grinding from the rear

[vee-dub]

hi, i have a grinding noise coming from the rear when i press the brake pedal my i only seems to be at low speed and i have checked the rear shoes and it is not them.
any advice thanks

[Leroy]

Same happened on mine, the rear brakes weren't getting enough use and sticking sometimes so just applied the handbrake lightly for a bit when i was going downhill, stopped the grinding and had to repeat every now again 

sorry not the most technical answer but it worked for me

[vee-dub]

thats ok thanks i will give that a try thanks.

[itavaltalainen]

If it is a "grinding noise" it may be your wheel bearing on the way out but sure can be brakes themselves, as mentioned before they don't get a lot of exercise in the mk3.

Or do you mean they are squeaking when you release them? Latter is very common....

May help to clean drum (look if there is a noticeable burr) and gently sanding off the edges on the pads, also does not harm to take the shoes apart (well as much as you are meant to and grease certain parts with a bit of copper slip or plastilube = metal free paste).

[VW BUSH]

Take the cap off the reservoir.
Turn  and tap the drum with a mallet before you take the nut off, you will feel it free up as the crap falls out.
If it don't turn you probs have a seized or tight cylinder, or the handbrake on make sure its off
They can seize on and be a bastard to get off but persevere.
You may have a lip on the inside making it difficult to get off, this may even be your grinding noise...
Have a round/half round file handy to remove this before you re fit it, you can sometimes get in and file it away a bit if its really big and fouling on the shoes.

Be prepared to replace cylinders and shoes, if the drums are fecked then budget for bearings.
Drum set ups are cheap to replace over discs