Appalling noise from rear brakes when reversing..

[Jim 2]

I feel like I've got a bit of mojo back for tackling some issues on the Corrado, so first up is one that's been bugging me intermittently for a while - this one is probably not helped by the continual rain we've had over the last few weeks.

 

When reversing the car, normally from cold (say first thing on a morning) the car will quite often make the most horrendous binding noise from the rear brakes that resonates through the car and almost sounds like a slightly higher pitched foghorn. I suspect it's quite loud from outside of the car too so it's rather embarrassing.

 

Thankfully parts for the rear brakes are quite reasonably priced from VW Spares. Nothing has been touched on the rear of the car since I've owned it apart from brake pads. Chatting to Graham at DG this weekend and he suggested that it could actually be down to the rear calliper carriers and the way that they wear and don't hold things in place properly. I'm debating picking up a pair of those and new bolts, and a slider pin kit and changing it all out. Before I spend money, I just wonder if anyone else had experienced this, and how did you tackle it?

 

Cheers.

[Bullfinch 0]

I have exactly the same problem so I'll be interested to know what fixes it. TBH - I try and minimise the effect by generally reversing very slowly and letting the natural laws of friction come into play.

[Jim 2]

I will be sure to update the thread. To be honest the rear discs and callipers look ancient. Probably wouldn't hurt to do a total overhaul back there!

[vw rule 19]

I know what you mean by the foghorn sound,

I get that on mine now and again,

mine was really load just before Christmas,

so decided to jack the car up and have a look.

 

My issue is both the rear brake calipers were binding,

so unbolted both of them and managed to free off the tight pistons,

my O/S/R one is still ok for now,

but my N/S/R caliper is starting to make the same noise now but not as bad.

 

So I'm in the same boat.

I have got a new seal kit for the rear brakes,

but my N/S/R piston is quite bad so may have to purchase a new caliper.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Si

[stuarttaylor37 13]

I've got the same type of noise on my daily-only when its 1st moving after being parked up and forward as well as reverse. I wondered if it was something to do with wheel bearings as they're getting noisier as well? Just guessing though

[sexybourbon 0]

Adding to the cause will be the fact that the handbrake has been on all night and the disks if they have had rain or spray or even of ground them will have made them rust slightly , if your pads are low that won't help as the piston has to push hurt her out to reach the worn disk ! In turn pushing the piston out more and crudding it up more for it then to return back in the the caliper and probably hardening off in there especially if your seals are buggered

 

I'd say cleaning the the carriers with a power tool with a wire wheel on would do the trick and new disk and pads and a caliper rebuild , never heard of carriers wearing out tho

[robrado974 1]

Mine is the same , also the discs are rusty through lack of use , when I put the brakes on it sounds like there's no pad left . I'm doing the mk4 conversion soon , that will sort it .

Rob

[Jim 2]

Awful this morning again - even just reversing at walking speed the brakes were making the noise. Definitely need to get this looked at pretty soon.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'm doing the mk4 conversion soon , that will sort it .

 

Erm, no it won't! :D

 

It's just a schitt design. VAG tried all sorts of methods to try to quash the groaning, ranging from heavy rubber weights on the Octavia to super strong springs on the R32, but nothing stopped it.

 

I believe the MK6 has moved to an electric rear caliper (for the handbrake) but MK2 to MK5 all suffer the same w@nky rear brakes.

 

If the calipers are clean and rust free inside, a rebuild kit from Bigg Red or Brakeparts4less may solve it, but if they're in a bad way (usually why they sieze up in the first place), only replacing the entire thing will work.

 

By the way, those sliding pins and the pad tracks in the carriers should be serviced every year. Cleaned and lubed with silicon grease.

[Jim Bowen 1]

I had that noise on mine, but changed the whole lot of brakes at once so couldn't really pin point what fixed it, but i've never had the noise since.

 

Did 288mm fronts and the mk4 rears.

[n3p 3]

Had the same noise, ended up changing a rear caliper!

[Jon_vr6 1]

Mine still does it occasionally after short drives think it needs a new caliper as handbrake cables have been changed and so have discs n pads.

[Tempest 0]

Now's the time to get Mk4 calipers on there, yes, they introduce some slight new issues (like potential of bleeder valves getting stuck in the alloy caliper, but religiously undoing these every 2 years when bleeding brakes has never caused me problems with the valves getting stuck), but solve that dreaded binding handbrake issue, too.

 

Indeed, it is a sh*t design by VW, my Dad's Passat in the 80s (Mk2 calipers) had this problem, and it always woke me up in the morning when he set off to work. Back then VW just said to my Dad, who complained bitterly, that this was normal! Erm, yes, funny no-one else seems to have this problem.

 

Tempest

[Jim 2]

Now's the time to get Mk4 calipers on there, yes, they introduce some slight new issues (like potential of bleeder valves getting stuck in the alloy caliper, but religiously undoing these every 2 years when bleeding brakes has never caused me problems with the valves getting stuck), but solve that dreaded binding handbrake issue, too.

