TSB 22-2326 : "Moan Noise in the Rear Brakes When Driven in Reverse in Cold Weather or High Humidity"

[strckerie]

We've had our 2021 BS Big Bend since 2/22/23...10,669 miles at the time.
Noticed the brake issue as described...first drive of the day during rainy or cold days. Carfax does not show previous owner ever had that looked at under the TSB. They bought it new 9/2021.
Just called our dealership and have an appointment to address the TSB next Tuesday. Fingers crossed ...

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[DirtyLuke]

So several days after my second visit... It's gotten louder. Pretty much no difference from after they initially did the work.

I'm going to wash the vehicle tomorrow. If the weather here is warm enough, I'll hit the rear brakes with the pressure washer, but I'll probably be relegated to the local car wash due to the weather.

Ford clearly doesn't have a real fix for this. I was recently in contact with a Ford rep. I will hit them up and update them on my situation, but only to make sure I'm made aware of future solutions. I don't expect to be rid of the noise any time soon, and just hope it dies down a bit on these new bushings after a while like my originals did.

 

[BayBrownBronco]

So several days after my second visit... It's gotten louder. Pretty much no difference from after they initially did the work.

I'm going to wash the vehicle tomorrow. If the weather here is warm enough, I'll hit the rear brakes with the pressure washer, but I'll probably be relegated to the local car wash due to the weather.

Ford clearly doesn't have a real fix for this. I was recently in contact with a Ford rep. I will hit them up and update them on my situation, but only to make sure I'm made aware of future solutions. I don't expect to be rid of the noise any time soon, and just hope it dies down a bit on these new bushings after a while like my originals did.

I feel your pain. And agreed, Ford doesn't seem to have a fix for this. I've been back twice to my dealer for this. The first time, they said they applied the TSB (replacing the four rear caliper pin bushings, two on each rear caliper, top and bottom). But I have a habit of looking close at my car after repairs - and saw the job was actually only half done by them. They replaced the BOTTOM rear bushings, and greased there... but not the TOP ones. (If you look into the details - the replacement *bottom* bushings are much stiffer than the originals; but the compound/stiffness of the old/new *top* ones - well I don't know).

I went back to the dealer, saying I was disappointed. The TSB clearly requires TWO kits to be utilized, for a total of FOUR rear bushings. Also important - if the top ones aren't removed and replaced, obviously that means they got no grease during the TSB repair. The service rep said his tech said the top bushings are the same old/new. Long back n forth ensued and dealer finally re-installed all four bushings, and greased them (naturally I checked again to confirm). But the rep had told me the first time - this TSB repair has been having limited effectiveness in solving the moaning noise in our cars. And he repeated it again.

I tested it out again in ensuing (cold) days - especially when car was cold and wet. BTW also - I'd gotten a product "Rustopper" for reducing rust on rotors, and was trying it too, especially after I wash the car in cold Wx, a distinct problem scenario for this car. No dice. Still moaning like a tugboat!

I have changed my procedures (esp, on backing into the garage), to help me live with this. That does help; but it still haunts me, having this problem - even though it in no way effects the overall braking effectiveness. Whenever I really get on the brakes, forward or reverse, hot or cold, they grab like a pit bull. But doggone it! The moaning still vexes me.

I'd like to clear the air about this whole thing, and Ford, and their dealers. I'm a Ford fan. I love my BS BL - and have no intention of letting something like this turn me into a whiner about it. EVERY car has foibles and issues. (I posted the similar, numerous, other makes and models which also exhibit this problem, in the 'Brakes after TSB' thread herein). I don't have the vinegar, nor the time, for a 'Holy War' against Ford/Ford dealers. (Anyone who does, I have no issue with). So instead, I'm plotting a way to still throttle or at least diminish this issue for my car. I'm going to try PowerStop Ceramic-Carbon pads next. BTW attaching pix of my caliper bushings, after the *first* repair try, herein for reference. If anyone here needs to inspect theirs after the TSB work - - look for "similar graying" on suspension parts, to see what's actually been swapped out. The pix here show a darker (newer) bushing, and, an older (grayer) bushing.

 

[DirtyLuke]

I feel your pain. And agreed, Ford doesn't seem to have a fix for this. I've been back twice to my dealer for this...
...I'm going to try PowerStop Ceramic-Carbon pads next.

