Clacking noise from front wheels

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tripreed

tripreed

10 Year
Joined
Nov 19, 2014
Threads
8
Messages
166
Location
Birmingham
Hi fellas,

So, a couple of weeks ago I took my '04 LC to a local shop to have the front brakes done. They are a shop that specializes in Toyotas and Hondas and have a good reputation, and I've had a good experience with them on everything else I've had done there. They knew to repack the bearings and did such. Everything seemed to be good when I picked the truck up.

A day or two later I was driving and noticed what I would describe as a "clacking" noise coming from the front driver side wheel. I eventually realized it was coming from both wheels. Its rate was variable with speed, and the noise would stop when I pressed on the brakes, so I figured it was something tied to that. It was hard to hear when driving on an open road, but when driving next to a wall or something where the sound is reflected back, it was very clear. There was no real change in the way that it drove, or braked, but it was annoying.

I took it back to the shop the next week and they looked at it, adjusted the shims on the brake pads and gave it back to me. Well, the noise was still there. I took it back up there last week, and they replaced with the pads that they'd used with Toyota OEM pads (both fixes were at no charge, by the way). It seemed like it had solved the problem, but by this past Sunday, if not earlier, I noticed that the noise was still present. I took it up there again today, and I could tell that they were frustrated that they hadn't figured it out yet. I've got to go out of town later this week, so they're going to take another look at it next week.

The guys at the shop seem to think that it has something to do with the pads, but I'm wondering if it could be something else. Maybe something to do with the bearings? I'd love to hear if anyone else has a guess.
 
Trunk Monkey said:
Jack up a wheel, grab it and 12 and 6 and see if you can rock it at all, it's bearings if you can. Then grab it and 3 and 9, same thing, could be tie rods if there's motion there.
Click to expand...

OK, I may have to give that a try when I get home. Would it make sense for either of those would be the problem since the sound stops when I apply the brakes?
 
Yes, putting the brakes on stops the bouncing between the pads.

Did you have them or yourself verify all the shims and springs are there and correctly installed. If they are a good toyota shop they should know how, but saw a video recently with a similar type situation and noise. The installer had not put the springs back on correctly and was letting the pads wiggle and make noise. Apparently a fairly common problem and I remember when I changed mine thinking that the set-up was different than any other disc brake I had worked on. Not that I've done that many types, but the dozen or so vehicles I have worked on were different from these from a holder/spring set-up. Of course don't know if this has anything to do with what your experiencing, so wishing you luck!
 
Try removing the hub caps, the plastic ones in the wheel center, not the metal axle cap. They can jingle. If that's it I don't know how to break it to the brake guys though. Good luck!
 
buddy of mine bought a 4runner and had this/similar noise, researched and sourced out some "springs" from the dealer, real toyota p/n etc, installed himself and presto, pad clank, brake rattle etc gone.
 
Mine had same noise and losers who did previous brake job did not go OEM and lost springs clips squeeze plate and shim plates. Got all on the way courtesy of beno.
 
Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. It looks like there are some spots on the wheel hub where there has been rubbing, so it does sound like maybe there are some springs missing or not properly installed, so hopefully that will help them solved it when they look at it again next week.
 
IIRC when I did my front brakes, the OEM pads and hardware kit I got from Beno did not include the "M" shaped spring clip that separates the pads when they're sitting there idle. I did find these clips locally in a NAPA brake accessory kit with all the backing plates and misc hardware. Spring was not included in the OReilly kit I got either. Could it be missing this clip?

edit: googled it and the clip is called the "anti-rattle spring", go figure :cheers:
 
Here is the Toyota FSM diagram. It does not show the M clip...or W clip depending on your point of view! However this video does show the clip. I'll have to see what @beno sends me
View attachment 1062011
 

Attachments

highonpottery said:
IIRC when I did my front brakes, the OEM pads and hardware kit I got from Beno did not include the "M" shaped spring clip that separates the pads when they're sitting there idle. I did find these clips locally in a NAPA brake accessory kit with all the backing plates and misc hardware. Spring was not included in the OReilly kit I got either. Could it be missing this clip?

edit: googled it and the clip is called the "anti-rattle spring", go figure :cheers:
Click to expand...

Very interesting. I'll see if I can spot that clip on there. Sounds like a likely culprit.
 
Just received all new factory parts to reload my front calipers from Beno. There was no M or W clip included in the shipment nor is one indicated my FSM drawings.
What is everybody else finding when the do a front brake job? Do you think the M clip is not Toyota but is part of aftermarket hardware clips and after all these years the clip has become common?
 
The springs are part of the proper set-up for the front otherwise you get noise and uneven wear. Since I didn't pay attention when taking it apart, ended up watching very carefully on somebody's YouTube of how to change out the brakes on the hundy. Try that, if you can't find it let me know and I'll pull a wheel and snap a picture tomorrow.
 
Hey Bear,
I hadn't looked at that video - but it shows the springs much better than the one I had seen. If you watch the video - at the 4:26 mark it shows where and how to install the spring. On the video it doesn't show tucking the ends of the spring in but at the 5:07 mark it has a perfect shot of it all installed. Remember it goes on the top of the caliper with the center of the "M" pointing down, demonstrated at the 5:15 mark of the video.

Good luck and happy installing!
 
When I took my cruiser in to the shop on Monday, they were already prepared with a new spring and clip kit. They typically just reinstall whatever was on there, so somehow the previous owner had been getting away without the W-clips. But they got them all installed (again, at no cost to me), and everything seems to be all good. Thanks to everyone for their tips.
 
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