Suspect #1...right after a brake job...and assume it wasn't there before, right?
Suspect #2...right after a brake job...and assume shoe/drum setup, right?
Don't think a bearing, as they don't typically make that kind of noise described
by the OP. Might be part of the bearing system, if it was taken apart during the
brake job. Bearing system, as in keeper washer, nut, pin, etc
I've mixed up the various springs on a shoe/drum setup and admit more than once
and why take a picture of it BEFORE taking it apart. Can not count the numbers
of times worked on shoe/drum brakes either.
If a wrong spring is in the wrong place...the shoe may NOT pull back
off of the drum properly or is left too close because it does NOT have
enough power to pull it all the way back...turning flexes everything
a tiny bit (harder turn more so, etc) and it touches...
Where the shoe slides (as designed, but it really 'rubs') on the raised boss on
the backing plate. Notice that most will have a mating wear area where the edge
of the shoe touches...why the shoe has a 'zig zag' where the shoe edge touches
the backing plate. An effort to increase the surface contact area, but it wears
a mating low area anyway
That mating, contact area has the shoe both move outwards during brake application
and rotates as the shoe engages the drum. Plus there is vibrations hammering
that area from the friction material sacrificing itself against the drum surface
As for lug nuts, nope...should NOT be and if it is...they are NOT tightened
correctly.
If steel wheels, there is an stamped in upset coned hole. That is like a lock
washer or spring lock washer. There should be NO movement between the lug stud
and lug nut. Ditto the wheel, but note that all wheel centers flex and the more
loaded they are...the higher amounts of flex
Ball/roller bearings 'roll' and do NOT slide, so they generally fail with a
'grinding' sound as they 'roll' over debris between them and the race
If the cage touches anything, they will squeak, as they do not roll, but slide
if they touch anything
My guess is shoe/drum making this noise
