Citi golf Chico 1.4 2006 rear brakes

[Badboysella]

Hi All

Hope this is the right place to post this as i do not want to violate any of the vwclubs rules.

My Chico has recently started making a squealing noise from the rear brakes (after driving a bit and drums are warmed up).

i was told it was the brake dust and also the hard material of the brake shoes, i then replaced is with a softer compound shoes but it had no effect.
i was told my drums are fine (not warped or grove and those kind of things)

i do not know what to do next - is brake conversion a feasible option (converting rear drum to disc) if yes what does this entail with regards with the actual process and the price.

options ive seen (by googling) are replacing the rear axle with a axle that has a disc brake on , or taking of the drum brake and putting in the disc with the new plate ) i am not mechanically inclined so i will not be doing it my self. im just looking at my options.

Or any suggestions in fixing the irritating squeal, also as a side note ive had the car for 3 years replaced the brakes when i got it , then about 7/8 months ago i replaced the rear brakes the noise only started about a month ago (after the noise started i replaced the rear brakes again (softer compound) which had no effect )

Any assistance and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Selwyn Landman

[smitbrandon]

Bleh I had the same issue and in result I ended up HATING DRUM BRAKES, had to clean my drums out 1 a week otherwise the dust collected over the past 7 days causes it to squeak again.. Essentially yes you can do a brake disc conversion but you will need to do research on what you will need, from brake cables to brake discs etc it's a one day project so it's not to hectic. Should you do the conversion, prepare for the brake dust to modify your rear rims as what they do to your front rims

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[Badboysella]

Thanks , Is there a easy way to clean the drums without taking the wheels of or drums apart. i have tried using the air pumps at petrol stations to try and use the air to get the dust out (this does get dust out as i can clearly see it but it does not help with the squealing

[Ashveer03]

A "softer" brake shoe will give off more dust than a "harder" shoe.

I have always either used ate or autobahn brake shoes with no squeaky problems at all.

Converting from drum to disc just because of a squeak is abit too much, just use proper stuff.

And no, installing rear disc brakes will not mess up the rims as the front because the front brakes has like 70% braking force were the rear has 30% braking force.

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[panic-mechanic]

have never heard a squeeling back brake on a golf ever. You sure they are installed correctly?

[Badboysella]

have never heard a squeeling back brake on a golf ever. You sure they are installed correctly?

Yes they were installed correctly as they were quiet for about 5/6 months after being installed.

[Badboysella]

Hi All

Just an Update , the brakes are now squealing from start up (it does not have to get warm anymore)

so basically where i stand now is that i had my rear drum brakes replaced in January 2017(9 months ago) all was quiet till about a so 2months ago when my rear drum brakes started squealing (after driving for a while and brakes are warm) - i replaced the harder compound brake shoe with a bit softer compound shoe. this did not make any difference. I have been using the air pumps at petrol stations to try and get the Dust out (it does get quite alot out like that ) but it does not really help . Yesterday i noted that even just driving when the brakes are cold the brakes are squealing during the last part of me stoppin and as they warm up it just gets louder.

any advise would be appreciated (as the conversion option does not seem possible for me)

Thanks

[VAG Fan]

I'm also at a loss. I've covered about 400.000 km in various VW Mk1 cars with rear drum brakes and have had my fair share of shoe re-lining or replacements, drum skimming, drum replacements, wheel cylinder replacements, hand brake issues, etc., but the one thing that I've never heard is a Mk1 drum brake squealing. (Cars like the Kadett E and Corsa bakkie come to mind.)

Out of interest, which supplier / manufacturer did you use for the replacement brakes? Were both the shoes and the drums replaced, or are the drums still original?

[Badboysella]

Drums was replaced about 3 years ago when i bought the vehicle (not sure what the brand of the drums are)
The softer brake shoe i have on now is Surebrake (From Goldwagen), before that i don't know what the harder one was )which was put in about 9 months ago) as is was put in by best drive.

