Update on rear brake/axle sound .. whine sound ...

[Hmmm2]

Can any of you tell me if you EVER hear ANYTHING coming from the rear when you brake hard? We've been on a trip for a week .. left the H3 with the dealer/service dept ... hoping they could find the problem with the SAME left rear 'grind' sound when I come to a quick or hard stop. As you may recall, they had the H3 for almost 2 weeks trying to find the problem ... they replaced the pads and resurfaced the rotors. The sound went away for 12 days and came back. There is a periodic whine .. and the same 'grind' sound coming from the rear. I took him for a test drive a week ago AGAIN and he heard it .. saying it could be the rear axle or drive shaft. I called the Service Manager today (Friday) for an update. He said he opened the axle and didn't find any damage or metal. He said the sound I hear is normal on all H3's. Of course, he didn't say that when he took the test drive with me last week and said he heard a definite problem. Then he said maybe I am braking too hard when I'm 'trying' to hear that sound. I have an automatic. I hear the sound when I come to a quick stop. If any of you have an automatic .. could you PLEASE do a test and come to a fast stop and listen hard?? Do you hear any sound like a grind from the rear just as you come to complete stop? I'll be seeing him on Monday for a test drive again. Why I don't know. He said the sound is there if you brake hard. I told him if I hear it, I will not accept it. Any advise, anyone?? Should there be a sound? Should I contact someone from Hummer? We won't be back home til Sunday. AGH!!!! Thanks.

[rangerross]

My H3 would make a loud groan (not really a grinding sound) just before coming to a complete stop when braking hard. Mine sounded like the anti-lock brake unit was paulsing the brakes just before coming to a complete stop thereby creating the noise. I don't know if this is what you are hearing or not. I had it at the dealer twice for this problem. The service manager assured me that the noise I was hearing was normal for the anti-lock brake system used on these vehicles. The noise is gone now I traded the H3 for a new H2 SUT

[Hmmm2]

Nice way to get rid of the noise, ranngerross ... trading in for an H2! I guess mine sounds like a groan more than a grind .. hard to tell. Alot of the folks here had helped me before (about a month ago) when I first had this problem. They're probably tired of seeing my samo samo post. I'm frustrated with this problem. It feels like the dealer has had my H3 off and on longer than I've had it. I'll see if the Service Mgr mentions the anti-lock braking when I go in on Monday. This sound, though, had FIRST started about 2 months ago and then got worse. I bought the H3 the end of last July.

I've had my H3 for a year (20K miles now) and never experienced this braking noise. Normal?

S.

[rangerross]

I bought my H3 middle of June last year. The first time I noticed the noise was the 2nd month of ownership. The noise may have been there earlier and I didn't notice as I was enjoying the monsoon system. The noise reminded me of a sound from brake pads which have been overheated and developed a glaze on the surface. I live in an area with heavy traffic and bad drivers. I had to get on the brakes hard a few times - don't know if this is the cause of the problem or not. I have seen mechnics sand the surface of the pads and rotors to eliminate a glazing problem. You may ask your dealer to check for glazing and try this fix if they don't have any other suggestions. Good luck and let me know what you find out.

[Hmmm2]

rangerross, could you, as the driver, feel the problem when braking? I not only hear it, I can feel it in the pedal when it happens. I'll post what happens on Monday. Thanks again. Thanks, Steve-San Jose, too, for your input.

[HummerNewbie]

Originally Posted by rangerross

I live in an area with heavy traffic and bad drivers.

I think there is some unwritten law stating that they have to move to FL

[deserth3]

I've engaged the antilocks under hard braking. That has a grinding feeling and you can feel it in the brake pedal.

I just mention this because I don't see where's been brought up before.

[Idaho-Hummer]

Originally Posted by HummerNewbie

I think there is some unwritten law stating that they have to move to FL

You guy's need to move out of the city's and get away form the 'Can speed bumps and bad drivers. Come out here and play with deer, badgers, fox's, cow's and the big a$$ tractors that are heavier then most semi-trucks. Nice open county. Best of all, low population. ummm, nevermind stay in the big city's. I don't want to share.

