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Sound driving me nuts - seems brake related


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Hi Everyone. I have a 98 Legacy Wagon that runs beautifully. 95k miles! Last year it started making a strange sort of knocking sound (knock... knock,knock......knock), like something was loose in the front left wheel. The sound would only start up after driving about 5 miles and then would occur without any real pattern on smooth roads, but also with bumps. *WHEN* you touch the brake pedal, even just barely, the sound stops instantly. Local mechanic checked it out multiple times and tightened up some things on the brakes. It stopped, but came back this month. That mechanic is gone. New one says the car is fine, nothing is going to fall off, but he can't figure out the noise (nor was he interested in driving it five miles to start to hear it). Today the sound started up as usual. I started making sharp turns (going 15 mph) to see if I could make it worse and I did - the sound occurred more frequently, but STILL stops the second I touch the brake pedal.

 

Please, what the heck could this be? One theory from the new mechanic is the brake pad heats up a bit then gets loose and flops around. Is that even possible? Beyond the sound driving me nuts I really want to know what it is and fix it - in case it is dangerous. Thanks in advance.

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Thanks wish, but he said he checked everything including the wheel bearings. Remember, the sound was there before, he tightened up everything on the brakes and then it came back. I'm seriously thinking about just putting in new fricking brake pads even though these are fine. It seemed to start soon after the last brake job.

 

P.S. Why would a wheel bearing stop making noise with braking?

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If the noise goes away when you press the brake petal then it's something with your brakes. It's either the caliper bolts are loose or your missing the pad guide clips. These are the shiny metal clips that go on the caliper mounting bracket where the pads ride on. If there missing the pads will rattle when you hit bumps or just driving and hitting the brakes will stop the noise. I would remove the caliper from the mounting bracket and inspect and while it's apart check all of the bolts.
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Hey Spooln, I agree 100% with your logic, but the mechanic just checked the brakes and said everything was fine. He is someone I trust do have done what he said, but maybe not be to be real smart in terms of diagnostics. Any ideas on why this doesn't happen until things have heated up a bit? When I fist drive the car, no noise. It always starts up after ten minutes or so.

 

Someone else this might be suspension related and that the suspension can "tighten up" when braking - but that seems a bit out there.

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Hello;

Front axle can make a knocking noise when wearing out. Check for side twist. Caliper mount bolts/slide pins can wear out causing this to flop around. Do you have ABS? A bad sensor can cause the brake to actuate causing a knocking. Wheel bearings usually sounds like driving on gravel. A warped rotor could also be a possible cause, Steven.

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Hello;

Front axle can make a knocking noise when wearing out. Check for side twist. Caliper mount bolts/slide pins can wear out causing this to flop around. Do you have ABS? A bad sensor can cause the brake to actuate causing a knocking. Wheel bearings usually sounds like driving on gravel. A warped rotor could also be a possible cause, Steven.

 

+1 .... Check what he said ....

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Thanks everyone. I really appreciate this. I live in the city with on street parking plus I am not the most mechanically savvy person around and I have very few tools. Enough excuses? :-) So... I'm going to try another mechanic and use many of these suggestions.

 

My former mechanic did look at the axle boot and said it was okay. Rotor checked out okay too (last year and now). He also is the one who tightened up the brakes (said he basically tightened up everything) and that stopped the sound for a few months. The poor guy actually died a while back. I do have ABS. I am almost certain it is not the wheel bearings (just doesn't fit the symptoms).

 

I guess I really need a mechanic who is more the Sherlock Holmes type. It's kind of frustrating how my most recent mechanic seems to want me to tell him what the exact problem is so he can fix it. Seems a little backwards no?

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I have basically the same symptoms on my 2006 2.5i. Can hear a sort of knocking/rattling sound coming from the front. Stops as soon as any pressure is put on the brake pedal. It's annoying to me but haven't had a chance to jack up the car and really take a look at the brakes. Seems to me like something to do with the pads. Maybe that metal shim or something is missing causing the pad to "float" in the caliper until pressure is put on it. I know the mechanic said he tightened everything, but can you tighten the pads? :confused: My 2006 has 128k so it could be any number of things in that area as well...
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It's the anti-rattle clips not doing their job. The brake pads are rattling in their seats - no harm done, but it's darned annoying. Might be loose pins too, but nothing can be done about it without replacing the caliper :mad:.

You can try applying some anti-rattle "blue goo" - on mine, that quelled the rattling for a while, but it came back.

I have the same thing with my '04 Forester's right front brake; I have Centric rotors/calipers/pads - the slightest touch on the brakes quiets them. I otherwise am very happy with Centric.

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