[Badboysella]

Hi All

Just want to ask if the following sounds legit for the problem explained above:

As the drums have worn down over the use replacing them with Standard size brake shoes cause there to be a gap between the actual braking shoes and the drum. this in turn causes the squealing noise that comes from my rear drum brakes as they are not making solid or intermediate contact with the drums as i apply brakes? Does this sound like what could cause the problem and also what has been suggested is that my drums will be skimmed and oversize brake shoes fitted and bonded (no idea what that means)

Any advise would be greatly appreciated as i would not want to spend more money chasing the wrong solutions.

Thanks
Regards
S. Landman

[VAG Fan]

That explanation doesn't sound particularly legit to me.

As you use the brakes, the working surface of the shoe linings takes on the exact radius of the drum. Any space that is created by wear, is actually taken up by the automatic adjusting wedge in the mechanism. This automatically keeps the shoes close to the drum, and there should be no "intermittent" contact. As long as there is some lining left on the shoes, the shape of the shoe adapts to the drum, and the exact diameter of the drum should not play a role.

Furthermore, if new drums were installed 3 years ago (as you wrote above, on 20 October), I don't think they would have worn to an oversize by now.

But be that as it may, skimming and oversize shoes are not a very expensive repair, and it may be worth a try to solve the squealing. So, to give you an idea of what the repair entails:

Skimming means that the working surface of the drums is machined back into a smooth, round shape, to remove any ridges, oval etc. This can be done if the overall dimension after skimming is still within factory spec. Skimming increases the inside diameter, and therefore, in order to compensate, new linings (which have a corresponding thickness and radius, and are hence called "oversize") are typically bonded onto the brake shoe baseplate. I've had this done in my Mk1 and my Fox, and it has worked very well.

For starters, the drums and the shoe linings need to be inspected for the amount and the evenness of wear.

Any reputable brake and clutch shop should be able to do this for you.

[Badboysella]

Thank you so much for the reply. I will take the vehicle in tomorrow to Brake centre as they will be doing the above mentioned. i will update in the next day or two if this has indeed helped.

Thanks

[VAG Fan]

P.S.:

You should perhaps weigh your options.

New drums are not really expensive. And if your 3 year old drums started squealing only 6 months after fitting the new shoes this last January, then it may be the best option to throw these drums out completely and replace them with new ones from a reputable manufacturer. My first choice in brake parts is Ate, and after that Ferodo. But I've also used discs by Spirex, and the one time I've had to replace drums completely, I bought Alfa, and they are doing fine.

[Badboysella]

Thank you i will speak to the guys at Brake center and see what brands of drums they have to offer. and then perhaps do the complete overhaul doing the shoes and the drums.

[Howie-WP]

Hand brake sticking?

[Badboysella]

Hand brake sticking?

I do not think this is the problem as it only happens when i apply brakes and it goes away as soon as i release the brake pedal. unless that is a symptom??

[VAG Fan]

A sticking handbrake would be an indicator of severely worn shoes. (Although to my knowledge, for this to happen, the automatic adjuster would have to be fully extended, and one would also feel increased pedal travel.)

[Badboysella]

A sticking handbrake would be an indicator of severely worn shoes. (Although to my knowledge, for this to happen, the automatic adjuster would have to be fully extended, and one would also feel increased pedal travel.)

Shoes are definitely not worn (they are 2/3 weeks old ) but it has been suggested that the adjuster/ cylinder (not sure but the thing that pushes the shoes out as you apply pressure) might have lost of dust and dirt in and it has made a sludge and it might not be functioning properly. but this i will most likely only get the to have looked at this weekend.

As for the above mentioned skimming and oversized shoes, i am 1st trying other alternatives (as suggested that this will not solve my problem)

[Howie-WP]

OK, misread your OP...... based on your description, something is heating up, rubbing against another surface and causing the squeal. The squeal is it metalic or not? Something in the brake shoe / drum setup is causing the noise. It is a simple setup, perhaps remove the drum and see?