GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

2003 Vibe. Without turning the car on and the car is in park - if you press the brake pedal there is a squeak coming from the rear wheels. What is the most likely cause of this type of squeak? Is the solution simply to grease some mechanical brake part? Thanks!

your rear brake shoes are rubbing on the drum backing plate. re-lubricating the contact points of the shoes to the backing plate will eliminate this.

Ah, so even when the wheel is not moving the shoe to drum backing plate interface can still squeak?

I've been meaning to look at my son's rear drum brakes. His squeak right when you let up off the brakes. Just haven't had the time.

viberu wrote:Ah, so even when the wheel is not moving the shoe to drum backing plate interface can still squeak?

yes, these parts still move even when not moving.

Is it possible to just remove the wheel in order to lubricate these points? Or, must I remove the springs and shoes? Thanks.

you'll need to remove the drum. it's up to you if you want to remove the retaining washers and springs holding the shoes to the plate. i remove the washer and springs so i can get better clearance to re-lube the contact points and not smear any grease on the shoe lining. some people get away w only using a screwdriver to lift the shoe away to re-grease.

while you're at it you may as well adjust the clearance between the shoes and drums, this way you'll have a more responsive braking.

I thought the rear drums were auto-adjust?

they are, but but only minimally. when the shoe clearances are too far out but too close to self adjust then the brake pedal will be mushy, taking the car a longer distance to stop....similar to air in the brake lines, that kind of soft pedal feel.

readjusting the shoe clearances will improve brake feel and response.

when the shoe clearances are too far away from the drum the hydraulic system will need to compensate for these clearances until the shoes start to grab. the wheel cylinders use up most of the hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder while the pedal is pressed to push the shoes closer to the drum....once the cylinders take up whatever pressure/fluid it needs, the residual pressure is then transferred to the front calipers.

if the shoes are adjusted closer to the drum then the cylinders won't need as much fluid pressure. if the rear cylinders take up very little pressure to move the shoes then the rest of the pressure will transfer to the front calipers faster and the pedal will be firmer and the car will stop quicker.

My 05 squeaks like that as well. I haven't made the time to look at it. Would like to have someone apply the brakes with the drum off to see where it's coming from.