Name This Squeal!?!

K

Killjoy

Forum Member
Truck started making a weird squeal tonight - noticed it when I was backing out the driveway. Seems to be coming from the right rear wheel - hard to tell, 98% sure.
Wheel bearing going bad?? Or is it something with the brakes (caliper)? Thinking bearing since it makes the noise both w/ and w/o the brakes being applied.
It makes the noise more & louder when in reverse, though it still chirps going forward. Also makes the noise when in neutral and rolling.

 
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Sounds like you have a high spot/ or warped rotor and its contacting the squeal tab on the pad. Also GM's are notorious for the backing plates rotting out. Pull the wheel off and go from there. Definitely nothing major though. Shouldn't take but a couple of minutes to find with the tire off. Support rear of truck and spin axle while in neutral.
 
I'll try and get out there tonight and take a look. Supposed to be headed up north tomorrow afternoon - trying to figure out if this is a show stopper, or something that can be driven on fixed next week.
 
OK - ripped into it. (Note to self - buy a good bottle jack, as both of my garage jacks couldn't get on the outside portion of the axle of this truck.)

Took the tire off, and it quickly became apparent that the thin metal plate that tucks into the inside of the rotor was clearly in very bad shape. The top-rear portion of it was completely rusted away - gone. The top center-to-right portion, up to almost where the caliper is, is there but in very rough shape. Same with the bottom half.. only area that was left was where the emergency brake cable ties in.

Right or wrong, I ripped the majority of that plate out... assuming it's the backing plate you referred to. It literally took me 2 minutes with a flat blade screw driver to just pry/pop/poke holes in that plate to remove it - most of it was almost like paper. The top portion, closest to the caliper, was in the best condition... and as I didn't want to get into removing the caliper at midnight in my driveway on a work night, I just left that piece of the plate in.

Put it all back together... no more squealing. Seems that was it. I'm going to drive it work tomorrow... 80 miles round trip... should be a decent test before heading up north later tomorrow night.

Any opinions on what's involved to fix this correctly? Truck is about due for brakes on all 4 corners. How involved is it to replace that backing plate when I'm (or a shop) is already in there doing the brakes? Any issues with driving it until Fall w/o that backing plate in place?
 
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Only issue is debris potentially getting in there. Not hard to replace once you have it ripped apart. Extra 10-20 minutes to get that part out and new one in.
 
Killjoy said:
OK - ripped into it. (Note to self - buy a good bottle jack, as both of my garage jacks couldn't get on the outside portion of the axle of this truck.)

Took the tire off, and it quickly became apparent that the thin metal plate that tucks into the inside of the rotor was clearly in very bad shape. The top-rear portion of it was completely rusted away - gone. The top center-to-right portion, up to almost where the caliper is, is there but in very rough shape. Same with the bottom half.. only area that was left was where the emergency brake cable ties in.

Right or wrong, I ripped the majority of that plate out... assuming it's the backing plate you referred to. It literally took me 2 minutes with a flat blade screw driver to just pry/pop/poke holes in that plate to remove it - most of it was almost like paper. The top portion, closest to the caliper, was in the best condition... and as I didn't want to get into removing the caliper at midnight in my driveway on a work night, I just left that piece of the plate in.

Put it all back together... no more squealing. Seems that was it. I'm going to drive it work tomorrow... 80 miles round trip... should be a decent test before heading up north later tomorrow night.

Any opinions on what's involved to fix this correctly? Truck is about due for brakes on all 4 corners. How involved is it to replace that backing plate when I'm (or a shop) is already in there doing the brakes? Any issues with driving it until Fall w/o that backing plate in place?
Click to expand...

That's what most people do

Correct fix involves pulling both axles shafts

Sent from an undisclosed location
 
Not hard at all. Pop diff. cover off, pull diff pin and c-clips, remove axles. Replace backing plates. Reinstall everything. Shouldn't take longer than 2 or 3 hours start to finish.
 
Dorman makes 2 piece dust shields to avoid the hassle of pulling the diff apart. I know you can get them at AZ or probably other parts stores.
 
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