Clacking sound!

[67cuda360]

I have noticed a intermittent "Clacking" sound coming from the driver side front, that goes away when I touch the brake pedal (even ever so slightly). It only seems to do it when I have driven the car for a little while.

I have checked the front end, just to make sure there wasn't anything obviously loose, and pulled the brake caliper off the rotor just to make sure everything was okay.

I noticed the brake pads don't have any clips that keep them centered on the brake piston. I assume this is the way it is supposed to be since it is the same on both sides.

Could the "Clacking" sound be cause by the brake pads moving back and forth while driving? I did notice the front wheels have some drag even when the brakes are not applied.

My car is a 67 barracuda with what I believe is a '74ish disk brake conversion, I think they might have taken the whole K-member plus connected parts from a 74 dart. (Looks like the lower ball joints are the 73+ style)

 

[CUDA69]

Have you lubed the front end with a grease gun? Sometimes the ball joints dry out and start binding.

 

[TrailBeast]

There is supposed to be a little tab that goes under the caliper retainer bolt that hold the pads down tight.
The noise you describe sound exactly like what you think it is.
(Pads moving)

Let me see if I can find a pic of the parts.

Ok, not really good but,,,,,,,,
The blue circled plates go on first, then the red circled tabs are the anti rattle clips.
If you have them on there, you can bend them down tighter against the pads till you can source some new ones.

I also bend the tabs on the shoes down tight against the caliper when I put them on to further minimize the possible movement.

 

[67cuda360]

Yeah, I know which tab you are talking about.

I have checked that on both sides and they seem to be installed properly, and doing their jobs LOL, I'm just wandering if that constant drag that the brake pads have on the front wheels (when the brake isn't applied) is pushing the pads up and then the tab is pushing them back in position again, resulting in the clacking sound.

Is there anyway I can adjust the front brakes so that the front wheels spin freely when the brake pedal isn't applied? That might solve my problem. Kind a freaking me out when I'm driving, sounds like something is about to let go LOL

Oh, and yes, I have lubed all grease fittings in the last two months, so the ball joints should be okay.

 

[moparlover]

disc brakes always have a bit of drag. drum brakes do not.

if the sound goes away when you apply light brake pressure, that sounds like something else.

are the rotor surfaces flat/smooth?
are they glazed looking?

are the pads new?
what are the conditions of the wheel bearings?

with the caliper off the rotor should spin freely but not have any rock to it... if you grasp the rotor and push/pull it should not have any movement... it should only be able to spin, not move in/out.

 

[67cuda360]

What do you mean when you say "I also bend the tabs on the shoes down tight against the caliper.."

Do you mean "pads" instead of "shoes" (shoes are only on drum brakes right?)My pads didn't have any tabs or retainers on the back of them, they just slide in their slots and don't clip into the caliper at all. Is that how it is supposed to be?

 

[moparlover]

getting noises AFTER you hit the brakes is loose pads/clips etc.

 

[67cuda360]

Moparlover, rotor surfaces is flat and smooth, the pads are old, but still have lots of pad left. The weird thing is, is that the sounds is intermittent, and is very clearly coming from the driver side tire. I did check if the ball joints or bearings needed to be replaced but there is no improper movement on the driver side tire at all.

The passenger side has a little play (when pushing and pulling on top and bottom of tire) which I assume is the lower ball joint. Hope to replace this over the winter, but the sounds is definitely coming from the driver side.

 

[moparlover]

it would be good if you could get access to a lift. then you could remove the caliper & spin the tire to see if it's the wheel bearing or not. sometimes they dont spin smooth if the races are worn or if the spindle is damaged. that way you would know for sure.

when you hit the brakes it's clamping the rotor between the pads, and the sound stops. it could be from severely worn pads also or if the rotor is too thin. but if the rotor is smooth and not worn down to nothing, and the pads are halfway decent, my hunch is wheel bearing/races/spindle. unless someone put the wrong pads on there or something.

here's a place to get the service manual and you could read through the brake section to become an expert

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109

there might be a place to get a 1974 manual on forabodies only also

i'll look to see what i can find

 

[moparlover]

here's the forabodiesonly service manual sticky

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=244981

 

[67cuda360]

Thanks moparlover,
the pads look like this. Do they just go in like this or is there supposed to go some friction compound on the back (it looked like there was some old gunk on the pads that are on there now)?

When I get a chance, I'll put the car on some jack stands and take the caliper off to see if it spins freely, just to make sure it isn't the bearing.

 

[moparlover]

the goop on the back is "anti-squeal" along with the shim you get with some brake pad kits. that's so when you step on the breaks they dont squealllll like a pig.

you have the opposite problem. clicky/clacky until you put some pressure on

 

[67Dart273]

If your read the 73 or later service manual that covers those, the pad in the top right is supposed to get the outer tabs bent to fit tightly around the outer part of the caliper.

My pads came with some glue on aluminum? plates which go onto the rear of the pads to provide "anti chatter."

EDIT Forgot to mention, be certain that your wheels are not rubbing the calipers, which MOVE, LOL

 

[ir3333]

paint a thin coat of anti rattle on the back of the pads.
in think a thin film of silicon will work too.

 

[67cuda360]

Thanks for those great pages 67Dart273, I really appreciate it. When I have some time I'll dig into them and follow the manual, to see if that fixes things. I'll also put some new "anti rattle" coating on them like ir3333 suggested.

 

[TrailBeast]

Sorry, I meant pads when I said I bend the tabs.
Del mentioned it also.