[rangerross]

I would hear the sound under hard braking just before coming to a complete stop - just before the suspension settled. I did not feel anything thru the brake pedal. Also, I was braking hard but not hard enough to trip the anti-locks. If memory serves, I think that when the anti-lock feature is engaged on most vehicles the brake pedal will pulsate. The groan sound was loud enough that people standing away from the truck (on sidewalk) could hear it.

I should add that the noise is not why I got rid of th H3. I loved the H3 and would have continued to drive it for many years - noise and all. After owing it for a year, I had the opportunity to purchase a new H2 SUT at a very good price. I have found the H3 and H2 to be two very capable but very different vehicles.

[marin8703]

hey rangerross, sorry to go off topic but what do you mean by two different vehicles? bad dofferent or good different? in what way? im just curious cauze i dont really know how the h2 is. Thanks

[ChevyHighPerformance]

Not sure if this is it. But, the H3 has dynamic proportioning for the rear brakes. The pressure is modulated to the rear brakes to provide more even braking between the front and rear brakes. Could you be hearing/feeling the pulsations from the rear brake pressure being modulated?

[Hmmm2]

It's not a 'pulsating' feeling at all. Here's the scenario ... you're driving along, maybe about 40mph. You see the light change a block up. You start slowing, then have to come to a harder stop ..not an immediate 'slam on the brake', but a quick hard stop. Jusssssst seconds before you immediately stop, there is this grind you can feel for 5 seconds before you are stopped. It sounds like it's coming from the rear right. I THINK I can feel it in the brake pedal, too, but that could be only because I hear it, too. The driver definitely 'hears' and senses it more than the passengers ... but the passengers can hear it, too. It's quick ... just before the H stops moving. What bothers me, too, is that I don't offroad MINE. It's strictly a street driver. Yet, while in Las Vegas at "The Drive" ... the 2's and 3's, which go through the rigors of their offroad obstacle course time after time, day after day .. do NOT have this sound. AGH! I hate when someone at a dealer (Service Dept!!!!) tries to tell me with a straight face, "Oh, that noise? It's just a noise all H3's make." Same person who tired to tell me all H3's have drum brakes. "Nuff said. Thanks to all who scratching their heads here and trying to figure this out for me.

[HummBebe]

You know, mine does the same thing, exactly as you describe it above. The last few seconds before the truck comes to a complete stop. The best you can do is make sure it is noted as a complaint in the system.

Then, if somehow down the road something does malfunction, you may be able to still get it done under warranty?

[StarsnBars]

Mine doesnt make that sound at all and Ive hit the brakes hard abunch of times. Question,,, Can the ABS need adjusted? I dont know much about ABS stuff and maybe a GM guy in here can help answer this question. Just a though, I know its not much, just tryin to help.. Good luck, keep us posted..

[signals34]

check to see if the noise-whine-grind-sounds the same, or disappears, on pavement and then on dirt-trail......

[marin8703]

tryed on mine to see if i get anything.
Tryed several times, actually went into a skid on one and the abs kicked in.

Other than the pulsation of the ABS i didnt feel or hear anything else.

[lotus4s]

Originally Posted by marin8703

tryed on mine to see if i get anything.
Tryed several times, actually went into a skid on one and the abs kicked in.

Other than the pulsation of the ABS i didnt feel or hear anything else.

X2

[Hmmm2]

Update post on new thread, "Okay, now I'm calling GM".

Thanks for your support!!

[azsidewinder]

It could be tires, depending on what type of tire you have you will get a little ground noise from the tread on the offroad tires. This is just a guess on my part but Ive owed a few offroad vehicles and different tires do different things at the last few revolutions before stopping. Try having them spin balanced and rotated, my Hummers new and I want to get the tires rebalanced, I dont think the manufacturer does good with the Firestone 285 tires.