Clicking sound like coming from the left rear tire

Tiny
JEFFUSE
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR
  • 2.0L
  • V8
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 122,000 MILES
Last month I had my brake pads changed, but last few weeks, I'm hearing like a clicking doing coming from the left rear tire either after braking or not. The sound comes and goes and sometimes I don't hear anything at all! I will look at it this weekend and so hopefully u guys can direct me to what is causing the clicking noise so that I will know what I'm looking for. Thanks and God bless.
Friday, November 13th, 2015 AT 9:56 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,737 POSTS
Do you have disc or drum brakes on the rear? If they're disc, look for a warped rotor. If you can run the rear wheels in gear, you'll see the caliper sliding back and forth. That, in combination with pad mounts that weren't lubricated when the pads were replaced in the past, can cause grooves to wear into the mounts. As the caliper slides back and forth, the backing plates of the pads catch on those grooves and make a clicking sound. Two things are common causes of wobbling rotors. One is if they weren't machined to true them up, but they had been removed, there will be one or three holes in the mounting hub where water can sneak in and form rust spots on the inside of the rotor's mounting surface. If the rotor is reinstalled in a different orientation, those rust spots get stuck between the rotor and the hub and prevent it from sitting squarely on the hub. Along with the wobbling rotor, you'll see the wheel wobble too.

If new rotors were installed that were made in China, they commonly warp after two or three months. When we make parts out of cast iron, we set them aside for 90 days to age before they get their final machining. When the Chinese make them, they cast 'em, pack 'em, and ship 'em, then they age on your vehicle. A light machining will take care of that. Replacing them under warranty will not solve the problem because the next pair will do the same thing.

If you have drum brakes, look for an egg-shaped drum. There are six "lands", or raised spots on the backing plate the shoes ride on. Those must be lubricated with a special high-temperature grease too. When they aren't, grooves will wear into them. As the out-of-round drum rotates, it pushes the shoes back and forth, and the frames catch on those grooves and snap. You also have to check for those rust spots that can prevent the drum from sitting squarely. You may not feel a pedal pulsation but it will cause the shoes to slide back and forth.

Ford has had a real lot of trouble with sticking parking brake cables since the '70s. Depending on the parking brake design you have, check for a rear cable that isn't fully released. That can keep the brake partially-applied. With drum brakes, that keeps the shoes closer to the drum, so any movement with the shoes due to an out-of-round drum will be more pronounced. Look where the cable comes out of the casing, usually just ahead of the tire. If the first 1/2" or so is shiny, it isn't fully retracted. If you have the drum off, first check that both shoes are resting against the large anchor pin at the top of the backing plate. If they are not, the parking brake cable is stuck applied. Next, look at the strut bar between the middle of the two shoes. You should be able to push that with your thumb about 1/8" against the pressure of the anti-rattle spring. If that bar is tight, the parking brake cable isn't fully released.
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Friday, November 13th, 2015 AT 11:20 PM

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