I have a grinding noise coming from the back of the car when I use the brakes. Easy to diagnose, right? I went to get the brakes checked and they are fine. It's loud when you first start it up and quiets down as the trip progresses. Is this an axle issue? I know I have a bad speed sensor on the right front wheel that triggers the ABS INOP light. I'm just not sure where to go next.

 

Axle bearings? Diff giving out, parking brake shoes dragging, Center support bearing on the driveline going bad. Just a couple of things to check out.

Massey

 

my '00 v6 had a similar, if not the same issue. we sent it to my uncle, a mechanic, and he ended up replacing the whole rear axle, differential and rear wheel bearings. lucky he had a spare rear end from a donar car at his shop so he gave us the parts free...anyways i just wanna say it may be the differential and/or rear bearings

 

The engine is about to give up AND the rear too? This car just wants to die. I'm done with it. It's enough to make me wanna go buy a Ford Focus.


...firing up Craigslist....looking for another 4th gen to throw money at.....life is good.

 

Get that speed sensor fixed, it's not hard. How are you slide pins -- perhaps they haven't been changed in a long while? They should be lubed and smooth, not grooved at all.

Separately, it sounds like you need differential rebuild -- I posted about a year ago about my RS that was done under extended warranty. The sound I had was a loud whirring noise, and it's more grinding as it gets worse. Same thing I had done under ext. warranty on my SS.

I am telling you guys -- get extended warranties for your daily drivers, esp. if you drive it hard -- they have always more than paid for themselves, and you can have the dealer do the work! I paid maybe $1500 for 3 yrs 36,000 mi. & $0 deductible on the RS ($100 deductible on the SS which has a lot more miles) -- as long as you're under 100k mi. -- prices go up after that...

 

Just an update....

I had a donor motor from a junkyard 2000 Camaro put in last month. The mechanic dropped the motor from the bottom and had the tranny and driveshaft off. After the motor was installed and everything was put back together, the sound is still there but much quieter. If it is the rear or axle going out, will the entire rear from a donor Z28 or SS work? Mine has drum rear brakes and I want 4 disc brakes and 373 gears anyway. If I do this, do I need to change anything else? Maybe the PCM or brake booster or new/different brake lines?

 

Are you sure you do not just have rust building up on your brake drums? If the car sat for a long time (like a year) rust can build on the brakes. Once that happens your drums will rust up everytime it rains or they get wet. My daughter Sunfire s like that, the day after a rain it sounds like crap. If we drive some where the noise get better. If I park in the garage it makes very little noise. The fix is to replace the drums and shoes. With almost 200K on it I told her to just drive it till it need new brakes. It really will not hurt anything.

 

The noise is there rain or shine. It sounds like I'm grinding metal to metal on brake shoes, but I had them checked out and they are fine. The car sat for only 6 weeks awaiting an engine and it was worse before the engine swap.

 

What does that tell you, and why are you then assuming it might be an axle problem? Could be you have metallic brake shoes, and that's just the noise they're making against the drums. Could also be a built up ridge of rust crust (common to have) on the very edge of the drum braking surface. If it bothers you, try different shoes and listen if the noise goes away.