Right, I've had an issue with my Focus S 59 plate for a while.

It squeaks from the rear (and what sounds like directly underneath) when my brake pedal or handbrake is released. Garage have had it several times and say they've cleaned and adjusted the rear stuff but no change.

Brakes work fine, it's just the squeak that is driving me mad now. One thing to note is that if the handbrake is on then the brake pedal doesn't squeak, which after looking around online, makes me think it's a rear drum and/or handbrake cable issue.

I'll be calling them again tomorrow to book it in again for the... 5th or so time.. I don't understand why they think cleaning is going to fix it even though it never has!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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Hi Chris

I had the same noise on an Escort and it turned out to be the handbreak cable some sections of the cable do not have a plastic coating and the metal outer casing is exposed to the weather and gets corroded what I did was get a small wire brush and clean as much as I could then use wd40 and the noise went

Hi Steve,

So you had the exact same issues and noises from the different areas? I did me mention it to them but all they keep doing is 'adjusting' and 'cleaning' stuff, aka nothing.

I'll mention this again tomorrow, it's gonna get fixed eventually.

I'd do it myself but I'd have no idea where to look under the car!

Thanks again for the advice mate.

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So it's come out of the garage again, squeaking wasn't there at first but now it's back as normal!

How do I go about cleaning the cables myself Steve? That might make a difference...

Everywhere else I look seems to be pointing at the shoes being the problem. Any other ideas? Driving me mad!

Hi Chris

Its best if you can raise the rear of your car so access to the cable is better and you will see what I mean about sections of the hand break outer cable being exposed. Then with the hand break off (make sure you chock your front wheels so the car does not move) use a wire brush to clean the outer casing then spray with wd40. then operate your hand break a few times so the wd40 penetrates through.

Regarding the brake shoes has the garage made sure that where the shoes rest on the back plate there is a little copper grease this also can make a noise as the shoes move inside the drum.

I think they have greased them but I'll check on Monday as it's due back!

When you say outer casing, do you mean of the cable? I'm not sure where the cables actually are or where I should be looking/cleaning! :(

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Did you mean one of these?

Or is it a cable going into each side/wheel around this area?

Sorry for the newb-ness!

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Hi Chris

If your looking straight at the right hand rear brake drum it's a thick cable at the 5 oclock position at the rear, just follow the cable and you will see sections of it that do not have a plastic coating around it. this is the section that will make the noise you are talking about.

To explain more the handbreak outer case is like a spring and when you operate/ apply your hand break you are compressing the outer casing and when you release the handbreak the spring relaxes its this movement with a little corrosion that make the noise.

hope this helps.

Thanks Steve, I'll have a look and try clean it like you said!

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If it has drums. Remove the drums then shoes and copper slip or high temprature grease the contact point of the mteal parts of the shoe onto the backing plate (do not grease the actual pad material!!!!!) The contact point should be a rectangle and raised on the backing plate. And it should go for some time but may come back.

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