rear brake noise on Astra

My nearly 3 year old Astra 1.7dti sometimes makes a ticking or clicking noise from the rear (drum) brakes when I brake.

I have had the funny men at the garage clean the assy twice now. The second time they decided I had to pay! Both times it seems to have stopped the noise. It's just started to do the same thing again now so I've decided and told them when it gets worse I'll invite someone along to listen to it.

I have been assured this is nothing to worry about but I suspect its a design fault with rear drum brakes. Why have a 20,000 mile or yearly service when you need a 5 or 6 month brake clean?

I'd like to know whether any other Vauxhall's have the same problem or whether I'm just bloody paranoid!

My next car probably wont be another Vauxhall.

Wouldn't have a Vauxhall either m8, been drivin them as company motors for 5 years now. All 1.7 diesels, never had that problem tho. The engine usually just blows up on me, do you think I rip the erse out of them too much?!!!


:Chainsaw: :Chainsaw: :mexican:

I thought the engine was pretty nippy for the size and the fact that it IS a diesel! Doesnt dTi mean there is a turbo in there somewhere?
I guess I would thrash it harder if it belonged to my firm. I dont brake hard (mostly) though so I dont think it is anything I'm doing.

Got a 2.0 Dti Vectra now, what a feckin difference that makes on the way to Inverness. I can overtake now!!!!!!

If you're any good with your hands it's easy to clean the brakes. Have done it on me mothers Clio a few times. Clean with compressed air or a dry cloth, NO Fluids.

Remove the drum and make sure the inside surface is uniform, check the brake shoes to see if they are uniform aswell. Inspect for anything that could snag on the wheel when suspension lifts due to braking.

If the sound is on one side, check for stones in the tyre tread or swap the wheels around at the back. If the sound moves to the other side then the wheel or tyre is at fault.

If all else fails, replace the drums and shoes. It may be pricey depending where you go but you can't skimp on your brakes (front or rear) cause your life depends on them. It aint nice when they fail, me m8 ended up in the New Releases section of a Blockbusters in a Mini cause they failed.

It don't sound like anything to worry about but it is a pain in the erse, Tick tick tick tick tick tick!!!!

Tim20 just thought i would let you know that i've had the 1.7td isuzu astra,cavalier and vectra's (good little workhorses by the way) and what you will probably find is that either the springs are week (bottom ones normally) or their is too much wear on the drums and the shoes slip down on the backplate, believe me i've had this noise before and it wasnt until one side started locking on that i found out what the problem was, hope this helps out. regards to all Billyhl

When you clean em up make sure there is a touch of copper slip between the face of the shoe and the back plate, this prevents a squeek when you brake as metal on metal usually does....

Cheers guys! I was wondering if it was a weak spring as it sounds like a metal tick, you'd think the garage would check that, but maybe I will ask them to replace them when it gets worse. The actual braking performance doesnt seem to be affected but its another annoying noise, and I agree, you cant ignore them.

I used to have a go at my motors but they're getting increasingly more difficult to do anything to what with all the special types of tools you need nowadays. If you can pay the incredible labour charges you'd rather let them do it
ahhh! Those were the days... Brake drums used to stick. Water pumps pissed themselves when you KNOW you tightened all the bolts correctly, the wheel you changed went flat as you lowered the car, and I always knicked the skin on my finger!

nothing wrong with me "h" reg cavalier still pulls 135mph and its done over 162000 miles with only 1 oil and filter change in 3 years
its never broken down and has had 1 ball joint,1 rear wheel bearing and 6 tyres so i cant complain.. and it takes me all over scotland.. also gets put down quarter mile every fortnight at the local race track... its the only car i havent killed so far