Clunking Brakes????
 

:-X09 I need some help with this one. I just got my brakes done at Bucky's Brakes (Chain in Wa. State) New Front Pads, 1 new rotor on the right front side, left front rotor turned. Brake Fluid Flushed, Rear drums turned and rear brakes adjusted. (Pads were at 50%) Brakes seem to work great overall. except for one thing: Sometimes(not always) when I brake now, the front left disc brake makes a CLUNK hard enough to feel in the floor (At least I think it is the brake caliper), and sometimes it will do it 5-6 times straight, other times never. Fast/slow speed or severity of brake application seem to make no difference in when it appears. What could this be? I have had my wife roll the truck along slowly and stab the brakes hard while I walk along the side with my hand on the hub/wheel. I can feel the clunk, and there is some play in the hub as it rocks back and forth once it stops. I just can't tell if it is the caliper or the hub. Since it is a 4wd, they took the hub off to get at the rotors, and repacked the bearings while they were in there. I have verified that the 4wd still engages and that that hub is locking in properly, so I am a little confused. I could really use some brake wizards, because the shop is a little annoyed with my calls by now. They tell me it must be suspension, but it was NOT there before the brake job. All help appreciated!!

Clunking Brakes????
 

Sorry, truck is a 1993 Ford F150 4x4, 302 V8, Reg cab short bed!

Clunking Brakes????
 

Take the truck to Midas. They will take everything apart and tell you what the problem is for $20.

You may want to tell them something like you did the brakes yourself and screwed up. They will probably be more than happy to tell you what you did wrong.

If they give you a ridiculas estimate for repair, just tell them no thanks and have the truck put back together.

That's the offer they make, they have to live up to it.

Regards, Robert.

Clunking Brakes????
 

Make sure the lug nuts are torqued properly - if they changed the rotor, they may not have reseated the lug studs, and the rotor could be loose. It could also be loose wheel bearings - jack that wheel off the ground and see if you can reproduce the clunk by pushing & pulling on the top of the tire. If it's not that, you'll have to check the spindle bolts, axle pivots, radius arm bushings, & the ball joints. That's ALL the parts that could make the noise.

But it speaks poorly of that shop that they didn't INSIST that you return immediately so THEY could diagnose it. :(

Clunking Brakes????
 

I will try jacking up the tire to see if it is the bearing.The rotor that was replaced was on the right side, while the clunk is on the left, but since both were removed it is still possible. What about the pins holding the brake caliper on? They did not reb uild the caliper, but they did relube it, and slathered a lot gf grease on the pad mount and the pins. I have had the wheel off, but I could not budge the caliper. It takes a fair amount of efort to turn the wheel, does that mean the brakes are too tight?
Just hypothetically, since it did NOT make the noise before the brakes were done, what possibilities exist for loosenes or whatever when we look at just the brakes themselves, or the bearing repack that was done?
Thanks to the two of you for you help-I wil take it to Midas if I have to. BTW, I did have the shop take a look at it (Test drive with me) but it of course was braking fine at that point and did not make the clunk for them.

Clunking Brakes????
 

You shouldn't be able to move the caliper by hand, and they're self-adjusting, so some drag is normal, especially on a fresh set of pads.

The only things a brake job could have done to cause that clunk would be lugs & bearings. But a clumsy, stupid, or malicious mechanic could have done any of the other things I listed.

Clunking Brakes????
 

Well, I took the truck back to Bucky's this morning. I made them drive around with me :-X01 till the clunk finally manifsted itself. They wanted to try new caliper pins,(the ones that you drive in to keep the caliper mounted securely, as they had reused the old ones. $50 bucks later, I got 2 new pins in each caliper, and the clunk seems to have gone away. Hope this fixes it... Thanks for all your advice everyone!:-D

Clunking Brakes????
 

Update: I was wrong about the clunk being gone. I am taking it to Midas to see what they find. Any other suggestions? Diagrams of the other things steve83 mentioned would be good, as my chilton's is not that great.

Clunking Brakes????
 

I don't know if your 93 is the same as my 89 but there is alot of slop between the inner pad the knuckle where it rides. The pad moves around alot especially if the anti rattle spring is missing. Check to see if it is there. Also, I always "crush" the outer pad tabs such that the pad's fits tight on the calipers. I also made a shim to tighten up the caliper's at the top. I hate rattle noises.
Mark

Clunking Brakes????
 

I would guess it would be a bearing problem. Sometimes when one flaw is resolved another is revealed, that whole onion thing, you know - layers.

Also, now that you have some effective brakes could your CV be making problems.

I have 93 f150 302 4x4 sb/sc and I didn't have to take my hubs off to do my brakes, I did to repack/replace my bearings but not my brakes themselves.

I live in Sac now but 6 months ago I lived in Kent, WA for 20 years and I was told that Buckys is a little...oh lets say...dodgey, not that helps anything now.

Clunking Brakes????
 

Brannma,

What did you find out? My Bronco started doing the same thing last night. The clunk does not happen in reverse and will also happen if I hit a bump without applying the brakes. When I apply the brakes if I am rolling forward it does exactly as you described in your first post. I stopped the truck and applied the brakes by pumping them hard when the truck was stopped thinking the caliper might be sticking but nothing happened. Even rolling very slowly the clunk does happen when moving forward but nothing moving backward even somewhat fast. I also think it is a caliper pin problem as it seems the caliper is not secure and is trying to rotate under torque. I'll find out further tonight as I take it over to a buddy of mine for us to look at it. Mine was a sudden event as, "What the heck was that", one time when I applied the brakes. What did you find out?

Thanks,

Bear

Clunking Brakes????
 

Yellowbear, I have not taken it to midas to be checked yet. I'll let you know what I find. Please also let me know what you discover. I also wonder if it is the brake bad moving around in the mount.

Clunking Brakes????
 

Check your brake pads for looseness especially the inner. Like I said before there is alot of slop in the pads where they ride in the steering knuckle and caliper. Also the caliper may be loose. I made shims and installed them to reduce the amount of slop between the caliper and knuckle.
Mark

Clunking Brakes????
 

I just came back from my buddy and he immediately discovered the problem. The left "Radius Arm" bushing has worn away and fallen off. In your case yours may be only partially worn and not yet visible. The other is that the rear part may be gone and not visible to you. The arm moves back and forth without this bushing and causes a clunk when it hits its stop against the bracket which is attached to the frame. This arm leads back from the front end assembly and attaches to a bracket on the frame just under the floorboard. The point where it attaches under the floorboard is where the bushing is and where the clunk is coming from as this rocks back and forth. I don't know the expense because this bracket is welded to the frame on my truck on the left side but not on the right side as I had this replaced once two years ago. I do not know why it is welded on one side and not the other. The previous one cost $115.00 however, this one because of the welding form of attachment is going to be more difficult. AKA: expensive.

I hope this helps. Let me know what you find out and also what the procedure or expense for replacement will be.

Thanks,

Bear

Clunking Brakes????
 

Hmmm, I will have to have that checked, because the radius arm bushings are new, as a a year ago. Perhaps the bolt is not tightened sufficently?? I will have to have it checked. What type of shop would you recommend I look at for that??? (Previous owner had the bushings done.)