The rear drums on my 2006 1.1 panda active have started making a horrible, loud grinding noise. The breaks still work as normal but this noise is driving me insane!

Can anyone recommend some good new drums to buy - also a good place to get them fitted as I don't trust local garages?

Cheers!

What sort of noise and when does it occur?

Unless the drums have gone out of round (ovalled)
I'd say you either have a wheel bearing issue if it's a contant squeal or groaning.
Or
The lining has worn off the brake shoes and it's metal on metal if it's a grinding noise when the brakes are operated.

It's when the wheel moves, and happens whether I'm breaking or not. The faster the car is going, the quieter the sound gets.

It sounds like two pieces of rusty metal being rubbed together.

Does it come from just one side?
Jack that side's rear wheel up and try rocking the wheel, hold it at 3 and 6 and see if it wobbles.

You may have to release the handbrake and choc the front wheels and spin the rear wheel, see if it feels rough when it spins.

Any wobble or roughness and it's a wheel bearing that needs replacing.

Yes just one side,

I think it is the bearing from what you've said on the rear wheel, drivers side. Any advice on where to get a new one and how to fit it? Can't find much on the web that's helpful

The rear bearing looks like it's sealed in the hub
http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=1285&sku=4030

By the looks of it, it fits together like this, 1-A being the bearing/hub.
http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi...INT_MODE=0&EPER_CAT=SP&GUI_LANG=3&WINDOW_ID=1

Thanks for the info!!!

So basically I only need to replace the hub with a new one, which will contain new wheel bearing?

Looks like it.

It's difficult to tell you what to do.
Me, I'd want to confirm it was the bearing, I know I can check them myself, but perhaps you could take a trip to a quicky fit place complaining of "noisey wheels" and let them do the checking.

Once confirmed, price the job up. If you're handy with the spanners and have done jobs like this before, it shouldn't be to difficult to strip it and replace, if not ring around a few independents for prices.

I will confirm it before ordering parts, but from what I've read and the way mine's behaving I'm confident that it's the rear bearing.
Never done anything on cars before but quite good at hands-on work so I'll have a bash myself - cheaper and avoid getting scammed by garages!

Thanks again

Hmm, never done one of these,
but I think you need to remove the brake drum, it might be sticky over the shoes and be tough to get off.
Then the dust cap (4A)
Then undo the drive nut (2A)
The hub (1A) and spacers (3 and 5A) should then pull off the shaft. (pull off by hand or puller? I'm not sure)

http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi...INT_MODE=0&EPER_CAT=SP&GUI_LANG=3&WINDOW_ID=1

You'll need some idea of the torque for when refitting the drive nut (methinks 280Nm) and it's usually common practice to use a new drive nut rather than refit the old one as some have a groove or spike to lock them on.

http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=1216&sku=3877

This may help
http://www.ntn-snr.com/autoaftermarket/fr/en-en/file.cfm/TF13GB2RA-.pdf?contentID=1280
The first method described for "Hub Bearing Non-Driving Rear Wheels"

Goudrons said:

...but I think you need to remove the brake drum, it might be sticky over the shoes and be tough to get off.

Click to expand...

The two smaller holes in the drum (the ones the locating pins go through) are threaded - just remove the pins & screw in a couple of suitable bolts & even the stickiest drum will soon yield .

It may need a hydraulic press to remove & refit the bearing from the hub, so you might consider taking the hub to a suitably-equipped garage to press the new bearing in.

I thought the bearings were integral to the hub on rear of the Panda/500?

306maxi said:

I thought the bearings were integral to the hub on rear of the Panda/500?

Click to expand...

it is
http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=1285&sku=4030

Hang on

I've not done rear bearings but had a few front hub nuts off before now.

It's not really a job for the novice with a few spanners kicking round.

To remove the bearing you'll need a good breaker bar and large socket - around 30 - 36mm I guess.

Looking at mine I guess you'll need to remove the hub nut cover to expose the nut - not sure if that’s a wheel off job for access.

Once you can see the hub nut and get a socket on it, you'll need to undo it. It's extremely tight and probably staked in too. Try and un stake the nut - center punch may do it.

Now this is important (if you get this far) Don't even think of trying to crack the hub nut while on axle stands - at best you'll pull the car off the stand - as worst you'll crush or brake bones.

You need the car on the ground, engine running with someone stood on the foot brake, and hand brake pulled on tight. Now try and crack the nut - not sure if they are handed or shoes off - the elearn suggests not.

You may need a bearing puller to remove the hub assy? Don’t think it will fall off like the e-learn suggests.

Not sure how to slide new hub assy on, but it's important to torque the nut up to the correct tightness - e-learn suggests 28 daNm (280 Nm) but there are known issues with old copies.

I would do the final torque (past 90mn I suppose) with wheel on and car on grount - brakes on tight - you'll need the wheel on to stake the new hub nut too - or you get too much damping when trying to stake.

Too loose hub nut and it can fall off later. too tight and the bearing can get crushed - and may lock up as you are moving. Last thing you want is to loose a rear wheel at speed, but it has happened to another FF member a few years back after a garage did this very job for her. Her car was completely written off.

So that's about £100 tooling plus parts your liable if it goes wrong you’ll probably need to go to ¾ inch torque wrench to go so high and they are not cheep – I got one for my first clutch job and have probably used it 5 times but it’s a heck of a tool.

306maxi said:

I thought the bearings were integral to the hub on rear of the Panda/500?

Click to expand...

Goudrons said:

it is
http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Details&ProdID=1285&sku=4030

Click to expand...

That's fortunate & the price is reasonable too .

Louie Bee said:

I've not done rear bearings but had a few front hub nuts off before now.

It's not really a job for the novice with a few spanners kicking round.

Click to expand...

Some excellent points in that post.

I've done a few front bearings, too. Even with the wheels on the ground & the handbrake on, I remember the car was still being dragged along the drive, rear wheels locked solid, by the torque needed to undo those nuts.

I got by without a big torque wrench (I used my normal torque wrench set to maximum & then just pulled the nut a bit tighter with a long bar). Provided you do a proper job of staking the nut, the wheel won't come off even if it were to loosen. If you are paranoid you can always hire one.

The hardest part of the job was always removing & refitting the bearing from the hub (I don't have a hydraulic press), and since it's sold as a unit, you're spared that particular piece of frustration.

Another possibility is that the friction material has parted company with the brake shoe. Happened to me on my last Panda. There was still an acceptable amount of wear left on them but the shoes had broken down (and the friction part had slid round inside the drum
Does your handbrake work well on a slope? That's one indicator of this issue.

It's easy enough to pull the brake drum off to check anyway.

Cheers.

Hey all,

Quick update; the rear driver's side holding springs had been fitted incorrectly last time I had the breaks done, getting them replaced Thursday

Lee91 said:

Hey all,

Quick update; the rear driver's side holding springs had been fitted incorrectly last time I had the breaks done, getting them replaced Thursday

Click to expand...

and you said you didn't trust your local garages..!!,


my panda's self adjusted - DOESN'T,
so it's a fairly regular thing to have the drums off and go through things,
charlie

Exactly lol, got recommended a mobile mechanic who seems good (for once) so should be sorted Thursday Thanks for the advice everyone!