Last week I started hearing a grinding noise from the rear. I figured it's the brakes again ( this thing loves brakes, rotors and calipers) I just did the brakes about 3 months ago roughly. I pulled the wheels the calibers and the pads, everything looks good. Pads look fairly new for the most part still. I pulled and greased all the slide pins front and rear because one was stuck and it's good practice to do at least once a year for me anyways.
Ive been running EBC Green stuff pads on the front and that eliminated most of my problems in the front. The last time I did the rear brakes it was a scramble to get done in time for work so I threw a cheap set of pads on ( hopefully this is my problem) replaced calibers because they were both shot flushed the lines and greased all slide pins. I ordered a set of EBC Yellow Stuff from Clay last night and fingers crossed they get here by Thursday and eliminate the problems I've been having on the rear.
I put everything back together and she's still talking to me. The ujoints are fine I checked them when I had the rear end up in the air. Everything else seems to be in check.
Going through this in my head it has to be these junk pads. What else could be grinding around the brake area? I don't believe the sterling has the traditional wheel hubs but I may be wrong. I'm working 12s now and am very limited on time after work each night. Any other ideas?

For another question that has nothing to do with my problem with the brakes what are the consequences to over tightening the steering box? I tightened it up a little too much and the steering wheel doesn't want to find center, I have to manually straighten it to center but I have no fear of driving it now because the steering is tight like it should be and for once I have feedback of the road in my wheel.

 

I have had u joints that felt fine while installed, even pulled the shaft and they felt fine but under a load in reverse it was noisy. I lived with it for several months until it got real bad and was able to find it.

also a real loose input pinion will grind on the 3rd member in reverse.
I have also seen the 10,5 sterling internal bearings get soo loose the 3rd member was moving side to side and grinding.
those were high mileage diffs.

as for the steering being adjusted too tight it will only cause pre mature wear on the gear box.

 

Thanks for answering my questions. Well I hope I'm right about the pads. When I had the rear up in the air I spun everything by hand and hopefully im right, but it still doesn't make sense to me.
The truck has 126k hard miles on it and in the last 30k I've put 3 ujoints (all Spicer) in it, turned out I stripped the splines in my drive shaft. That's been fixed awhile now and hasn't shown it's face at all.
As for the steering box I think I'm going to back it off a touch but leave it tight like it is because it was getting scary. Soon I'll buy a redhead box and be done with it.