2006 Pontiac torrent - knocking/thumping in rear drum breaks

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luv2lol

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My 2006 Torrent has a knocking or thumping in the rear drum brakes, drivers side, for over a year since I got it - off and on at first when i would brake hard at low speeds but would vary here and there, now it's constant. It's only when I break.

I took it in three times but it never happened when someone else was with me for a ride along so they kept cleaning or machining them. Finally in Dec I had a vibration and grinding noise too but the knocking settled down. I had a full brake job with the disc brakes on front done and rear drums replaced. I had to go back 3x's for the rear drums and the last time I insisted on dealers top line as the acdelco ones were out of round out of the box - the vibration and grinding went away BUT now the knocking is back and is constant when I brake, even when I do it way back and lightly like I was a grandma. We changed the shoes too and it worked for a day to stop the knocking and then it came back. HELP.

I've spent over $2000 on the brakes and I don't want to spend much more to fix it or damage what has been replaced since I do commute a fair bit with a new job. I actually owned this make/model before and bought the same one again after an accident because the old one gave me no problems but this one has been such a pain but only with the brakes so I'd love to resolve it. Any ideas on what's causing this?
 
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When you get this sound does the ABS light come on?
 
No pulsing in the brake pedal? How do you know the sound is from the brakes? Nothing worn in the rear suspension? Exhaust pipe isnt hitting anything?
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No pulsing/vibration now that the drums and disc's are all good. I don't really know for sure but it seems to get better after they cleaned, machined, replaced parts (thats why the garages think its fixed and send me on my way) but only to return soon after. Also it doesn't make that noise when I hit a bump or push down/jump on the bumper so I don't think it's a strut or a lose part. My brother apprenticed as a mechanic and he thought for sure it was the shoes slapping and it went away when he changed them but it sat over night and came back the next day. Dad (who is a car guy but more with older vehicles) sat in the back seat and says its coming from the brake area but couldn't see anything visual when he hopped out and I would drive up and stop in front of him. He's stumped, as is my brother, and I don't have a hoist or a jack so he could look closer without the wheel. I wish I could post a video here, I did catch the sound on my phone.
 
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You have the factory wheels on the vehicle?
 
As far as I know. It's used so I can't be certain
 
It's front wheel drive...won't I kill the lucky bugger under the wheel when I fly off the jack? Lol. I didn't think rear wheels spun if it was fwd and off the ground. I could be wrong but its best to check before I end up in jail and on Darwin awards list for 2013:)
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You are correct, senior moment. Thats the problem with trying to fix things on the internet and you dont have the vehicle sitting right in front of you. Have you tried duplicating the problem in front of your home when it starts jack up the rear and try to spin the rear wheels by hand assuming you dont have awd?
 
same problem

I have the same problem on a 2006 AWD torrent. there is a mild thumping from right rear / rear in general brakes/ driveline when the brakes are applied at the 25-30% force level. is not apparent if lighter or firmer brakes are applied. the brakes look perfectly normal i have replaced the brake wheel cylinders a few months agoo new shoes and turned rotors. still there. i have swapped the drums from right to left still seems to be on right side. today i took the right rear axle stub shaft off of car and short drive later noise still there, so its not the stub axle/cv joint. could still be rear left drive axle or main drive shaft. upon close exam of shoes on the ends of both pads there seem to be "tiger stripes" that go across the short axis of the pads like it is chattering. any ides?
 
the problem was there before you did the rear brake job? How many miles on the rear struts/shocks?
 
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