[onebadmofo]

Took apart my rear brakes few weeks ago and I'm pretty confident that I found what is causing the squeaking that almost everyone on here experiencing at one point or another.
Long story short the brake shoes are rubbing against dust shield. The noise sounds JUST like worn out brake pads but it's not the pads. I don't have to tell you to search the forums to know that replacing the pads does not get rid of the noise.
You can actually hear the noise here in one of my videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...0fypvUQo#t=85s
I checked my pads and had over 1/8" of material left so it obviously wasn't that. Squaking also happened after standing for a but with e-brake on on a hill. Weird thing that it didn't go away or change if I started pulling the e-brake as I drove around. That gave me idea that it has something to do with e-brake shoes.


Taking apart the rear brakes:







To fix it all I did is filed the rust away and used heavy grease (brake lubricant works too) on contact points. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures after fixing it but it's pretty straightforward.
The car is absolutely quiet now after I did that.

After putting the pads back on you'll have to re-adjust e-brakes with the adjuster. I made it so that mine start gripping the brake after 4 clicks on e-brake lever.
I'm pretty confident that BMW techs are well aware of the issue but just being lazy about the whole thing. It's much easier for them to slap on a new set of pads and call it a day than try to take apart the rear e-brakes (which are paint to take apart and together).

[tofu-]

so how did you fix it?

bend the dust shield at those points?

[onebadmofo]

Ooops, I know I forgot something
To fix it all I did is filed the rust away and used heavy grease (brake lubricant works too) on contact points.

[Rmk392]

I would just bend them back a little to create some free space. good detective work!

[Armito]

Cant wait to try this.

[onebadmofo]

Originally Posted by Rmk392

I would just bend them back a little to create some free space. good detective work!

They kinda hold the shoes in place so I would just file the rust away and grease them real good.

[BKV122]

Hmm i'll have to try this with my rears

[tofu-]

i seem to only have this problem on the passenger side rear

and only when the brakes heat up

[igell]

wouldn't this be a just a temporary fix?.. once the grease wears away, the squeal will come back.

[r3dbimmer89]

I'm definitely going to try it and hopefully this resolves my squeaking issue.

[David1]

Does BMW lubricate anything these days?

[onebadmofo]

Seeing how you need to remove rotors I don't think they'll lubricate those points.
If they do a brake job I'm pretty sure they just slap new pads and call it a day.

[Fedorov]

Originally Posted by r3dbimmer89

I'm definitely going to try it and hopefully this resolves my squeaking issue.

Keep us posted about the results if you try this. I might have to try it this summer, getting really tired of the squeaking.

[raceyBMW]

Definitely gonna have to give this a try, I hate the squealing noise on slow acceleration

[MAZINGER]

Is the squeal only occured at the rears?

[onebadmofo]

Correct, rears only

[MAZINGER]

Both sides?

Any updates? If these are the areas causing the squeals (well-known issue), I am gonna to take it the local indy shop to fix them. The noise is so annoying.

[onebadmofo]

Both of my rears were like that.
Try this to test - with the car off put your e-brake on and push the car back and forth. My brakes would make the same exact squeak as if I were driving.
The noise is now gone.

[VMRWheels]

Awesome write up! I love how you found the problem and solved it yourself. Props!

[SpeedCC]

Great work! I was well prepared from reading this and tackled it during a rotor / pad update, thanks!

[sonorous]

There have been many many threads on this issue but this is the only one that presents a logical root cause and solution. Well done and thanks!!!

[MAZINGER]

Any more updates? I am gonna to make an appointment with the local indy shop to look at dust shields.

Hopefully, this squeal sound will permanent go away.