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N-Trouble's avatar
N-Trouble
Explorer
Jun 16, 2015

Noisy/squeaking brake drum while camped

When camped the sway in the trailer causes one of the drum brakes to make an annoying squeaking/humming sound. I've worked on disc brakes before but never drums. Any ideas or pointers on what to look for or do next would be helpful. Thx

9 Replies

  • Could it be that that axle nut is so loose that the drum is moving??
  • Pull the hubs/drums and clean everything up would be my suggestion. You will probably be able to see a wear point but, if not, lubricate all the metal-> metal contact areas.
  • Sorry for the confusion. By camped I mean parked. I can get up underneath the trailer grab the frame and shake it side to side and the noise starts. Rolling around under the trailer on a shop creeper my ear takes me to the back of one of the brake drums is where the noise is coming from. The tire/wheel is not rolling at all just shaking of the frame does it. Its definitely not the suspension as I had expected but is coming from the back side of brake drum likely inside somewhere.
  • Wheels can turn very slightly when a trailer is set up and can cause a squeak. The source of such a squeak on my trailer was a brake shoe at the place where a shoe contacted the backing plate. According to Dexter, such rub spots should have a slight amount of grease being careful to avoid getting grease on shoes friction surface or drums. Discussion and instructions about brake lubrication are on page 14 of the 600 Lbs to 8000 Lbs Dexter Operation Service Maintenance Manual, available at the Dexter web site.
  • WyoTraveler wrote:
    Wheels aren't turning when parked.


    Of course wheels can rotate on their axis and is the reason so many, myself included, use in-between tire chocks such as BAL X-Chocks to stop this rotational movement and thereby minimize suspension movement when one walks around inside the camper.
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    Most likely what your are hearing is caused by movement in the suspension, not the brakes. Leaf spring bushings, shackles, equalizer bushings, etc, can all squeak.
  • If your brakes squeaking while camped, you could be in serious trouble !
  • Are you sure it is brakes and not springs. Wheels aren't turning when parked. Unless you have wires shorting out when RV rocks and brakes are being applied while parked.
  • I am not sure what you mean by "when camped". Can you describe the symptoms with your brakes in greater detail and when the symptoms appear?
    You may get more responses.

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