Grinding/Squealing noise from rear passenger wheel

[Sentientbydesign]

My I30 is grinding/squealing from the passenger side rear wheel. It sounds like metal dragging on the rotor, but I'm pretty sure it's not related to the pad, because braking from any speed doesn't change the sound.

I don't have anything to record it. Hopefully someone has a useful suggestion.

I haven't had the time to lift the car and take off that wheel yet as I can't do it in my apartment complex (ignorant rules!)

Please let me know if anyone has any ideas.

[MinisterofDOOM]

It could be the squeal strip on the brake pad letting you know the pad's getting thin.

Aside from that, hard to say aside from listing more "could-be's" without hearing it...

[95prmax]

yea it could be many thigns now as i believe once i had a squealing noise and it was the cover that goes around the back side of the break that a rock hit it and bent it in and it was grinding against the rotor ont he back side....best bet is to remove that wheel and take pictures and that way we can take a look and see if there is anythign out of place.

[Sentientbydesign]

Things are a little worse, not sure how much at this point.

I have the eibach lowering springs on my car about a 2.5 inch drop. The camber on the rear should therefore be negative (no camber kit on the rear), however, the rear passenger side tire is wearing heavily on the outer edge and evenly along the center and inner side.

I also hear something loose on the drivers side rear now too.

Could the axle have snapped? I don't see how that would make the tire wear on the outside, but I'm really concerned.

Didn't have time to lift the car and take off the wheel today. I'll have to wait till tomorrow or Wednesday.

Please list any ideas.

[brianw]

Your wear issues are probably due to excess toe-in since you're lowered so much. Factory alignment on the rear beam is a bit of negative camber and a smidgen of toe-in, lowering it 2.5" is pretty extreme for these cars and will probably result in excess toe-in and at least 2 degrees of negative camber. Considering the back tires don't do too much work it shouldn't be TOO huge of an issue...

The axle is a big heavy u-shaped piece of metal, you're far more likely to destroy the wheel bearings or struts before you even get close to damaging the axle; to snap the axle would probably require enough force to destroy the rest of the car the car in front of you, AND the car behind you. :p

Sounds like it could be brake pads in your situation.

[ZGadson]

Sounds like a wheel bearing issue to me. Might want to have that checked out at Midas (or your area's equivellent repair shop). If it is a wheel bearing, and it goes unchecked for a long enough time, it might cause further damage to the axle or wheel itself.

[Presscott707]

it could be the dust shield is grinding on it.

[Sentientbydesign]

I finally got a chance to lift the car up yesterday and found out that I need new pads and rotors. The rotors had such a thick "lip" that they were grinding against what was left of the pad (about an 1/8" inside).

I'm curious to know how lowering the car would affect the toe in? From my understanding, toe is the angle made between the wheel and the car itself.

Having a solid axle and lowering the car shouldn't affect the toe. And actually, after looking at the suspension set up, I would venture to say that the camber wouldn't be affect much if at all either. Primarily because of the solid axle vs. the control arm set up like the fronts.

I do however have .25 degrees toe in on the left side (the one not having tire wear issues). Would I have to take the car to a frame shop to correct the excessive toe? The alignment shop says they can't do anything to fix it.