Rear Brakes.

I hope someone has some ideas. I have a 98 Grand Am SE. Since I purchased it I have nothing but problems with the rear brakes. First it would lock up the RT Rear all the time when damp out. I removed the rear drums and found the the wheel cyinder was leaking,so I returned the car to where I purchased it and they repaired the wheel cylinder,replaced the shoes and drums. Now the car shakes like crazy and the rear brakes seem to come on before the fronts. I looked at the brakes myself and they look go so I figured that they installed the cheapest drums they could find and the have worped already. So I purchased new drums and installed them myself and adjusted up the rear brakes.Still has a bad shake just different and the rear brakes still come on to soon. They are not over adjusted !!! . Any ideas and any idea why the rears are coming on so soon.

you sure you never ajusted rear brakes to much? if you think there ok on ajusting your front rubber brake lines going to caliper might be colapsing.


SCRAPPER.......

Sounds like multiple issues here. Make sure you do not have the rear brake shoes so tight the drum is difficult to turn by hand. Next, re-bleed the entire system 'cause you may have air in the front lines that is keeping them from actuating properly. Lastly, re-torque all four wheel lugs (by hand) to the factory torque specifications to help eliminate the shaking.

If your front wheels were overtorqued its very possible your front rotors are already warped. This is very common on these cars, and its something thats very easy to do. If your rotors are infact warped, I suggest replacing them as the cost for machining them is very close to the cost of replacing them, and I have also found that after you have the front rotors machined on fwd cars they tend to warp very easily.

Sounds like you need to bleed the front really well too.
Since they replaced the rear shoes/drum chances are they bleed them so now they are working bettter then the front, which isnt normal. You might want to check the rear adjuster too, as if they arent turning properly you can over adjust the brakes to tight.

So does the shaking come front th efront or the rear ?
LIke the other said these rotors warp pretty easy, and when you turn them they become thinner so warping becomes a bigger issue.

If the shakes soming from the front I'd replace the rotors and pads. Also replace the clips and pins(grease these well) and your problems should go away..

Hope that helps and Welcome to AF 05trx500fe !

if you still have problems after all this you might want to replace your paporshaning valve..thats where all the brake lines go into if you don't know what i'm talking about???? good luck....


SCRAPPER....

If the proportioning valve was bad it would show on a thorough DTC scann.

I Feel For You Bud My 97 I Bought In 2001 And Have Had The Rear Brakes Changed At Least Once Every Six Months Since I've Owned It
Rear Shoes Keep Cracking In Half The First Time I Did The Brakes My Self So I Thought Mabey I Did Somthing Wrong Since Then I've Taken It To Different Garages To Have It Done With No Better Rusults

Good Luck

I Feel For You Bud My 97 I Bought In 2001 And Have Had The Rear Brakes Changed At Least Once Every Six Months Since I've Owned It
Rear Shoes Keep Cracking In Half The First Time I Did The Brakes My Self So I Thought Mabey I Did Somthing Wrong Since Then I've Taken It To Different Garages To Have It Done With No Better Rusults
Good Luck
That sounds kinda weird but if they indeed are breaking up I wonder if the shoes are dragging for some reason and over-heating. You might check the drums occasionally to be sure they are not locked down tight after a jaunt down the freeway.

If you get the shoes on backwards they'll crack too.

If you get the shoes on backwards they'll crack too.

chances are if you took your car to a midas or another shop like this they put the shoes on the same way they were on the car before, so if you accidently put them on backwards, they probably did too. might not hurt to make sure they are on your car right ... :2cents:

glad you figured it out..i had a vw bug come in and thats what was wrong with it..dam shoes on backwards..when i was working at another shop..but got my own now...forgot about that deal but that was in about 1989....