Rubbing Noise Caused by Parking Brake/Spring Kit? - United Bimmer Community

**Dathaeus** · 02-25-2009, 01:36 PM

Regarding: Rear passenger side wheel/axle

I had the bearings replaced in that wheel last year. Then went for an alignment. Car still didnt feel right, and there was a definite squeak and abrasive noise while moving, kinda of metallic. The guy told me when my bearings were bad, the wobble of the wheel (and it was wobbly back then) caused the rotors to bend and now it was warped and brushing, making the metallic brushing noise.

So I got new rotors and pads, had them replaced a few months ago, and now the noise is significantly less, but there is still an audible metallic squeak from some rubbing still. I called my mechanic about that and he said he forgot to tell me, but there was a problem with my parking brake, and it needs to be replaced, along with a spring kit.

Is this a reasonable diagnosis, and if so, where can I order these parts to take to him? Autohauz replied and said they dont carry this stuff... Thanks!

**3050rpm** · 02-25-2009, 03:57 PM

Given what you've described, it is reasonable. It's not that difficult a job to do, just rather tedious and time consuming, if you want to do it yourself. There is a BMW kit that includes the springs, sprockets, and other little do-dads for cheap to reasonable money, at least at the time. I can't remember if I had gotten it from the dealer, or Bavarian Auto (?) in NH. If I can scrounge up some paperwork I'll get back with the kit no.

**Dathaeus** · 02-25-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3050rpm

Given what you've described, it is reasonable. It's not that difficult a job to do, just rather tedious and time consuming, if you want to do it yourself. There is a BMW kit that includes the springs, sprockets, and other little do-dads for cheap to reasonable money, at least at the time. I can't remember if I had gotten it from the dealer, or Bavarian Auto (?) in NH. If I can scrounge up some paperwork I'll get back with the kit no.

Great, thanks... and jus like my brakes I was planning on taking it to the guy again and he said it will be about the same, an hour's worth of work.

**3050rpm** · 02-25-2009, 07:19 PM

It'd be easier if you went to www.realoem.com.bmw . You'll go through a selection process to get the right car, then eventually you'll work through the menus to get to the "brakes" section, and "parking brake" is a subset of that. Nice exploded diagram of the stuff you'll need, plus part nos., plus a price list that's generally quite easy to beat. Hope this does it for you.

**Dathaeus** · 02-27-2009, 01:17 PM

UPDATE:

It seems now the noise comes more when I apply the regular brakes... when I apply the ebrake, no change in sound whatsoever... Also sometimes i feel like my brakes are squeaking, and it hasnt even been 7-8 months since my front replacement and less than that for the rears... the rears i bought myself from that Arizona place, so it should be fine, so do I assume it is Firestone that used cheapies, and is that squeaking within a year's time enough to go complain?

**3050rpm** · 02-27-2009, 05:31 PM

I'm kinda this way about squeaky brakes,

, they don't necessarily mean there's a problem, nor do they mean that cheapie pads have been used. The last time I had my brakes done (and rotors, too) with good quality pads (may have been Pagid, I can't recall) I was getting some squeakiness that was rather annoying, but entirely benign, until they were run in for awhile.

I doubt (or don't want to think) that a major company like Firestone would use substandard components, although I suppose they could have put in a harder pad than you need, which could account for the squeaking.

But you're also concerned about a metallic sound... I wonder if a sticky caliper might be the culprit, or to approach this from the simplest perspective, maybe a good blast of compressed air might blow out anything lodged between a pad and rotor.

Wish I could be of more help...