After washing my '05 the other day, I backed it down the driveway and heard this loud grinding sound and felt a binding from the back like the differential or axles were locking up. It would be there, I'd stop, start moving again and it wouldn't happen for a few feet, then happen again. I tried pulling forward, same effect. It felt like something was going to break or the wheels were going to hop. I tried moving while keeping my foot lightly on the brake, same thing. I applied and released the emergency brake, same thing. I managed to extremely slowly, carefully, get the Pacifica back into the garage. I looked under the rear, couldn't see anything unusual. It seemed more noticeable on the driver's side. As I was walking away, I heard a metallic "twang" similar to the sound a drum brake spring makes when being installed or removed.

I jacked up the car so both rear wheels were hanging, put stands under, spun the wheels. The driver's side seemed harder to turn. I decided to pull the wheels and the drums and rotors since they were getting marginal, rear brakes had 47K since last change. I pulled the driver side rotor and the parking/emergency brake linings from both shoes fell out. They had become separated from the shoes, apparently they were moving around inside and binding up the rotors or hanging against other components as the wheel rotated. I pulled the other rotor and they fell out on that side too!

I get that the car has 98K and is 13 years old, but I've never seen brake linings just become unglued from the backings. The linings were still decent, I only apply the parking brake occasionally, and they shouldn't wear since they aren't stopping a rotating drum, they're just holding it stationary.

I didn't want to try to pull the hub, didn't want to get into a big job since I've never done it, so I bought new pads and rotors and installed them without addressing the parking brake. I may have a shop address that, but problem solved, noise was gone.

If I hadn't been at home, this would have been a tow job, I would have been afraid to drive it like that, even if I did know what it was.

Thought I'd pass this on to the Forum, in case someone else has a similar experience!

 

Hard to understand but, yes the bonding must have released the lining from the metal shoes. Some we have seen that were badly overheated and were very crystalized but still kept being bonded together. No better answer. Thanks for the info. B2

 

My 05 rear rotor brake pads seemed to have crumbled and separated as well when I went to replace. They lasted 100k miles and 12 years so I guess I can't complain.