Crna Mechka

I just recently began to notice a semi-loud single click noise coming from the passenger side when coming to a bit more harder than usual stop. It only happens once in a great while but I'm wondering if it will lead to further problems down the road.

I have fairly new Akebono pads and rotors (less than 2.5k miles on them) on the front but have not replaced anything in the rear yet since purchasing the car (so far I've put on about 4.5k miles on her since purchasing in Oct-2010).

I'm wondering if this is the reason that the clicking noise has commenced - maybe the fronts are working harder because the rear have worn out? The pads and rotors looks fine though.

Any ideas? I'm going for a full brake flush this upcoming week just for the H of it, maybe that will help. Been hearing grinding noise coming from the rear brakes for as long as I can remember, always thought it was the cold temps in NE causing it.

Glyn M Ruck

Check your rear pads obviously.

That single hard click you hear is usually pads moving in the caliper or a damaged anti rattle shim. If you reverse the car & brake the pads move one way in the caliper. If you then go forward and brake they move the other way & can click if slightly loose in the caliper. It's not uncommon. Depends how bad or if it's getting worse?

Silver C

The pads would be the firsrt to peek at, the clicking sound may be the pads being slightly loose. The full description has been stated above by Glyn.

GINO-ESC

original wheels and bolts ?

Crna Mechka

Thanks for your response Glyn - I will takes the wheels off to check the pads after work.

Gino: The wheels are original, but the bolts I had them shortened by a machine shop months ago because originally they were too long but I've never really had (or noticed) this issue since until just recently.

I also recently got an alignment done by MB - do they takes the wheels off when they calibrate?

Silver C

No they dont take the wheels off when doing alignment. And regarding the bolts, if a bolt is longer than it should it may cause a clicking sound, but you just said you shortened it, so I dont think it should be a problem.

eesjunin

well going to those shims...i tell you one thing they suck! i actually had this clicking noice in the front and when i changed my pads+rotors what i found is that the bottom part of that shim bracket on both side were broken off and when spinning the wheel they would tik...so off they went which allowed my pads to be little more free...first off i never seen shims on any other car that i owned, second off these shims were so tight that it constarined my brakes to move which i believe cause my warped rotors which are only 2 years old...so off with one sid eof shims ! i am going to do the same thing in the back since i am noticing almost a springy sound when the car comes to the stop from the rear...which i am almost positive its either a misalligned shim or it broke like upfront!

Crna Mechka

Thanks for chiming in bro - good info.

Do you by any chance have a pic of what this shim looks like? Not too familiar with it.

And about this part:

You know what I have been experiencing the same exact thing for as long as I've owned the car! Could it really be this shim you speak of?!

eesjunin

if you look at your caliper where the pad goes into it...there is thin metal braket that gose from outside to inside of the pad holder...you can deff see it..through your wheel...
the sound from rear? i am got new pads for that , so possibly this weekend going to see if that is it...
but i tell ya removing that shim made my wheels spin with no restriction!
oh eah the other thing that i noticed is that the hex bolt that holds the rotor to the spindle...well when its torqued it makes the rotor spin offbalance even when you torque it with the lug bolts...so what i did i didnt make it too tight so the rotor can take shape of the spindle surface when the lug nuts are tightened...
that also gave that off-centric spin touching one side of the shim or the other