Clanking Noise; Please help identify

[kxc36g]

Hi

This is my first post at dsmtuners, so I hope it is in the right forum and such.

I have been trying to identify a clanking noise that comes from my driver's side front wheel. The noise is a high pitched 'clank' that happens whenever the car goes over a small bump such as a road reflector or crack in the pavement. You can not feel the clank but you can hear it. Going over large bumps such as speed bumps does not produce any noise.

This problem began a few years ago after swapping to 1g "big" brakes with stainless lines and I believe that this is the source although I have not been able to figure out what is going on.

Since this began I have changed the following parts without solving the problem:

H&R springs
AGX shocks
new Powerslot rotors
new brake pads
new swaybar endlinks/bushings
new balljoint/ cv axle/ and multiple alignments

I know a problem like this is hard to solve without actually hearing the noise, but any ideas as to where to look or future parts to change/inspect would be helpful. I am at my
wits end trying to fix the problem. I am pretty sure the source of the noise is the brake/dust shield area but nothing looks out of the ordinary. Maybe the caliper is defective? I just don't know.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[MackZ24]

Have you tried using the brakes while the "clanking" noise is happening? Like go across an area that would cause the noise and try to do some heavy braking (if safe and possible). See if the noise changes, or if you feel anything different with the car. You seem to have replaced pretty much everything related to the brakes except the caliper itself. So that might be a place to start looking.

 

[kxc36g]

I never thought to try that; I will have to give that test a try. My only other thoughts were the rotor hitting the dust shield, or the dust shield hitting the lower control arm. However, the other side does not have a clearance issue so I don't know why this would happen to this particular side.

Chris

 

[MackZ24]

If you think it might be the rotor hitting the dust shield, but only on one side, it's entirely possible. Those "dust shields" are very easily bent/damaged, so if you have removed them or been working around them to replace all those other components it very well could be what you are experiencing. To tell you the truth, those heat/dust shields don't really do much. I believe they were originally put there to help block heat from the brake lines, but a lot of people don't run the shields at all, and there are no problems whatsoever. (I recently removed the rears on my project car, because basically, they just crumbled when removing the brakes) I suggest you just remove the couple little bolts holding them on, pull the shields out of there and see if it solves your problem.

 

[kxc36g]

Hmm, I did not realize that they were held on by bolts. I will give that a try this weekend. Can I remove them by just removing the wheel, or will I need to pull the rotors too?

Thank you,
Chris

 

[MackZ24]

I haven't looked at the front in a while, but I know the rears are held on my some smaller diameter bolts (forget the exact size), and I'm not completely sure if you need to remove the rotors or not for that. I *do* know however that it's much easier to use a wrench to remove these bolts (a socket is near impossible to get on the bolt, atleast in the rear). Sorry I couldn't be much more help on this part of it, but I can't remember exactly what needs to be removed for access since my suspension is currently in pieces on my garage floor.

 

[kxc36g]

I think the caliper is the problem. I tried applying the brakes while going over lane reflectors and the clanking stopped! Of course that sucks because I have no idea why the caliper is causing the noise (even after changing pads and pulling them to do the rotors, so it must be internal). I guess I will replace it when I need new pads. Any other ideas as to why the caliper would clank?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[ArticNemesis]

It still could be the dust shield, but the pressure from the caliper on the rotor is keeping the shield from hitting the rotor. Just a thought.

 

[MackZ24]

Once you're absolutely sure that it's the caliper and not the dust/heat shield, depending on their condition, you might be able to get away with just getting a rebuild kit for the caliper and rebuilding it yourself. But if you've never rebuilt a caliper before I'd probably just buy a set of rebuilt ones from somewhere. But if the dust/heat shield is the problem, my recommendation is to just remove it!