Hello all,
'99 blazer LT 4dr, 4wd. I have had a squeaking in both the drivers and passengers side rear wheels. The sqeak sounded just like a wear indicator on a worn brake pad. I found that the brake caliper slides had frozen in the bracket and the rotors were all chewed up. I replaced the rotors, and replaced the brake pads with Raybestos ceramic, quiet stop pads. I was able to break the slides free and repolish them and the bracket. coated all wear surfaces with lithium grease.

I still have the dame sqeak. [:@]The sqeak only starts after having driven the truck for a while when it warms up. I was in a parking lot and noticed the sqeak intensified on the left when I turned had right and then intensified on the right when I turned hard left. The drivers side axle bearing has small amount of up/down play. The passenger side does not have any. Driving straight the sqeak is more prominent on the passenger side. I am thinking it's the axle bearings, but there is a small part of me that thinks maybe these ceramic pads are the problem as I have never used them before. I have seen a spray lube by bendix that you spray on your rotors and pads to stop brake sqeak, but I have a hard time thinking that stuff is a good thing to use. I am leaning towards the bearing but wanted to your opinion.

Thanks in advance

 

My suggestion to you is to remove the new brake pads and apply anti-squeak goop to the caliper side of them- not the side that makes contact with the rotor. You must coat the entire (caliper side) pad surface in order to stop the high-frequency vibration of the brake pad backing plate and to eliminate metal-to-metal contact between the caliper and this metal plate. You can find this anti-squeak goop at Auto-Zone, Checker, or just about any parts store. I know from experience, if it's applied correctly it does work. If it's not your brake pad backing plates causing this high-pitched squeak, then sorry bout yur luck, but it probably is a set of bad wheel bearings. One last thing, check for any contact being made between the rotor and the caliper mount bracket. Often there is only 2 or 3 milimeters clearance between the two. If your rotor is making contact with this bracket while turning for whatever reason it would squeak as well (maybe loose wheel bearings allowing rotor to move just enough to touch something?). Hope this helps!

 

Thanks but I have done all of that. None of it has worked. I am replacing the axle bearings next week. I have a vibration in the rear end. I may replace the u-joints for the hell of it. The truck has 130,000 miles on it. Couldn't hurt to replace them anyway.

 

So did you replace the rear axle bearings and the noise went away? That was my prediction, but I wanted to hear back from you to see if it actually was the problem.

 

Doing it next weekend. I have to have go home to my dad's house in Indiana. I don't have the tools to do it here.
Will update after I get back.