Annoying clicking/tapping noise from rear...

[MoparJ]

What's up everyone, noob here...I searched, but I couldn't find any posts with a problem exactly like mine, so here's what's going on:

I was driving around town one day and hit the brakes normally at a light. Right before I came to a stop, I heard something from the rear passenger wheel pop and start to scrape. As I drove back home, the scraping got louder and louder; I thought a wheel bearing exploded at first, but the noise would just randomly come and go. So after taking things apart a few times, I finally see that the parking brake shoe retaining spring broke and caused the shoe to jam itself into the rotor hat. I completely disconnected the parking brake assembly on the pass. side, put everything back together, and drove the car; no noise at all. I thought I had fixed the problem...

That was a couple of weeks ago; now the last few days, there has been a ticking/tapping/sometimes loud clacking noise coming from the same wheel. I've had this damn thing apart 5 times now, and I can't seem to find what's causing it. It happens randomly and the noise is never exactly the same; it doesn't matter if I'm accelerating, braking or coasting, although it isn't as loud when the car is above 30mph or so.

Any ideas?

[ldsbeaker]

I've got the same thing. I thought it was my emergency brake as well. (my wife decided to drive around with it on one day...)
But I don't know for sure.

[MoparJ]

I'll tell you one thing: if one of those shoes decides to let go, you'll know right away. :crazy: I pretty sure people heard the screeching a mile away...

[eurotrash]

chances are its the pad clips that keep the brake pad from bouncing around the caliper and the rotor, mine has been doing the same thing and im just too lazy to pull it apart. ive had a few mkII vw's that have had the same problem. just buy the clip and relace there real cheap all else fails its prob a good idea on a 15+ year car anyways. let us know if you figure it out if its happening with yours and its not the clip it could be whats goin on with mine.

[MoparJ]

Thanks, I'll check them out. I'll probably end up replacing everything back there anyway; the parts are cheap enough...

[2002maniac]

I have had the same problem for quite a while. Let us know if you figure it out. I've been through the whole rear end 3 times now and have'nt noticed anything abnormal..

[thereisnoyun]

guys....

I have the same problem, and it turns out to be the ebrake bowden cable. the cable extends through to reach that little mechanism that pulls teh ebrake shoe, if it looses it tension and its defective, it wiggles around in there and it'll grind against anything thats moving. Not saying its your problem.... jsut saying its mine, and it might be yours :P

[el_4ever]

chances are its the pad clips that keep the brake pad from bouncing around the caliper and the rotor, mine has been doing the same thing and im just too lazy to pull it apart. ive had a few mkII vw's that have had the same problem. just buy the clip and relace there real cheap all else fails its prob a good idea on a 15+ year car anyways. let us know if you figure it out if its happening with yours and its not the clip it could be whats goin on with mine.

+1