Help please. Annoying squeal from rear
Moderator: martauto
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Hayden0
- E30 Zone Newbie

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- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:00 pm
I'm getting a quite loud squeal from the rear of my car when I go over 20mph to approx 50mph. The noise is a lot louder from the passenger side than the drivers with the windows down. When I apply the foot brake or handbrake the noise still persists. The back plates are clear from the disks. Any help on the matter would much be appreciated
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e301988325i
- E30 Zone Addict

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- Location: Taunton, Somerset
please advise, year, model, engine & disc's or drums at the rear?
I said:
Can anyone suggest how to test if the boot lights are staying on with the boot shut?
e30topless said:
lock the wife in there
Can anyone suggest how to test if the boot lights are staying on with the boot shut?
e30topless said:
lock the wife in there
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daimlerman
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Take the wife/GF/mother in law out of the boot! 
Youth is wasted on the young.
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Hayden0
- E30 Zone Newbie

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It's a 89 325i SE saloon with rear disk and handbrake in the drum of disk. Diff seems to sound like a aero plane going down road when I have window down, could it be the diff dying on me? Cars done 121k
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e30topless
- E30 Zone Team Member

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either the diff or rear wheel bearings,
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Grrrmachine
- E30 Zone Wiki / Team Member

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A very quick test is to take the handbrake gaitor off, mark the position of the nuts underneath and then slacken them off. THIS IS NOT how you adjust the handbrake cables, but as a quick way of loosening them it works.
If the noise goes away, then your handbrake shoes were dragging on the inside of your brake disc. Return the nuts to their proper position, and remove the brake discs to assess the condition of the brake shoes.
If slackening the nuts didn't make the noise go away, then jack up the rear end and give each wheel a hefty tug left to right, then up and down. If the wheel wobbles noticeably, your bearing is probably dead.
If the wheels don't wobble, it will be time to assess the diff.
If the noise goes away, then your handbrake shoes were dragging on the inside of your brake disc. Return the nuts to their proper position, and remove the brake discs to assess the condition of the brake shoes.
If slackening the nuts didn't make the noise go away, then jack up the rear end and give each wheel a hefty tug left to right, then up and down. If the wheel wobbles noticeably, your bearing is probably dead.
If the wheels don't wobble, it will be time to assess the diff.
'89 325i Touring | Touring Resto Thread | In-Dash Screen install
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Hayden0
- E30 Zone Newbie

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- Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 11:00 pm
its not the handbrake shoes rubbing ive checked that out, ill have to jack up and check the wheel bearing but im sure there is no play because its just been mot'ed the other month. thanks for the help guys
