E-brake problems

What makes you think it is coming from the e-brake pads? Are they wore more than the other side? Sounds like a wheel bearing noise to me......

toypro said:

What makes you think it is coming from the e-brake pads? Are they wore more than the other side? Sounds like a wheel bearing noise to me......

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Thanks for the quick response, Toypro.

That's what I was thinking the other day when coming back from Seattle. I'm quite familiar with the sounds of bearings going as I did some test work on aluminum hubs for a couple summers in college before I got into software. This definitely bears a resemblance to that...

The reason that I suspect it's the pads is that I can hear a definite scrape when the assy is together, the calipers are removed, and I rotate the rotor. After removing the ebrake pads the scrape is gone. This leads me to believe that it's possibly the spring retraction malfunctioning or something.

Do you have any experience with the bearing assy. on the MkIV? Have you had a similar problem previously?

I've never come across this myself-I have heard the rear bearings are prone to go out. I don't have much experiences with the mkiv but as long as it is setup like most rear disc brake toyotas I'd assume there is a cable that actuates the e brake. The older mr2's are bad about having this cable sieze up and lock the ebakes on. You might be able to disconnect this cable and see if the nosie goes away. I am unware of anyway to check the cable-short of looking for kinks or bends in it. Look at the rear of the backing plate and see if there is a cable there-I am pretty sure if you undo this cable the pads will defalt into their "off" postion. Hope this helps.............

toypro said:

I've never come across this myself-I have heard the rear bearings are prone to go out. I don't have much experiences with the mkiv but as long as it is setup like most rear disc brake toyotas I'd assume there is a cable that actuates the e brake. The older mr2's are bad about having this cable sieze up and lock the ebakes on. You might be able to disconnect this cable and see if the nosie goes away. I am unware of anyway to check the cable-short of looking for kinks or bends in it. Look at the rear of the backing plate and see if there is a cable there-I am pretty sure if you undo this cable the pads will defalt into their "off" postion. Hope this helps.............

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You're right. They are set up the same (Same as my MkII as well, I might add.). Your hypothesis about the cable being stuck is exactly what I was thinking... but the evidence doesn't seem to be bearing that theory out right now.

That's a great idea. If I disconnect the cable, yet leave the ebrake assy. in place I can see if it's just weak springs or whatever. I'll do that tomorrow.

I think your conclusion about bearings might be correct though. The car only has 44k miles on it, which is pretty low for bearings to get nuked. Perhaps mine got a bad batch.

I'll test the car with the ebrake assy. attached but disconnected tomorrow and reply again.

Where did you hear about the rear bearings going out, btw?
thanks again.

I have seen a mkiv come into our shop and have a rear wheel bearing problem-I didn't work on it but I do know it was done under warrenty-which would have put it under 60k. I also thought that I read on here at sometime others were talking about rear wheel bearing problems. Let us know what you find out about that brake cable though-Other than the e brake completly locking up-I have never seen an adjustment problem with any of them before, but there is always a first for everything...