 

Indeed, it is a sh*t design by VW, my Dad's Passat in the 80s (Mk2 calipers) had this problem, and it always woke me up in the morning when he set off to work. Back then VW just said to my Dad, who complained bitterly, that this was normal! Erm, yes, funny no-one else seems to have this problem.

 

Tempest

 

Yeah - might be time to think about doing the old MK4 calipers. Another expense :|

[Jon_vr6 1]

I put mk4 calipers on but used ones dont know what possessed me as everything else was brand new. Let that be a lesson brand new ones

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah - might be time to think about doing the old MK4 calipers. Another expense :|

 

They don't solve that noise, as I said previously.

 

The MK4 calipers on my old Corrado and my current MK4 make the same noise when things get clagged up back there. Strip it all down, grease it up and it's quiet again.

 

It's got nothing to do with the caliper version itself, but rather the design of the whole setup.

 

Rebuild or replace - http://brakeparts.co.uk/#page=parts&pageSection=BHR&mancode=VW&brand=VW&model=CORRADO&modelversion=CORR*(92-95)+VR6+COUPE

[robrado974 1]

Erm, no it won't! :D

 

It's just a schitt design. VAG tried all sorts of methods to try to quash the groaning, ranging from heavy rubber weights on the Octavia to super strong springs on the R32, but nothing stopped it.

 

I believe the MK6 has moved to an electric rear caliper (for the handbrake) but MK2 to MK5 all suffer the same w@nky rear brakes.

 

If the calipers are clean and rust free inside, a rebuild kit from Bigg Red or Brakeparts4less may solve it, but if they're in a bad way (usually why they sieze up in the first place), only replacing the entire thing will work.

 

By the way, those sliding pins and the pad tracks in the carriers should be serviced every year. Cleaned and lubed with silicon grease.

Bummer , well at least the mk4 is better than what's on there .

[KIPVW 0]

Jim, have this too with my daily and odd now and again on the VR and everything including calipers were changed when i did the big refurb, i think it's like a bicycle disc brake in that they get used to going one way more than the other and they toe themselves into that direction.

 

I recently changed the rear discs, pads and bearings plus new h/brake cables too and it still does it lol! It's just how they are i guess :)

[Jim 2]

Doh - so even with your level of detail on repair jobs, it's still a problem. I've got no hope! :)

 

I did read that VW used to sell some kind of shim kit to fix this back in the day, though I doubt they still do so I think the most sensible thing I can do is nice new callipers and maybe discs when I've got some spare pennies and see if that improves matters.

 

Maybe a clean / grease of the slider pins would be a cheap starter for ten though.

[jscVR6 0]

KevinBacon is right, new parts won't necessarily fix it...

I had this exact same problem immediately AFTER replacing all the rear brakes with new genuine Mk4 callipers, carriers, genuine discs and genuine pads. The new pads had a self adhesive backing and I put the noise down to this not allowing the pads any movement, so I stripped it all again and copper greased everything and it's much better. Still does it occasionally tho but no where near as loud.

[KIPVW 0]

Yeah check the pads move freely on the carrier as that may help. I did this too and doesnt happen as often but it still happens lol. Bloody things :)

[tony_ack 0]

Mine did this, and then last week it started making a horrible grinding noise - I stripped down the brakes and the inner pad on the nearside was down to the metal! Caused by a stuck guide pin. The brakes had been stripped down and cleaned 2 years ago, and discs/pads/bearings were replaced 6 months before that.

 

Clean up and grease everything. File off and wire brush any rust. There's so much potential for seizing on the rear brakes - the piston, handbrake mech, pads on the carriers, slide pins... if any one of those isn't at its best, then the pad is going to wedge against the disc. Check the wheel bearings are tight too - it's not these making the noise, but play in the wheels may be causing some uneven pad wear.

 

I didn't know that the brakes needed re-greasing every year, but it's something I'm definitely adding to my service schedule now.

[Erallus 10]

Great advice here,

 

Have the same problem with mine, had the car for just over a year and its getting worse!

 

Will make sure I learn how to do this.

 

Cheers

[tony_ack 0]

I've just cleaned up the rear brakes and changed the pads from the VW ones (which have always whined, even when I replaced the bearings, pads discs and refurbed the callipers) to Pagid ones, and the whine has gone! It's nice to have brakes that are silent again!

[daxmatt 0]

Jim, have this too with my daily and odd now and again on the VR and everything including calipers were changed when i did the big refurb, i think it's like a bicycle disc brake in that they get used to going one way more than the other and they toe themselves into that direction.

 

I recently changed the rear discs, pads and bearings plus new h/brake cables too and it still does it lol! It's just how they are i guess :)

 

 

yeah funny you should say that Paul it does it on my new daily aswell lol, as said I think it's just one of those things they do iv had it on 2 others with the same brake setup and they did it even when new pads,discs,calipers and bearings have been fitted