Great write up and pics. I'm incredibly interested to see if ceramic pads make a difference for you, as that is my logical next step. I did contact the Ford rep who reached out to me a while ago and left them a message. Still no word back. Granted, unless they offer me new pads and/or rotors under warranty, I can't imagine anything they suggest is going to make a difference.

 

[rootdoc]

I had my BS Big Bend in for service of multiple issues at our local dealership today. Service advisor told me Ford Recall fuel injector drain tube was installed and software modified. He stated that they cleaned rear brakes. I asked if the caliper bushings were replaced, and he told me they were cleaned but not replaced. I wanted to wring his neck but used restraint and stated that I was disappointed that they didn't complete the job, or fully address what the TSB recommended. Needless to say, service advisor didn't budge on the issue. I was ticked! I left the house again at 5:30pm today, bright sunlight 70 degrees and no humidity so no weather related issues. The fog horn sound while backing out of the driveway was just as loud as before. I will be calling the dealership tomorrow to schedule another appt for replacement of the rear brake caliper bushings, which they should have addressed when they had the vehicle today.

 

[bclarke68]

2 weeks later now, with the fresh set of pads (probably the same as Original ones) and no moaning so far. Its been wet and cold nearly every day.

So we shall see after another few thousand miles if it returns after the wear more.

 

[BayBrownBronco]

Great write up and pics. I'm incredibly interested to see if ceramic pads make a difference for you, as that is my logical next step. I did contact the Ford rep who reached out to me a while ago and left them a message. Still no word back. Granted, unless they offer me new pads and/or rotors under warranty, I can't imagine anything they suggest is going to make a difference.

Thanks for the feedback. I ordered PowerStop Z23 front and rear pads from RockAuto. I'd normally get things thru Amazon - but actually RockAuto seemed to beat em, and i've been happy with them in the past a lot of times. I have an appt coming up at my dealer, to get them installed - will update folks here after 4/11/23.

Here's an interesting take on what pad types to choose - https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/maintenance/ceramic-vs-metallic-brake-pads/

And a good read, (even if marketing material) on PowerStop's offerings - https://www.powerstop.com/resources/powerstop-brake-pad-options/

 

[Robins21]

Last week we took our BS in for the 25K mile service, injector recall, & the moaning rear brakes when it is cold temp. We left the truck the day before so they could back the truck up in the morning & hear the noise. I told the service writer about the TSB for the noisy rear brakes. They did the service, recall, & performed the TSB & a few days later same rear brake noise backing up.

 

[Mark S.]

Here's an interesting take on what pad types to choose - https://www.bridgestonetire.com/learn/maintenance/ceramic-vs-metallic-brake-pads/

Keep in mind while reading this when the author refers to "noise" they mean the noise made during a stop, as the brake pad is squeezed against the rotor. Semi-metallic and organic pads sometimes make a grinding noise you can hear in the cabin when you apply the brakes. The noise-while-backing problem many are experiencing is not the same thing. THAT noise occurs when little or no pressure is applied to the pads; it's caused by a vibration resulting in a resonation in the assembly, not because of grinding friction between the pad and rotor. That means those "quiet" ceramic pads may or may not eliminate the resonation made by your brakes make while backing up.

 

[Marinaguy]

Keep in mind while reading this when the author refers to "noise" they mean the noise made during a stop, as the brake pad is squeezed against the rotor. Semi-metallic and organic pads sometimes make a grinding noise you can hear in the cabin when you apply the brakes. The noise-while-backing problem many are experiencing is not the same thing. THAT noise occurs when little or no pressure is applied to the pads; it's caused by a vibration resulting in a resonation in the assembly, not because of grinding friction between the pad and rotor. That means those "quiet" ceramic pads may or may not eliminate the resonation made by your brakes make while backing up.

Good point, Mark. I can confirm that at least for me switching to ceramic pads did absolutely nothing. And after the dealer sanded down the rotors and greased the caliper pins the noise has become worse, not better.

 

[BayBrownBronco]

Great write up and pics. I'm incredibly interested to see if ceramic pads make a difference for you, as that is my logical next step. I did contact the Ford rep who reached out to me a while ago and left them a message. Still no word back. Granted, unless they offer me new pads and/or rotors under warranty, I can't imagine anything they suggest is going to make a difference.

