Can Seized Rear Disc Brakes Wear Out the Diff?

I just did the rear brakes on a 98 sonoma (has a limited slip axle).
On one side, the caliper bolts were seized (I understand this is common
with rear discs). Anyway, the brakes on that side were always pushing
the axle outward. Now, with the new brakes, I am getting what sounds
like excessive tire noise (I say it has that type of sound). I checked
the end play on each side of the axle. The side that originally had no
brake problem was tight. The side with the seized caliper has about
1/32 in/out play (you can get a nice clunk-clunk when pushing it
in/out). I don;t expect anybody to completely diagnose this problem,
but since seized rear calipers are so common, do mechanics typically
expect play and noise after fixing seized calipers?

A couple of other things.
-The noise is at all speads and gets slightly louder as speed
increases.
-The noise DISAPPEARS when going around a right hand curve on the
highway (this would force the axle outward as if the old seized caliper
was pushing it outward).
-There is no noise or binding when the vehicle is run on jack stands.

The thing that really makes me think that it has to do with the
end-play, is the fact that the sound disappears when going around a
right hand curve.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I just did the rear brakes on a 98 sonoma (has a limited slip axle).
> On one side, the caliper bolts were seized (I understand this is common
> with rear discs). Anyway, the brakes on that side were always pushing
> the axle outward. Now, with the new brakes, I am getting what sounds
> like excessive tire noise (I say it has that type of sound). I checked
> the end play on each side of the axle. The side that originally had no
> brake problem was tight. The side with the seized caliper has about
> 1/32 in/out play (you can get a nice clunk-clunk when pushing it
> in/out). I don;t expect anybody to completely diagnose this problem,
> but since seized rear calipers are so common, do mechanics typically
> expect play and noise after fixing seized calipers?
>
> A couple of other things.
> -The noise is at all speads and gets slightly louder as speed
> increases.
> -The noise DISAPPEARS when going around a right hand curve on the
> highway (this would force the axle outward as if the old seized caliper
> was pushing it outward).
> -There is no noise or binding when the vehicle is run on jack stands.
>
> The thing that really makes me think that it has to do with the
> end-play, is the fact that the sound disappears when going around a
> right hand curve.
>

Sounds like a bearing in the axle. The axles push into the differential
with a splined shaft so there's no way that pushing the axle outward
on that side is going to affect the differential.

Ted

its a bearing
i have that problem right now

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > I just did the rear brakes on a 98 sonoma (has a limited slip axle).
> > On one side, the caliper bolts were seized (I understand this is common
> > with rear discs). Anyway, the brakes on that side were always pushing
> > the axle outward. Now, with the new brakes, I am getting what sounds
> > like excessive tire noise (I say it has that type of sound). I checked
> > the end play on each side of the axle. The side that originally had no
> > brake problem was tight. The side with the seized caliper has about
> > 1/32 in/out play (you can get a nice clunk-clunk when pushing it
> > in/out). I don;t expect anybody to completely diagnose this problem,
> > but since seized rear calipers are so common, do mechanics typically
> > expect play and noise after fixing seized calipers?
> >
> > A couple of other things.
> > -The noise is at all speads and gets slightly louder as speed
> > increases.
> > -The noise DISAPPEARS when going around a right hand curve on the
> > highway (this would force the axle outward as if the old seized caliper
> > was pushing it outward).
> > -There is no noise or binding when the vehicle is run on jack stands.
> >
> > The thing that really makes me think that it has to do with the
> > end-play, is the fact that the sound disappears when going around a
> > right hand curve.
> >
>
> Sounds like a bearing in the axle. The axles push into the differential
> with a splined shaft so there's no way that pushing the axle outward
> on that side is going to affect the differential.
>
> Ted

Yup yup yup what he said. If the brake was dragging badly enough it
could have "cooked" the grease in the bearing causing exactly the
symptoms you're experiencing. My money is on a bad outer bearing on
that side.

nate

Thanks guys - that seems to make sense. I've always heard that a
little in/out play is OK - I was kinda concerned as the other side is
nice and tight.

Well, I'll be changing both bearings and seals this weekend. Hope
normal tools will work (ie - no presses etc). Gonna be a mess, but I'm
cheap.