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Brake squeal question

Yahoo Message Number: 74269
Our coach has 19K on it. Just had the yearly maintenance completed at Colton Truck. This is included the oil hub fluid change, brake adjustment and lube, and visual inspection. All came back OK. Now, the visual inspection is with the wheel still on the hub.
The last three or four times out with the rig, I've started to hear squeal/squeaking from the front left wheel. Slower speeds and light braking effort.
No reports of fluids leaking from the tech. So, was wondering if any of you have come across this in the past?
Colton Truck just ran out of time, and I did not want to wait over night (Ran up from San Diego to Colton for this service.) Or they would have pulled the wheels and inspected the shoes and drums for build up.

Input please:

-Just drive it, and let it squeak as is? -Take the time to pull the wheels and inspect? And heck, if doing the labor to pull the wheels and the drum to see the inside components - just go ahead and have new shoes added and the drum turned or sanded while off? -Other considerations?

The coach brakes well, and I do not feel I currently have a safety issue - but also don't know if perhaps I glazed the shoes/drums and that this could get worse overtime, and then become a safety issue.

TIA,
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74270
Park your coach up at Coos-bay for a damp week, then you will hear some squeaking brakes. It wasn't until I got to Yellowstone and had gone down some 7% grades and done some in town driving in Portland, Missoula, Walla Walla, that the noise finally went away. This isn't the first time either, Seems to happen every time we get near the ocean on either coast. Last year it was Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Norfolk, Virginia. Everything seems to clear up after a while and we return home to Dry and hot West Texas.
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731 76,000 miles.

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74272
Thanks Cmarshall, got another similar PM on rusting drums too. I'm along the coast here in San Diego, so moisture and night dew is a constant. Not salt water fog, as we are just out of reach of that. I do drive the rig every 4-6 weeks, 60 mins, and about 40-50 miles on the same course. But, most of that is light highway driving, with very little braking. I'll add some braking to my drive, just to be sure the drums get a good burn out.
But, after the stop and go driving of Riverside County AM rush hour, a good 30 mins of it, the front left still squeaked at low speed stopping. I'm wondering if I have a build up, or perhaps glazed the shoe without knowing it sometime in the past...

Appreciate the input!
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74276
Does the coach pull to the left when you apply the brakes? Dave Remington pulled my front wheels when the coach was nine months old because of a light pull to the right and turned the drums and installed new shoes at Country in 2004. The Allure I had for 5 1/2 years squealed from time to time, too. It never pulled though and I had the drums inspected every year, it was just a rust build up and would clear after a while. Do you feel a sympathetic movement of the steering wheel when you apply the brakes? Pulling and modulated steering are a sure sign of needing immediate service. TWI 98 Allure 30255/ 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74279
No pulling, and no vibration detected in the front end. (Can't tell you that I think I would notice if the back end was having a problem:)!
Maybe these bigger units/drums need longer crud/rust to 'wear off'. I'll take the rig for a ride on Saturday, and do some longer more gradual braking where safe, to see if I can 'wear off' any residue.
One gent at Colton, suggested softer shoes and turning the drums, might help too... Not sure I understood that statement about softer shoes.

Thanks Thomas!
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74282
Somewhere out there on the world wide web is CC process they went through when setting up the brakes. So many stops at x miles per hour followed by so many at another mph, etc etc, had it once but lost it when a PC got a virus. It helped me with my Allure. I remember one time either this year or last I had to stand on the brakes on Hwy 99 as I almost missed the exit for Airport road in Eugene, going to OMC. Squealing went away for a couple of days until the rain and drizzle returned,. TWI 2004 Intrigue 117431

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74283
Road Test to Eugene to break in my brakes - I'm ready for that:)! Thx's,
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Brake squeal question

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74323
I found out I was depending on the engine brake all the time and the brakes were not getting used enough. Then I would have to go out and find a steep hill and really lean on them to break through the glazing. I cut down on the engine braking and the squeel has gone away for the most part. Just an occasional squeek, ususally when I first start out, but a far cry from what it used to be.

Stuart Thornton, 05 Allure, 31217