OK, I admit it; I've had this annoying grinding noise coming from the right front ever since I bought the car.

I first took the brake apart the day after I got the car, before I even drove it home. There was no sign of metal-to-metal anywhere inside it, so I pulled the remaining three drums just to make sure it wasn't a problem showing itself from somewhere else on the car.

No problems, nearly full brake linings on every wheel, no shiny spots, no sign of anything out of the normal.

Ever since then, on cold mornings, or when I first drive the car for the day, it grinds like it's destroying itself at the first two stop signs, then the noise disappears.

There's a small suggestion that the car is pulling to the left, making me think it's still the left front (although it may be the left rear, as you well know!)

Today I opened up all the brakes for the third time. Still no sign of anything unusual, plenty of brake linings. The only thing I could think of was a contaminated brake lining.

I disassembled and carefully cleaned the entire left front brake assembly, then soaked the brake linings with brake cleaner a couple of times, scrubbing diligently with a new, clean cloth each time to remove any contamination. There was no wheel bearing grease or leaking brake fluid inside the brake drum. Except for the dry dust ground off the linings, nothing at all to see.

The surface of the linings is somewhat shiny from use, so I roughed it up with a file just enough to give it some tooth and eliminate any thoughts of chattering from the smooth surface.

After reassembly it didn't grind, but we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Somewhere around here I have a new set of front brake shoes. It looks like I'm gonna have to break down and install them. *sigh*

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Steve
Baron of Greymatter
SoCal