# Brake Grinding **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 9, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082 "2014-09-09T06:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 6:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/1 "2014-09-09T06:53:42Z")
1950 cadillac - standard drums on all 4 corners. I put new wheel cylinders on each drum, and replaced the drivers front hose, as it was clogged. The passenger side I left because it works and doesnt leak. Ive cleaned all the brake surfaces, shoes and drums, and bled everything. When I brake, and only when I brake, the front right makes a grinding noise and the car pulls to the right. I tried tightening the star wheel today to bring the shoes inward in hopes that would equalize brake pressure up front, but when trying again today, I got that grinding sound still. Theres no scoring or gouges on the shoes, drum, and the inner and outer ball bearings seem fine - round chrome balls with no discoloration, no gouges on the spindles. Granted I dont drive this far at all, especially now that I have this grinding. Any ideas? How can I really tell if its the ball bearings? It only makes the grind when Im on the brakes. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/2 "2014-09-09T07:14:43Z")
You’re sure the primary and secondary shoes are in their proper position on that drum? Tester ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/3 "2014-09-09T16:22:59Z")
I never removed them so they should be right ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 5:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/4 "2014-09-09T17:48:50Z")
You can’t assume that they are correct! A buddy had a Mustang he bought new on which the rear drum brakes were installed in reverse! ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/5 "2014-09-09T18:01:38Z")
I didnt realize you could do that. I’ll take pics today. I think these were used on the car for a while, although they still have life left. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/6 "2014-09-09T18:17:25Z")
it s easy to mix up. on my jeep, the primary shoe is smaller than the secondary shoe, I had to triple check it because it seemed counter intuitive to me. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/7 "2014-09-09T18:22:55Z")
@wesw‌ If the shoes are of a different size, the smaller one is always the leading, or forward shoe, and the larger is the trailing, or rearward shoe. Or as an old-timer taught me way back when, “the fat chick rides in back.” ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/8 "2014-09-09T20:36:23Z")
Shoes are correct. Naturally the picture uploading for this forum from a mobile device is unresponsive ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/9 "2014-09-09T20:42:42Z")
Do the best you can to make sure the shoes fit the drum properly and are adjusted properly. If the arc on the shoe isn’t correct it will hit on a small portion of the friction lining. That may be a problem with the left brake (the one opposite the pull). The right pull indicates the right brake is working better than the left. The right brake grinding may indicate one or the other shoe is not mating quite right with the drum. You may be able to bed-in both sets of shoes (carefully because of that pull!) and then adjust them if things get a little better to even things out. Drive around the block at 25 mph braking for each corner until the brakes get hot. Let is col and do it a couple more times to bed in the linings. May help even things out after another adjustment. Drum brakes, by design, help magnify the force applied by the slave cylinder. That means when you have one brake working better or worse than the other, it is a LOT better or worse. Disk brakes don’t have so much gain so small errors stay small. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/10 "2014-09-09T20:42:44Z")
Saw car show where they put car on roller device to measure %difference between left/right wheel. You need to verify performance to legally register car in that locale. Interesting ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/11 "2014-09-10T00:07:39Z")
Im having the drums resurfaced now. Re-greasing the inner and outer bearings didnt solve the problem. A pic i posted on a hot rod website gave me a comment that it looked to have hot spots. Took me two tries and having to go Back and get my shop manual for specs for a shop to take them on and resurface them. The first mechanic had never worked with drums like this. Understandable with it being 64 year old technology. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/12 "2014-09-10T01:24:17Z")
Did you grease the backing plates? Ball bearings? ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/13 "2014-09-10T01:41:39Z")
Unless you are talking about a bicycle that should be roller bearings. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/14 "2014-09-10T02:14:57Z")
I thought “roller bearings” too until I saw this: > **[1948 1952 Ford Truck FRONT TUBE SHOCK MOUNTS Original pair F1 pickup panel |...](http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/360939808119?lpid=82)** > > Offered today is a pair of Ford F-1 shock mounts commonly used on vintage style hot rods. They're in Farm fresh condition with some surface rust but they are originals. These came with a model A roadster project that I no longer own so it's time to... ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/15 "2014-09-10T02:28:28Z")
Insightful you got it. Thats the outer and theres also an inner bearing set. The resurface fixed the problem! And guess what else, the guy didnt charge me! He said it was too much hassle, the system only allows them to charge 199 for a brake job and he wasnt going to charge me that. He insisted a handshake and a smile was all he needed. How about that!? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/16 "2014-09-10T02:42:45Z")
Incredible. Put that guy on the mechanics file. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/17 "2014-09-10T02:47:21Z")
At least drop off a couple dozen Krispy Kremes the next time you pass by. ---
**Author:** ![wesw](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wesw/32/2713_2.png) [@wesw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wesw)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/18 "2014-09-10T02:53:55Z")
nice… looks like you found a good shop for future work ---
**Author:** ![Fender1325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fender1325](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Fender1325)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/19 "2014-09-10T03:18:44Z")
Yeah, I’ll have to do something tomorrow for the guys ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082/20 "2014-09-10T03:57:53Z")
I have drums all around on my early 70’s Ford truck, with the similar type of removable bearings (on the front). But I think on the truck they are rolling cylinders, not spherical bearings. Anyway, when I do this type of job on the truck – very infrequently as the truck isn’t driven very many miles per year these days – I always re-pack the removable front bearings as part of the process. I also put witness marks so I can be sure to install the drum in the same orientation w/respect to the hub as it was. After removing the drum (often a challenge) I remove the shoes and springs, I clean everything off to the point of being close to spotless with brake cleaner. Then I lube the metal to metal points with brake grease, and re-install the shoes, etc. I do one side at a time, so if I’m confused which part goes where, I always have the other side for reference. That has saved my bacon several times. Plus it prevents accidentally switching parts from the right to the left etc. I often find while doing all this I need to replace some part or the other due to wear, usually it is something to do with the automatic adjustment mechanism. Before I re-install the drums, I take the opportunity to rough the drum’s contact surface with some 100 grit Al O2 sandpaper, in a cross hatch pattern. Then I thoroughly clean the drum surfaces with brake fluid. After that, it’s simply replace the drums and minimize and equalize all the shoe-to-drum distances with the star wheel adjusters. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/brake-grinding/87082.md?page=2)