OK...a couple of weeks back, the brakes would squeak but only in reverse and only from the rear. Well, the squeaking has now stopped but has been replaced with low pitched groaning like the pads were worn down. They are noticeable at speed and get louder and meaner as the brakes are applied, again leading me to think that the pads were worn down and the rivets were on the drums. Well, tonight, I pulled the drums off. There's 1/4" of pad material left all around! The right drum pulled off no problem but the left had to be pulled off with a hammer and I could feel it pulling on the pads, not a rust problem as I did it a couple of times. Could the left drum be out of adjustment? The Haynes manual was no help, only to detail replacement. The parking brake is the 92+ style of adding pressure to pedal adds pressure to brake (read: non adjusting. It is not binding and works well). Any ideas? I can't drive it as it because it sounds so bad.

On another unrelated note but at the same time, there is a tapping under the truck in the rear. It is random and uncommensurate with road speed. Just thought one might lead to another but there are no losse pieces under the truck.

 

On the side that was hard to take pff, did u check the springs? U might have broke one, and either the pad, or the spring is rubbing.

 

The springs are intact, all of them.

 

Well, then the left drum has to bee out of adjustment

this is easy, just take a screw driver, or two, and turn the little wheel on the bottom inside, to the losen way. U will have to pry up the little lock, then losen the screw. Try that.