Another note, and thanks for prompting me to this notion. Thinking thru the possibility a dealer might offer to install new pads got me recalling one thing RiotfunK said in that other thread ('Brakes after TSB'); that is, about his brakes seeming to be glazed. I ride bikes a lot, and have dealt repeatedly with glazed brake pads on the disc brakes. It's a somewhat parallel problem on my bikes - although the brakes tend to squeak/squeal more than moan on the bikes as opposed to the moan/groan seen here on our cars. (My gal though - did have the moan issue on her disc brake bike, last year - similar fix IIRC). I tried a lot of ideas on the bikes, including switching to better pads (that helped) and periodically removing the pads to rough them with 60-grit sandpaper. Overall, and together, those techniques solved the brake noise issues on my bikes. [Note: one of my bikes is an extremely heavy Aventon Soltera 7 e-bike on which I converted the bars and brifters to be road-bike style; I ride it very hard and go thru a lot of brake pads, so they lead a difficult service life.]

Anyway - the inputs here from DirtyLuke and RiotfunK have got me thinking now, I need to approach my brakes on this car in a much more proactive way. I generally think of modern brakes as an item I will just leave alone for 30k-40k miles at a stretch. I had ZERO brake noise problems with this car in my first two years of ownership - until it hit about the 10k mile odometer mark. But here I believe I will need to maintain my brakes like I do on my bikes - maybe removing the pads every 10k or so miles, scuffing them with bench grinder or 60-grit on my little 1/4 sheet sander, and replacing them onto the car. I already do my own winter/summer wheel swaps on the car. Now I'm thinking I will start maintaining the pads too, maybe once a year, when doing so. But first I'm going to try just putting on better pads.

One video, by a Ford dealer mechanic discussing and doing this TSB repair, has been an inspiration to me. I got to thinking - "hmm - if I have a tool/technique for hanging up the brake caliper - maybe I could do a pad swap on this car". Link:

 

[3leggedhorse]

I recently went to my dealership with this issue and they installed the fix that the TSB recommended. Well, still have the noise. Like most if not all of you who have this issue, I experience it when backing up when car is cold or has been sitting a while and it is humid or has been raining. It moans like the brakes on my old Huffy bike when I was a kid. When you lift foot off brake, the moan persists for a second or two.......shfit forward....no problem, no noise. My tech advisor at ford recommended calling Ford Corporate and establish a claim and get a case number. He said that they are not sure what is causing the issue and are relying on service centers across the country to provide feedback as to what might work. The issue is annoying and embarrassing when you neighbor looks out the window in the morning.

2022 Bronco Sport Big Bend 1.6L
Stock wheels and tires
25K miles

NY/Northeast driven

 

[69cuda340s]

Wonder how many dealer techs put hard bushing on bottom and soft bushing on top and dont tear hard bushing on install and grease correctly? I have 11k miles on mine doesn't have noise but definitely wide spread problem on a lot of sports.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I recently went to my dealership with this issue and they installed the fix that the TSB recommended. Well, still have the noise. Like most if not all of you who have this issue, I experience it when backing up when car is cold or has been sitting a while and it is humid or has been raining. It moans like the brakes on my old Huffy bike when I was a kid. When you lift foot off brake, the moan persists for a second or two.......shfit forward....no problem, no noise. My tech advisor at ford recommended calling Ford Corporate and establish a claim and get a case number. He said that they are not sure what is causing the issue and are relying on service centers across the country to provide feedback as to what might work. The issue is annoying and embarrassing when you neighbor looks out the window in the morning.

2022 Bronco Sport Big Bend 1.6L
Stock wheels and tires
25K miles

NY/Northeast driven

Hi Brian. Can you send us a DM with your VIN and dealership info? I can look into this for you.

 

[Fuzzbear]

I went to the nearby dealer today to ask about their price for 20,000 mile service (and holy cats, they want a lot for that), and I mentioned the TSB for this issue. The advisor was aware of the noise issue but hadn’t heard of the recommended fix actually solving it. The feeling I got is I’m better off just leaving things as is and just living with the stares when it groans like a whale.

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