My 2020 Forester has been in the shop 4 times to remove rocks caught in the rear brakes. Is this a 2020 issue or just my vehicle? The screeching is ear-blasting! Backing up, stopping quickly, etc. don't seem to help. Any suggestions for a permanent fix? We drive a few kms on gravel every day.
2020 - Gravel in the brakes - in the shop 4 times to remove rocks, is there a fix?
('19+)
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2010 Forester 2.5 X Automatic, Bilstein B6/Swift Springs, STI 22mm rear swaybar, '06 WRX brakes.
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Might be too extreme for your taste but this type of wheel for rally racing is designed specifically to keep gravel out of the brakes...
I personally would remove the dust shields. Maybe I'd get the wheels; never had that style and being in a situation where they actually make sense, well, that’s tempting (to me).
Edit-take that wheel advice with a grain of salt, my brain constantly figures out ways to trick me into buying more goodies for cars.
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I personally would remove the dust shields. Maybe I'd get the wheels; never had that style and being in a situation where they actually make sense, well, that’s tempting (to me).
Edit-take that wheel advice with a grain of salt, my brain constantly figures out ways to trick me into buying more goodies for cars.
2010 Forester 2.5 X Automatic, Bilstein B6/Swift Springs, STI 22mm rear swaybar, '06 WRX brakes.
Joined
·
87 Posts
I have a thought though- sorry should have remembered -if you are getting them stuck in the rears (typical) some front mudflats can help. Will stop the fronts flinging the rocks back and will also protect the underbody and subframe.
This solved the same issue on my old Audi 4000 Quattro that lived on a gravel road.
This solved the same issue on my old Audi 4000 Quattro that lived on a gravel road.
Getting a small rock between the rotor and backing plate has happened to me twice. The first time it took me a few miles to figure it out. The screeching would come and go. I could turn the car left and right abruptly and the noise would come and go away (I assume the rock rolling back and forth). I walked next to the car as the wife drove slowly and determined the left rear was making the noise. Empty the car because the back was full of luggage to get the jack. Take the wheel off and can see a little rock. 2 months later the same thing happened. Knew instantly what the problem was. Determined it was the left rear again. Again, empty the luggage remove tire, remove rock. But this time I put the jack on the floor in the back seat.
The first time it happened the car did not have mud flaps, the second time I had mud flaps installed. Three weeks ago when for a 30 mile drive on gravel. I through my floor jack in the back seat along with tools to remove the tire. We lucked out that time, no rocks to remove.
I also tried backing up, but was not that lucky.
This happened to us one time. A large gravel stone. I don’t know if there is a fix. Maybe a better mud guard.
I’ve never had this happen to my 2015 Forester. Make sure the backing plate is not distorted or bent in any way.
iirc, there is an updated superseded part number for certain MY Foresters backing plates.
I’ve never had this happen to my 2015 Forester. Make sure the backing plate is not distorted or bent in any way.
iirc, there is an updated superseded part number for certain MY Foresters backing plates.
FYI
To replace a backing plate, you will need to remove the wheel bearing!!
To replace a backing plate, you will need to remove the wheel bearing!!
@AMR - If you get the "right" (wrong) sized rock in there, the only way to remove it is taking off the affected wheel, and it's then an easy job.
Prevention is worth a pound of cure, but if you drive on roads with small stones like I do, it can still happen regardless.
Buy a good floor jack and an impact wrench + a torque wrench and you can do it yourself in less time than the drive to the shop.
Prevention is worth a pound of cure, but if you drive on roads with small stones like I do, it can still happen regardless.
Buy a good floor jack and an impact wrench + a torque wrench and you can do it yourself in less time than the drive to the shop.
Do the rocks usually lodge in the lower portion of the backing plate and on the outer edge where the backing plate dishes out?
If so, could a torch and a suitable piece of hooked wire give you access to it through the mag wheel?
We mostly have pea gravel here which is,well, round pea shaped. I've never experienced the problem but will now ,(attempt), to file that info away!
If so, could a torch and a suitable piece of hooked wire give you access to it through the mag wheel?
We mostly have pea gravel here which is,well, round pea shaped. I've never experienced the problem but will now ,(attempt), to file that info away!
I've only had rocks lodge in the front, but the wheel did a great job of being in the way to remove the pebble.
A rock a bit to large won't be stuck for long, and too small it readily falls out, but if it's just right, it will wedge in and won't come out until it's pried out.
A rock a bit to large won't be stuck for long, and too small it readily falls out, but if it's just right, it will wedge in and won't come out until it's pried out.
This has happened twice now with our 2019 Forester. It's in the shop today for service so once again they will remove the debris that got lodged. The high pitch sound is excruciating. In the 16 years we had our 2002 Forester we never had this happen once and we are driving on the same gravel road! This vehicle is meant to drive on all roads so not sure if something changed in the design but it's ridiculous.
You're talking about what we in the states call a flashlight, right? Not an acetylene torch to cut away metal??!
When did Subaru change the rear susension to include removeable dust backing plates? On my 2005 Forester the backing plate also supprts the caliper. The caliper bolts directly to it.
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