

Tuesday 20th July 2021
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Its bushes, as mentioned a while ago, just put some dry lubricant on them, an aerosol can will cost you £10 at most.

How much money has the garage taken from you already "trying to fix" this creak for you?