1999 Lumina Clunk noise from right rear

[Moldy]

I just installed new drums on the back and there is a clunking noise from the right rear under braking from under 20mph or so and speeds and slows with the car.makes me think it is something with the brakes or wheel. But I have checked and rechecked and found nothing and it all looks fine even checked the struts and nothing loose. This noise started after replacing the drums.

[dodgethis]

I would almost wonder if your parking break cable is grinding on the inner edge of the drum. It can make a semi noise similar to what your talking about. How is the breaking? Does it go away when you break?

[White93z34]

I don't know much about w-body drum brakes, but could it be that the adjusters are not turned out yet?

I know I was told once upon a time drive backwards and sharply apply brakes to get it back into adjustment.

[Moldy]

The noise is only when braking and only at lower speeds and slows down with the car. Weird when stopping from 70mph from an off ramp it didn't make a sound at all. I am having trouble visualizing where the parking cable would rub. I did take the drum off and check to see if anything was grinding but I could not see anything unusual.

[Moldy]

I don't know much about w-body drum brakes, but could it be that the adjusters are not turned out yet?

I know I was told once upon a time drive backwards and sharply apply brakes to get it back into adjustment.

Well I adjusted the brakes because with the new drums the parking brake wouldn't turn off the brake light. I read through the manual and made sure everything was done properly and it mentioned nothing about this, but it did say to press the parking brake 10 times and press the brake pedal 30 times or so.

[White93z34]

did the old shoes have a short/long contact area... IE are the front and back shoes different? are you sure they are on right if they are?

[Jprice90]

check the hub, the dust shield thing was rubbing onto my hub and making that noise, i thought it was my brakes also..i believe my noise was coming from the same side too

[Moldy]

check the hub, the dust shield thing was rubbing onto my hub and making that noise, i thought it was my brakes also..i believe my noise was coming from the same side too

Are you talking about this? The backing plate? I put the drums on and checked the clearance but maybe its possible when the wheels are on it rubs?

[Moldy]

I figured it out today! Piece of crap chinese brake drums rub against the backing plate. I returned the one and got a new one but it still rubbed so I ground down the part that should have been machined properly from the factory. No more annoying clunking. I should have taken photos to show just how bad the drum was rubbing on the backing plate.

Maybe you guys wont have the same problem but it might be best to stay away from Autozone Valucraft 8939 brake drums.

[Jprice90]

yeah man, thats what i was talking aboutt, glad you got it

[Moldy]

thanks for the help. If anyone else has the same problem look for wear which will show as shiny marks on the backing plate in the area shown in red.

I didn't think this was the problem because I marked the drum where it would be grinding with a marker and mounted the drum turning it by hand and there was no areas removed from the inked parts of drum. For some reason when the wheel is then mounted to drum and car driven then the drum would grind.

This was a bit of a trick to diagnose but luckily its fixed and I didn't have to grind much off the drum.
brake.jpg

[Schurkey]

I know I was told once upon a time drive backwards and sharply apply brakes to get it back into adjustment.

Absolutely correct...for vehicles with leading/trailing shoe brakes. GM went away from leading/trailing shoe design twemty+ years ago.

(Star wheel adjuster link at bottom of shoes, transfers force from primary shoe to secondary shoe.)